Dear SpaceManAndy
So, I work in an “open office” where none of us have our own offices, we’re all in open cubes. There are a few coworkers that are unprofessional and loud in the office throughout the day (personal phone calls, loud discussions with each other about NSFW things, etc.). How should I deal with this? I already wear headphones about 80% of the time in the office, but that is acting more as a band-aid to the problem than it is as a solution.
Thanks,
Overcome by Oversharers
Dear Overcome,
The obvious and most professional way to handle a situation like this is to talk to your co-workers like an adult. Explain that their conversations and personal business is very distracting while you are trying to work. They should appreciate your honesty and your working relationships will improve.
Unfortunately, your co-workers are already being unprofessional and will probably not receive this constructive criticism like adults. Additionally, since you are talking to me about this issue instead of your co-workers or your boss, it probably means you shy away from confrontation. I’m not saying this is a bad thing at all. I mean, there are moments where confrontation with co-workers is necessary, but for the most part, you have to spend 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week with these people week after week after week. I don’t blame you for not wanting to come across as an enemy.
So, dear reader, I think your only option is to be mildly passive aggressive.
Let’s say you overhear a co-worker on the phone talking loudly about something NSFW that is clearly a personal and private conversation. Like, maybe a co-worker is worried they might be pregnant. Find an article online about birth control, print it out and leave it on their desk when no one else is around. You can do the same if someone is talking about a rash, but with a WebMD article. Maybe you constantly hear a co-worker yelling at their child or spouse on the phone. Leave a pamphlet about family counseling. They will quickly get the idea that their conversations are not private.
Unfortunately there will be repercussions to this. Namely the classic “Ugh, people in this office are so passive aggressive. If they had just come to me it would have been fine.” Based on absolutely nothing scientific at all, I would guesstimate that 90% of the time this is said, it is a lie. People don’t like to confront people, but more than that, people don’t like to be confronted.
The other thing you could do is a little more polite. You know, if you don’t want to be insulting with mock-helpful pamphlets. Your office probably has some kind of break room or kitchen. Put up a note on the fridge that says something simple and nice:
“Greetings co-workers. Just a friendly reminder, sound travels really well in our office. I know it’s easy to forget. The cubicle walls sometimes make it feel like other people are not around. So, if you have something you don’t want to be public knowledge, think about stepping outside. I know I would want someone to tell me if they could hear me talking about my personal stuff. Thanks.”
Now, there will probably be the same passive aggressive fallout to this as well. Or alternately they may ignore it if they feel like their personal business doesn’t need to be personal. Some people think this kind of behavior is perfectly acceptable, and will have different ideas of what information is “personal.”
I mean, there’s always the indirectly direct approach too. “Hey, can you keep it down, I’m trying to focus and get this done.” is a little less confrontational than “Hey, I don’t care about how worried you are that it burns when you pee!” but gets a similar result.
I don’t know, I guess that could work. Maybe?
SpaceManAndy