4 ms·

My biggest issue with my open floor office is that it seems like everyone just takes calls at their seats. We have private spaces and enclaves for that, but I a

My biggest issue with my open floor office is that it seems like everyone just takes calls at their seats. We have private spaces and enclaves for that, but I am just bombarded with 4 people within 10 feet of my workspace on their phone. To counteract I throw on some Ambient music on my headphones, which sort of works but I still find I prefer to work in silence. Does it not seem like open-office etiquette to take a phone call in a private space when other people are trying to work?

jSully24 8y ago
Why can't the team agree on some norms of behavior for this very situation? We're supposed to be collaborating, so how about we all collaborate on where to take a phone call, what is and is not acceptable for noice in our work space? If we can or can not microwave fish leftovers and eat our desk? The important stuff. A critical piece of making the open space work is people being open with another. For watching big events on tv, you can take that into a conference room too. Cheer all you want. Gotta call your partner or someone else? Go in a room.
- rhizome 8y ago
  Why can't the team agree on some norms of behavior for this very situation Who is going to assume the authority when a company is promoted as having a flat hierarchy, or holocracy, etc.? If the CEO is speakerphoning or fomenting adhoc floor meetings in an open-plan, nobody is going to say it's bad.
  - jSully24 8y ago
    "nobody is going to say it's bad" It's not about saying "it's bad". It's about talking about what might be better. Flat hierarchy or not, anyone should be able to bring up the topic. And if you can't, that's a bad place to be working. There should be some kind of trust between people. You don't need any kind of hierarchy to have real leaders. Every where I've been, you just step up and try to make it happen. Most of the time a bunch of other people are going to "thank you!". It won't always work and you can be diplomatic in how you approach it. But just make it happen and stop waiting for someone else to do it. And if they, whomever they is, don't like it, move on.
    - rhizome 8y ago
      anyone should be able to bring up the topic It's not like people never actually comment on how they'd like to change their job environment. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the most common complaint among humans in general! Do you have any examples of non-management fomenting a change in the entire physical architecture of their office, or other large change in a company?
      - jSully24 8y ago
        Yes. I’ll get them up soon.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
ghaff 8y ago
For a lot of people, "taking calls" is a major part of their job. I usually work remotely but, when I am in the office, hunting for a free enclave every time I need to have a phone conversation isn't practical and certainly doesn't scale if everyone were to do it. I do think that it's on management to try to segregate groups that don't talk much and prefer quiet from groups whose jobs involve a lot of phone conversations but it's not practical for many roles to avoid talking on their desk phone. That's why they have one.
- collinf 8y ago
  This is certainly a good point and part of the reason why I just deal with the noise. Desk segregation based on noise levels rather than teams is actually a pretty good idea. Not sure of the implementation of something like that.
  - ghaff 8y ago
    It does vary within teams but overall team roles are a reasonable first cut. You probably don't want to sit software developers right next to your recruiters or inside sales groups.
fblp 8y ago
ask for some Zenbooths and create rule that calls must be taken in them. It makes the open office workable. www.zenbooth.net (I'm a founder there)
- jpindar 8y ago
  From one of the testimonials on that site: "I have some people who will literally spend all day in them."
  - GordonS 8y ago
    Hah, I have some colleagues I wish would spend all day in one of these things!
- collinf 8y ago
  These are pretty cool and we actually have them in our office, I see my current company on your list of companies using them. Unfortunately, team culture takes precedence over neat tools. It's just a common thing on my team to do take calls at your desk.
- cullenking 8y ago
  [edited]. For anyone who doesn't want to drop their email into their webpage to see pricing (yes, I received an outreach email within 15 minutes of doing so) their pricing starts at $4.5k and $14k "on sale". Bit steep for my blood, but, there's obviously some bigger spenders out there!
RandallBrown 8y ago
I've never worked in an office where people regularly talked on their phones in the open. The people at the company who talked on the phone for their job (sales, customer service etc.) had their desks in a different area and had a different setup with high cubicle walls or offices.
HelloNurse 8y ago
If I take or make a phone call, it must be in a place where my computer, my notes and my phone are located. This means the open office, regardless of how much I disturb my audience.
- loco5niner 8y ago
  Yikes. I wouldn't want to work with you. I think your comment is ironic considering your previous comment: >but there are plenty of idiots who turn off air conditioning, open the windows or pull up curtains regardless of everyone else's comfort.

jSully24 8y ago

Why can't the team agree on some norms of behavior for this very situation? We're supposed to be collaborating, so how about we all collaborate on where to take a phone call, what is and is not acceptable for noice in our work space? If we can or can not microwave fish leftovers and eat our desk? The important stuff. A critical piece of making the open space work is people being open with another. For watching big events on tv, you can take that into a conference room too. Cheer all you want. Gotta call your partner or someone else? Go in a room.

rhizome 8y ago
Why can't the team agree on some norms of behavior for this very situation Who is going to assume the authority when a company is promoted as having a flat hierarchy, or holocracy, etc.? If the CEO is speakerphoning or fomenting adhoc floor meetings in an open-plan, nobody is going to say it's bad.
- jSully24 8y ago
  "nobody is going to say it's bad" It's not about saying "it's bad". It's about talking about what might be better. Flat hierarchy or not, anyone should be able to bring up the topic. And if you can't, that's a bad place to be working. There should be some kind of trust between people. You don't need any kind of hierarchy to have real leaders. Every where I've been, you just step up and try to make it happen. Most of the time a bunch of other people are going to "thank you!". It won't always work and you can be diplomatic in how you approach it. But just make it happen and stop waiting for someone else to do it. And if they, whomever they is, don't like it, move on.
  - rhizome 8y ago
    anyone should be able to bring up the topic It's not like people never actually comment on how they'd like to change their job environment. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the most common complaint among humans in general! Do you have any examples of non-management fomenting a change in the entire physical architecture of their office, or other large change in a company?
    - jSully24 8y ago
      Yes. I’ll get them up soon.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

ghaff 8y ago

For a lot of people, "taking calls" is a major part of their job. I usually work remotely but, when I am in the office, hunting for a free enclave every time I need to have a phone conversation isn't practical and certainly doesn't scale if everyone were to do it. I do think that it's on management to try to segregate groups that don't talk much and prefer quiet from groups whose jobs involve a lot of phone conversations but it's not practical for many roles to avoid talking on their desk phone. That's why they have one.

collinf 8y ago
This is certainly a good point and part of the reason why I just deal with the noise. Desk segregation based on noise levels rather than teams is actually a pretty good idea. Not sure of the implementation of something like that.
- ghaff 8y ago
  It does vary within teams but overall team roles are a reasonable first cut. You probably don't want to sit software developers right next to your recruiters or inside sales groups.

fblp 8y ago

ask for some Zenbooths and create rule that calls must be taken in them. It makes the open office workable. www.zenbooth.net (I'm a founder there)

jpindar 8y ago
From one of the testimonials on that site: "I have some people who will literally spend all day in them."
- GordonS 8y ago
  Hah, I have some colleagues I wish would spend all day in one of these things!
collinf 8y ago
These are pretty cool and we actually have them in our office, I see my current company on your list of companies using them. Unfortunately, team culture takes precedence over neat tools. It's just a common thing on my team to do take calls at your desk.
cullenking 8y ago
[edited]. For anyone who doesn't want to drop their email into their webpage to see pricing (yes, I received an outreach email within 15 minutes of doing so) their pricing starts at $4.5k and $14k "on sale". Bit steep for my blood, but, there's obviously some bigger spenders out there!

RandallBrown 8y ago

I've never worked in an office where people regularly talked on their phones in the open. The people at the company who talked on the phone for their job (sales, customer service etc.) had their desks in a different area and had a different setup with high cubicle walls or offices.

HelloNurse 8y ago

If I take or make a phone call, it must be in a place where my computer, my notes and my phone are located. This means the open office, regardless of how much I disturb my audience.

loco5niner 8y ago
Yikes. I wouldn't want to work with you. I think your comment is ironic considering your previous comment: >but there are plenty of idiots who turn off air conditioning, open the windows or pull up curtains regardless of everyone else's comfort.