4 ms·

If it happens again, I've been told that having a mirror on your desk so that you can see what's going on behind you can help a lot.

saagarjha 7y ago
Or if your monitor is one of those glossy ones, just glance into a darker part.
cortesoft 7y ago
Wouldn't that cause even more distraction as you see all the people walking behind you?
- mikekchar 7y ago
  Apparently (it's not something I suffer from), people who prefer to be facing the aisle tend to glance out at people from time to time, which makes them feel at ease. Having the people at their back makes them uncomfortable because they can't keep tabs on it. For some people, this is apparently so bad that even if they are in an individual office they need to have a window, or keep the door open.
inimino 7y ago
Or if putting a mirror on your desk is the best resolution your employer can offer, run away screaming...
JohnBooty 7y ago
I tried this and it absolutely did not help. In a "normal" situation where your desk faces the rest of the room, you would become aware (in an "ambient" way) of people wandering into your field of view. But with your back to the room/hallway/whatever, you need to explicitly scan the mirror (sort of like polling, in computer terms) with frequency to know if somebody is approaching. It's like trying to work while also focused on a video playing in a desktop window or something. Of course, as with anything, some people are not bothered by this. (And, of course, some of those people are fooling themselves into thinking there's zero impact on their focus/productivity)
- IloveHN84 7y ago
  After we moved to another floor/office, I forced my team lead to move to the desk with back facing the door while I conquered the desk with a wall behind me, after spending 4+ years with the back facing the open office we had previously. I improved exponentially my concentration and quality of work while he showed up that previously he was spending large amount of time watching YouTube/news websites/shows instead of doing work and he is frustrated that he has to do real work now.
dotancohen 7y ago
You likely already have one. The upper bezel of your monitor is likely shiny black. It makes a great mirror to know when someone behind you is taking interest in you. It is also completely inconspicuous and you do not need to move your head from your monitor to use it.
- Sharlin 7y ago
  I’d say that it’s only likely conditional on having a Mac.
dillonmckay 7y ago
I had a coworker try this, and it made her more jumpy, as she would catch somebody in her rear vision across the room. She would audibly be surprised and distract others.

saagarjha 7y ago

Or if your monitor is one of those glossy ones, just glance into a darker part.

cortesoft 7y ago

Wouldn't that cause even more distraction as you see all the people walking behind you?

mikekchar 7y ago
Apparently (it's not something I suffer from), people who prefer to be facing the aisle tend to glance out at people from time to time, which makes them feel at ease. Having the people at their back makes them uncomfortable because they can't keep tabs on it. For some people, this is apparently so bad that even if they are in an individual office they need to have a window, or keep the door open.

inimino 7y ago

Or if putting a mirror on your desk is the best resolution your employer can offer, run away screaming...

JohnBooty 7y ago

I tried this and it absolutely did not help. In a "normal" situation where your desk faces the rest of the room, you would become aware (in an "ambient" way) of people wandering into your field of view. But with your back to the room/hallway/whatever, you need to explicitly scan the mirror (sort of like polling, in computer terms) with frequency to know if somebody is approaching. It's like trying to work while also focused on a video playing in a desktop window or something. Of course, as with anything, some people are not bothered by this. (And, of course, some of those people are fooling themselves into thinking there's zero impact on their focus/productivity)

IloveHN84 7y ago
After we moved to another floor/office, I forced my team lead to move to the desk with back facing the door while I conquered the desk with a wall behind me, after spending 4+ years with the back facing the open office we had previously. I improved exponentially my concentration and quality of work while he showed up that previously he was spending large amount of time watching YouTube/news websites/shows instead of doing work and he is frustrated that he has to do real work now.

dotancohen 7y ago

You likely already have one. The upper bezel of your monitor is likely shiny black. It makes a great mirror to know when someone behind you is taking interest in you. It is also completely inconspicuous and you do not need to move your head from your monitor to use it.

Sharlin 7y ago
I’d say that it’s only likely conditional on having a Mac.

dillonmckay 7y ago

I had a coworker try this, and it made her more jumpy, as she would catch somebody in her rear vision across the room. She would audibly be surprised and distract others.