I’m driving a new(ish) car this year. At first, I loved that it’s always talking.
It gives me directions.
It buzzes if I put my indicator on and there’s a car next to me.
Auto braking squawks. Reversing beeps.
To restrain my inner lead-foot, I have the Sat Nav set to alert me if I go over speed.
My car’s voice is like Lee Lin Chin, which I really like (hands up if you miss her on the SBS news!).
But sometimes I. Just. Really. Wish. She. would shut the f### up.
I want to think. Uninterrupted. To have no external voice intruding.
My car sometimes feels like I’m back in an open plan office. Next to a chatty co-worker. 🙁
There’s a lot of evangelizing about open plan offices. How they foster teamwork. Break down silos. Encourage collaboration. Agile. But really it’s just spin.
Research shows staff in such workspaces send more emails, spend less time interacting, and are more miserable. The killer stat is that open plan consistently leads to lower rates of concentration.
Above research aside, in our heart-of-hearts we know that this type of office is here to stay. The primary driver isn’t collaboration, it’s cost. These layouts use less real estate.
So how do you maintain focus in a chatty cubicle? What hacks help you hold space for deep thought?