open plan office – Luxafor

Crowdsourced Wisdom On How To Survive Open Plan Office and Deal With Interruptions

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 10:33:11 +0000

Crowdsourced Wisdom On How To Survive Open Plan Office and Deal With Interruptions

After Joel Spolsky, CEO of Stack Overflow, spoke at the GeekWire Summit in Seattle about the reasons programmers prefer their own space it opened up discussions on the problems of an open office.

On discussion thread on Reddit people shared their experiences with open plan offices. Mainly the problems were noise, interruptions and never ending meetings.

For example:

“The foosball table is right next to my desk in our office. Like, 10 meters away. I feel like I’m slowly going crazy.”
“My desk happens to be about 5 meters from the entrance to the men’s restroom… The noises I hear all day…”
“I actually had a manager tell me that I wear my headphones far too much.”
“I worked at a place where one guy would shoot nerf darts at the interns all day.”
“When will it be done by?’ this question triggers me.”
“Headphones give me a headache. Earplugs disorient me. Office noise—especially scrum meetings or half a dozen people on the phone at the same time—make it difficult for me to think. Interruptions kill my productivity because it can take me 10-15 minutes to get back to same mental state in the code that I had before the interruption.”

Some also shared their ideas on how to deal with these problems. So we decided to gather this valuable information and share with you.

Here is a roundup of some of the most interesting advice:

“We all wear headphones not because we want to listen to music all the time, but because it’s the only way we’ve found to keep ourselves sane.”

“At a big company I used to work at with an open office plan, there was this one guy who took to wearing hearing protection instead of headphones. Like 3M branded ear muffs that you’d see in a woodshop. Nothing says “don’t bother me” like those.”

“One guy I heard of had a sign “Only knock if you are on fire.” he would put up when he wanted to get peace and quiet to concentrate. Without fail whenever someone knocked when that sign was up he would open the door ready with a CO2 extinguisher and hose down the knocker with it. People learned quite quickly to respect the sign.”

“THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULDN’T INTERRUPT A PROGRAMMER – This is taped to my door as a reminder to anyone coming to me with questions/problems. It still doesn’t work.”

Our own experiment showed that the productivity gadgets by Luxafor and ANC headphones minimize interruptions by 72% and both methods are easy to use.

Do you know a better way to survive working in an open office? Please share your experiences and challenges in open plan offices.

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

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Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

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The post Crowdsourced Wisdom On How To Survive Open Plan Office and Deal With Interruptions appeared first on Luxafor.

Distractions In Open Offices Are Killing Your Productivity

admin — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 12:29:42 +0000

Distractions In Open Offices Are Killing Your Productivity

Noise and distractions are the biggest challenges in an open office as found in a recent study from Oxford Economics. Over 1200 senior executives and non-executive employees were surveyed about their workplace arrangements to better understand the opportunities and challenges of the modern workplace.

While some may think that employees only care about free food and ping pong, actually most people come to work to get things done. As it turns out employees’ top priority, in their work environment, is the possibility to focus and work without interruptions.

Recently a new survey by Project:Time Off and GfK showed that Millennials are actually more hardworking than it is believed. They are more likely to see themselves as “work martyrs” and less likely to use all their vacation time. It turns out Millennials are also more likely to say noise distracts them from work. Blocking out distractions increases their productivity and improves their mood.

Management doesn’t always see the problem. For example just 41 percent of employees said they have the necessary tools to minimize distractions, while 63 percent of executives felt that their employees had everything they needed.

So how to survive the open office environment?

Invest in technology that minimizes distractions

Good headphones can block out ambient noise. If your co-workers are ignoring boundaries status lights as Luxafor can stop them from bothering you during your peak performance hours.

Start a dialogue between executives and employees

It needs to be about the ways how you could improve office design to make it more productivity friendly. Start by evaluating what is working and what is not. Maybe there is a need for additional meeting rooms or quiet time.

Encourage everyone to disconnect after hours

We all need our rest to recover from a stressful day to be full of energy the next day. Continuous pressure of being always available has a damaging effect on the way we think and feel. When we can’t fully disconnect, we can’t fully recover.

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

The post Distractions In Open Offices Are Killing Your Productivity appeared first on Luxafor.

Office Space Set-up Do’s and Don’ts

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 12:31:45 +0000

Office Space Set-up Do’s and Don’ts

From a small startup business to a now bigger company and growing team of creative minds and hard workers, now’s the time to set up a new office or find a larger one to fit your business.

Get it right, you can improve and enhance your employees’ productivity and output which in turn provide high quality services for your clients and generate more profit. Get it wrong, your employees are unmotivated, will get stuck in a slump which may lead to a damaged company reputation.

You see, setting up an office can be overwhelming and exciting all the same as it could be the huge turning point for you and your team members. Everything from the ambiance to the layout, down to office furniture play an important role in a workplace.

Source: Unsplash

Promote workplace satisfaction, boost morale in your workforce and keep a growing company. Don’t know where to start? Here’s a quick do’s and don’ts guide to setting up a workplace layout.

Don't opt for cheap furniture

Often times, start-up businesses under tight budget resorts to purchasing cheap, low-quality furniture to save some money. Instead of really saving you cash, cutting corners can cost you more in the long run.

The wear and tear furnishings are likely to get replaced regularly due to the substandard quality. Furthermore, the poor quality furniture say a lot about your business and that’s one important thing you fail to notice.

Project your company’s success and make a good impression, especially to the clients and customers, by investing in quality furniture. You do want a comfortable and stylish seat or meeting table for your clients to come on, don’t you?

Do invest in ergonomic furniture

Invest not only in high quality furniture, but in ergonomic ones. Yes, the one office chair you bought is a real head turner but is it comfortable to seat on? Do choose style over substance.

Uncomfortable furniture can be a huge hindrance to your employees’ productivity and overall performance. It can be irritating and worse, can cause serious health risks. Do know that your workers spend most of their days at work sitting in an office chair at their workstations, it’s only necessary to provide them a comfortable, ergonomic office chair that fits their needs.

You need to also invest in your employees. If you keep your employees satisfied, their productivity will increase as well as do better at work which in return, contributes growth to the company and better service to the customers and clients.

Source: Unsplash

Don't focus too much on decor

Yes, decoration and aesthetic are two essential factors in setting up an office however, remain practical. Although it’s true that your work environment is your second home, it’s still best to splurge on decoration in your own home.

Ask input from your employees regarding what they prefer to have in the office. Do you think you need a 20 feet artwork on the wall or would you rather place a bookshelf against the wall?

Your office design and decor influences other people so you might as well ask other’s input. The overall feature of your office reflects the business, work environment and culture; as well as it motivates and drives people. Less style, more substance and focus on your property and people.

Do consider privacy needs

Privacy should be considered in every work environment. If you’re aiming and promoting better collaboration and teamwork, open plan offices can work for you. If you think privacy is greatly needed in the company, stick to traditional office spaces.

Noise level can be disruptive and can increase stress levels on workers. These distractions have negative impact and can totally cause repercussions in other people’s concentration and performance.

If you want an open space, consider allotting a private area for those employees who want and need to get a good focus and privacy. Other alternative is the use of dividers as a cost-effective way to separate collaboration and camaraderies from privacy areas. You can do the reverse for traditional office spaces.

How’s the set-up in your workplace? Any tips and advice you’d like to share? Don’t hesitate to reach us over social media and share it with us!

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

By Chie Suarez on July 5th, 2016
Chie Suarez is a writer for Office Chairs in Sydney, a company specialising in a wide selection of office furniture designs servicing large corporate businesses to small home offices throughout Sydney.

The post Office Space Set-up Do’s and Don’ts appeared first on Luxafor.

Roundup No. 7: How to thrive in an open-office world and improve productivity

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 13:48:01 +0000

Roundup No. 7: How to thrive in an open-office world and improve productivity

8 Insanely Simple Productivity Hacks

There are so many distractions in today’s workplace that break your focus and productive streaks. It’s easy to get stressed and frustrated because of non-stop interruptions.

The good news is that there are hacks you can do to accomplish more in less time. These hacks include setting mini goals, putting a stop to multitasking, seeking quiet, and more.

One of the hacks includes telling your co-workers when you can’t be disturbed – good thing Luxafor can help you with that. Read the full post here and get closer to your goals!

Standing Desks Boost Productivity

A new study by Texas A&M University’s Health Science Center School of Public Health has revealed that standing desks are not only good for your health, but they also boost productivity.

The study monitored 167 employees in a Texan call center and found that the standing group had 23% more successful calls than their seated colleagues. Details on the study can be found here.

How To Thrive In An Open-Office World

Extroverts can easily adapt to open-office culture, but introverts on the other hand can feel frustrated. According to Susan Cain, the world’s leading introvert expert, introverts may sometimes feel as if the world is conspiring against them – especially in the workplace.

But it’s possible for everyone to thrive in an open office. The key is striking a balance that works for both extroverts and introverts. For example, providing office space with pockets of solitude where people can go to think and be alone.
To find out more ways to navigate some common office obstacles, read the article on Quartz.

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

The post Roundup No. 7: How to thrive in an open-office world and improve productivity appeared first on Luxafor.

Experiment: 3 Ways to Minimize Interruptions at Work

admin — Tue, 17 May 2016 13:00:14 +0000

Experiment: 3 Ways to Minimize Interruptions at Work

Did you know that the average person gets interrupted every 3 minutes at work? From coworkers that want to chat, to incoming emails, to Facebook notifications, there’s no shortage of distractions in today’s workplace.

Working in an open office space can be especially distracting, as there’s nothing separating you from everybody else. And we at GreyNut can attest to that. Our open office plan allows for plenty of collaboration and communication, but we’ve all longed for some peace and quiet at some point.

The good news is that there are plenty of tools that can minimize interruptions. Our sister company, MapOn, decided to experiment with 3 of them: headphones, a Luxafor Flag, and a paper “do not disturb” sign. Here are the rules of the experiment:

3 programmers (who are busy and prone to interruptions) participated. They were each given one tool to try out.
The programmers had one month to test the effectiveness of their assigned “do not disturb” indicator and report their findings.
20% of their day needed to be kept open for communication and impromptu discussions.

Which method works best? And if you’re wondering how to minimize interruptions at your workplace, what would work for you?

0-10 days into the experiment

Source: Unsplash

So far, so good for every method. The experiment is fresh and everybody in the office respects every “do not disturb” indicator.

There was even a poster put up about what each Luxafor light means.

The test subjects (programmers) are happy and they report that interruptions have gone down by 75%.

11-20 days into the experiment

Source: Luxafor

Disruptions are slowly increasing all around. About 10% of staff completely ignore each “do not disturb” indicator either because of an urgent need, or they simply don’t care. Everyone else continues to comply.

The programmer with the paper sign finds that it’s easy to forget setting up the sign in the morning. And he doesn’t always notice when it falls down.

The Luxafor poster is helpful in reminding people to not interrupt when the light is flashing red. There are people that interrupt anyway, but many hold off and remember that the light will turn green later. Since the Luxafor is automated, the programmer doesn’t forget to change from red or green depending on availability.

Headphones are the most effective so far, as everybody can see that the programmer wearing them doesn’t want to be interrupted. With music playing, he also doesn’t hear distractions going on around him.

The only downsides are that the programmer is more isolated from the rest of the group, and he sometimes forgets to put headphones back on after taking them off.

20-30 days into the experiment

Source: Luxafor

The “do not disturb” sign is now pretty much ignored by everybody. It gets dropped on the ground, forgotten about by the programmer, and ignored by everyone else.

The Luxafor and headphones continue to perform the same – interruptions are lower and both methods are easy to use. Since the experiment started, interruptions have gone down by 72%.

Which method works for you?

If you’re looking for ways to focus and avoid interruptions at work, each of the methods we tested has its pros and cons.

A paper sign is free and so long as people remember to actually use it and respect it, it’ll get the job done. The downside is that it’s easy to forget about, and people might not take it seriously.

Headphones are very effective. You can block out noise and coworkers won’t want to bother you when you have them on. The downsides are that a good pair is expensive, being cut off from the rest of the office feels isolating, and it’s easy to forget putting them back on after taking them off.

Plus, listening to music has different effects depending on the person listening and the task being completed. Some might find that music helps them work productively. Others might find it too distracting.

The Luxafor can be automated, so you won’t forget about setting it up. There are, of course, people who will ignore the red light and interrupt you anyway. The Luxafor can adapt to the Pomodoro technique for Mac users, so coworkers know that even if the light is red, they’ll be able to drop by and chat soon enough.

One downside is that it still doesn’t block out the noise and potential distractions around you. But hopefully people will know not to chat with you when they know you need to focus (or you can always wear headphones!).

At the end of the day, it depends on your company culture and the type of work you do. Creative professions might require more open communication and collaboration than data-entry work, for example. We also suggest adopting guidelines, and making sure everyone is on the same page about respecting other’s time and focus.

What do you do to avoid interruptions at work?

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

Do you want to build and maintain new habits? Get your free PDF version of the Don't Break The Chain calendar and start today!

download pdf now

The post Experiment: 3 Ways to Minimize Interruptions at Work appeared first on Luxafor.