Developer's solution to solve "the problem that the office is noisy and can not concentrate on work" without headphones

ByDave Brookes

A problem when working in an office where many people work is a problem that "people can not concentrate on work by speaking speech". It is difficult to say that because there is a possibility that the wind will stand up saying "I want you to keep quiet because I can not concentrate" each time I face it, can somehow solve the problem? And Software Engineer'sRaimo RadczewskiHe is disclosing the process of trial and error.

Where we're going, we do not need headphones!
https://rradczewski.github.io/ymmv/2017/06/Where-we-are-going-we-dont-need-headphones


Radczewski's suggestions to "concentrate on work at the office even without headphones" are as follows.

◆ 01: Enable to work where there are no people in the first place
First of all, Radczewski suggests that "people create a working environment that is not around". Therefore, when the company even if career they're unable to provide a private room, has proposed to think about the possibility that work in remote work. For example, Radczewski once provided financial servicesVaamoI was working in vaamo, but the idea of ​​vaamo's "working place" was as follows.

"Your working place, like the rest of vaamo, should not be" lowest. "You can work anywhere! If you need an office, close to the public transport in Frankfurt We have beautiful office space and you can work at home or co-working space.We always keep in touch and do not miss information through GitHub, Slack, Screenhero, Hangout etc. However,Table footballWe may not be able to participate in the game. "

With such a workplace, it is possible to realize a workplace best suited for focusing on work in a remote environment. However, of course, there is a workplace that "remote work is not a problem". In that case, it may be good to propose to erase the noise by separating the place to work and the place to talk with in the current office.

For example, Markus Tacker, a software developer, creates and publishes office designs made with the concept of "offices designed by people who dislike offices".

Office design by an office hater · Markus Tacker · Software Craftsman
https://coderbyheart.com/office-design-by-an-office-hater/

In the concept, the state of assumption that work can progress with about one team of one. There is no need for minimal conversation, and there is an office for when you concentrate on work.


Although it is partitioned by glass, it is possible to blindfold, so concentration will not be interrupted by movement of the outside world.


There is also an office for six people when working with a larger number of people is necessary.


When you need to have a one-to-one conversation in a quiet space, use such a small room ......


It is ok if you use big open spaces when conversation-centered ideas are put together.


In order to allow anyone to participate in the conversation, the meeting room has the following form.


Also, RadczewskiZweitagI was impressed also at the office of the company called. Zweitag seems to be divided into rooms for staff working intensively and rooms to promote work while talking, so collaboration with multiple teams can be done in the corridor. The office is huge and is divided into four teams. Small rooms for each team are not directly connected, but they are installed along the walls and the dividers are glass so you can see at a glance whether people are in other small rooms. There was a coffee bar, a smoking room and a place to sit on the corridor, and it was said that people were able to discuss freely and work.

◆ 02: Give "awareness" to people with big voice
However, it is difficult to remodel the office right away. Therefore, we will consider the approach to people next. The noise problem in the office is, in the end, a human problem. People who talk in a loud voice and interfere with people's work often do not have the consciousness of talking loudly enough to hear themselves in the room. Therefore, showing that "work is disturbed by speech" will be a good start to noticing them, by this method, people are moved to a conference room or the like before the voice becomes too big You may be able to do it.

However, at this time, directly to the person himself / herself "I want you to be quiet", there is a possibility that a collision will be born, and it is quite difficult. So, communication toolSlackbotIt is OK even if you point out the problem anonymously using etc. In this case, the person in the conversation may not be able to immediately obtain the effect without checking the application, but the person himself said that his action disturbed the work of the office person later You can know.

When Radczewski enters the command "/ Noisy", a pre-set message of "Please be careful about the voice volume that makes a little conversation to everyone here @" automatically on Slack will be delivered I was trying to make it. Such a mechanism is easy to point out noise problems which are hard to point out easily and excels in that it does not attack specific individuals.


When Radczewski adopted the above mechanism in the office, there were times when the Noisy command was sent several times a day depending on the day.

◆ 03: Make a mechanism that the principal notices the volume of the voice without raising the voice
Sending the Noisy command to solve the problem when thinking "Do not want it to be quiet" is better to move them to the meeting room before the people's voice gets bigger than the Noisy command needed is. Radczewski creates a signal that always changes the color by measuring the noise level of the office using the USB type signal, Raspberry Pi, microphone.


If the light is green, there is no noise problem in the office, the light turns yellow as the noise increases, and it changes to red if noise problem that someone sends the Noisy command occurs. If you see a yellow signal while people are talking in the office, you can be aware that "I am creating noise" without being pointed out by people. The effect of this signal is said to be confirmed from now.

There is no such thing as a correct answer of the office noise problem, and it is necessary to find a solution suitable for that office. Since it is working by multiple people in one room, it may be unavoidable for noise to be born, but unless you can prepare a completely quiet room by preparing a remote environment, at least It is necessary to create an office with a comfortable volume, worthy of working music. However, if there are people who like noise as BGM, there are people who can not work because they are interested in a little sound. Radczewski says that it is important first to think about whether it is possible to provide a way of working that suits each person, then to give "noise" to those who create noise.