When I started the fifth grade, my elementary school moved from its old facility (which has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places) to a brand-new structure about two miles away. Apparently, the architects failed to put on their listening ears when designing this structure. It incorporated fancy new ideas at the time, including retractable accordion walls that could turn four regular-sized classrooms into one big classroom.
In theory, this meant classrooms could be combined for lessons and special presentations. In reality, it just meant that concrete walls were replaced by accordion walls with limited acoustic insulation. Not the prudent choice for children outgrowing their afternoon naps and hopped up on half-pints of chocolate milk.
The school library was located roughly in the center of the building between the two main hallways. Back then, libraries were all about embracing the quiet. So, the designers of my school decided to create a library with half walls open to the major traffic areas within the educational institution.
Yes, you read that correctly. If you wanted to lose yourself in the adventures of The Five Chinese Brothers or Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, your imagination would have to contend with various classes of students walking by for things like lunch or physical education.
I literally read and write for a living, so I work better when it's quiet. Fast forward to my early days in trade publishing, I worked in an office with an open floorplan and sat in a cubicle. Nothing wrong with that, unless you didn't want to hear every conversation, keystroke, chair creak, paper shuffle, pen tap, drawer close, or water cooler gurgle.
Recently, EPOS shared results from its exclusive online customer survey. It found that "noisy open plan office distractions" are the top concern for professionals, and minimizing those distractions is a top priority. Office distractions aren't the only concern; EPOS also found respondents were concerned with microphone performance (31%), active noise cancellation (21%), and managing noise levels (14%). The research came on the heels of last fall's introduction of its IMPACT 500 on-ear Bluetooth headset, which has features designed to improve focus and reduce listening fatigue.
Of course, it's not just about investing in equipment—it's about investing in the right equipment. For example, whether it's for phone calls or listening to music while I cook dinner, I use a bone conduction headset. It's lightweight and the open-ear design is ideal for my home use. That said, I would not be tempted to bring them to work in our company's New York office, because they don't isolate me from office noise.
Even though it's not a work environment, we can look to my daughter's dance competitions to illustrate the importance of ANC. For those of you who aren't "dance dads" like me or fellow SCN staff member Wayne Cavadi, there are a few universal truths associated with these things. At the top of the list: No matter what organization produces the event or what facility hosts the event, the music is always way too loud.
It's an unsuitable use case for bone conduction, but my earbuds with adaptive ANC shine. I can still hear the music and announcements (no ANC is that good), but I don't come home with a splitting headache. Bonus: In a darkened high school auditorium or community arts center, they aren't terribly conspicuous.
Whether you're dealing with cubicles, accordion walls, or just an active office environment, leaping out of your seat to deliver the loudest "Shhhh!" on record won't solve your noise problems at work. Thankfully, there's plenty of technology out there to help stop the noise. Find what form factor fits you best and rediscover your concentration.
