Survive An Open Office For The Introvert In All Of Us

Working in an open office sounds like a dream come true. You get to feel like part of a team, not just a cog in the machine, and being able to hear your colleagues makes it easy to collaborate on projects, right? Unfortunately, that’s not how things usually play out. The open office has become common in large tech companies like Google and Facebook, as well as startups trying to emulate that environment. These companies have found that this structure increases collaboration and innovation while simultaneously reducing real estate costs. But there are trade-offs. If you’re an introvert working in an open office, these tips will help you thrive — not just survive — in your new environment.

Be selective about where you sit.

There are no cubicles or offices in an open office, which means every desk has the same amount of sound privacy as any other. If you sit at a high-traffic desk, you’re likely to get a lot of noise from your colleagues. You might want to steer clear of the main walkways and the desks nearest the door. Communication is crucial in most industries, but you can avoid the noise by being selective about the desk you sit at. You may even want to try a standing desk, which can reduce the amount of noise you hear. If you’re in a smaller company, you may be able to request a specific seat near a window or other feature that will give you more privacy. Your co-workers may even appreciate the gesture if they’re sitting in the middle of the room.

Make use of remote work days.

If you’re at a company with a distributed team, you’re likely to have colleagues who work from home at least one day a week. If you work on a team like that, you can petition to have a “remote work day” once or twice a month. Then, you can either change where you sit or go somewhere completely different. If you go someplace new, you’ll give yourself a temporary break from the open office environment and a chance to recharge. If you change your seating location, you’ll likely get fewer distractions from nearby co-workers. You may want to request a seat by a window, or next to a quiet wall. You may even want to take a desk on the floor for a day or two to see how it feels.

Bring headphones and ear plugs.

If you get overwhelmed by noise, bringing your own noise-cancelling headphones will help you tune out the bustle of your colleagues. If you want to be a little more considerate, bring ear plugs instead — they’re less conspicuous. You can use headphones to listen to everything from music to audiobooks to white noise. You can even use them to communicate with co-workers if you’re not ready to talk out loud. If you prefer ear plugs, you can use them to block out noise, or you can use different color ear plugs to signal to your colleagues that you don’t want to be disturbed. If you use ear plugs, you should change the color every day so people know which ones to avoid.

Find quiet places to recharge.

Everyone needs a break from the noise. If you can’t escape to a remote work day, try finding a quiet place to recharge at the office. You can go to a conference room and close the door, or retreat to a quiet lounge. There are also a lot of apps and tools you can use to duck out of the noise. Try a noise-cancelling app like Coffitivity to create an environment more conducive to getting work done. If you can, try to schedule your most important work for times when the most people are out of the office. For example, if everyone takes their lunch break at noon, schedule your most important tasks for 11 a.m. or earlier. If your colleagues return from lunch and start making noise, you’ll have plenty of time to finish what you need to finish before the noise sets in again.

Push yourself to be more social.

If you’re a true introvert, you may feel like you’re hanging out in a house full of extroverts every single day. You might be tempted to say, “I’m an introvert, leave me alone!” But that’s not helpful to anyone, and it’s not conducive to a healthy work environment. Find ways to engage with your colleagues in a healthy way. You can ask them questions about their work — especially if you’re new to the team. On social media, you can respond to posts from your company’s accounts. You can also make posts on behalf of your company. If you work at a startup, you can also pitch your colleagues on joining your Slack channel. Your co-workers may be more willing to chat if they have the option to opt out if the conversation gets too much for them.

Final Words

The open office sounds like a dream come true — a giant office where you can see everyone and easily collaborate with your colleagues. Unfortunately, it turns out that this structure isn’t great for everyone. If you’re an introvert working in an open office, these tips will help you thrive — not just survive — in your new environment.