Note that work does not trump anything.

Have you ever googled “distracted at work“?  Yikes.  While it’s kind of surprising how many websites and blogs are out there just to help people distract themselves, most of us are self-aware enough to realize that we are easily distracted even when we want to be focused.  Office time is definitely not immune to distraction- far from it.  From googling ways to get distracted, to overly chatty co-workers to loud sales guys to inconsistent machinery to email, iPhones, texting, messaging, and all the dings that make us aware of their presence and any new messages.  That’s a lot of competing noises for workers’ attention.  No wonder then that the average worker loses more than 2 hours every day to distraction, and usually conversational distraction.  According to Associated Content, here are few active steps you can take to minimize distractions:

• Know yourself and what distracts you
• Change your atmosphere if necessary (turn down music, for instance)
• Limit computer distractions to certain times of day or a certain number of times (such as checking your email 3 xs/day)
• Don’t take calls unless convenient for you; you can call back
• Shorten conversations with coworkers, and if that doesn’t work,
• Nicely confront distracting coworkers

These are great tips that can really help.  However, most really count on the worker being exceptionally self-motivated with a good sense of boundaries and quite a bit of integrity.  Just in case not every worker you have fits that description, you might consider a sound masking system.  Sound masking systems are extremely effective for noise coverage in open offices.  They’re high-quality and actually very affordable.

Whatever route you choose, know that you are working in the best interests of not only your workers, but also your company.

It had this caption: “No wonder I’m so unproductive today.”

Like watching Office Space, this screen shot has confirmed managers’ deepest fears- the work day is not as it should be.  In fact, workers are distracted more than 2 hours every day!  That’s a lot of lost time that is frustrating to you and to your workers because, believe it or not, most of that distraction time is a result of noise.  Whether it’s the ding of one’s own device or a neighboring cubicle dweller, or even a floating conversation or phone call, workers find it difficult to concentrate.

An easy solution for workers in any office is a good sound masking system, such as the VoiceArrest. The idea is to add low-level background noise {white noise} to a problem area so that the people working there can tune out the distracting noises.  The VoiceArrest is high-quality and just as highly effective without being intrusive itself.  All you will notice is more prodictivity!

If office noise is distracting your workers {even more than their pals on Facebook}, try a good sound masking system to help workers keep their focus.

Schipol Airport lounge for families

Speaking of living overseas, many of us have to travel trans-atlantically to in order to see our families back in the US or for the student spouse to attend a conference.  Part of life for most of us is that we have small children.  And flying with children is a nightmare at times.  Even well-behaved children get over-tired at some point…that is why my family always chooses Amsterdam’s Schipol airport .  Why?  Mainly because it is an efficiently-run airport that offers a fantastic baby lounge that includes cribs for young travelers, places to bathe and change little ones, and even a spot to heat food.  This is at an airport!!  When you have a long lay-over, being able to have a spot for kids to sleep or enjoy a bath is crucial to making it out sane.

This amazing lounge for kids was sponsored by Nutricia (a baby food company). It was wonderfully designed and so appreciated in the midst of our travels. There was no blatant advertising anywhere. Just a few small signs saying “Baby Care Lounge by Nutricia.” The only thing that could have made it any better was some sound masking to cover up the noises the other families were making. Even without blatant advertising, I can tell you that I would be more likely to buy this brand of baby food because of the great place they offered us in the airport those few hours.

Another experience I had with an effective brand space was a mother’s lounge in Tesco Supermarkets. They offered a private place to feed baby, a selection of their brand of diapers for changing the baby, and some other activities for a toddler to do while mommy is feeding the baby. I will admit to going back to that store numerous times in part because of that one room in their store.

Is there some way you could utilize a brand space to promote your company or product? It doesn’t have to be child- related to be effective. The examples I mentioned above are empathetic brand spaces–spaces used to help a person out. Some other types are brand spaces used for trying things out or for learning things. The one that comes to mind first for me are Apple Stores. Not only are you able to hold and use all their gadgets in the stores, they also offer free workshops about their products and how to utilize them in their customer’s lives.

Think about how you and your company are uniquely capable of helping people and create an experience based on that. It’s very effective advertising, and you know word travels!

It’s hard to imagine life without stress.  Maybe there are people who wake up refreshed every day, ready to tackle family life, work, and whatever faces them each day.  Maybe…but not likely.  Most of us wake up stressed before our feet even hit the floor.   This is a shame, but all too true.  Much of our stress centers on work-related issues, from deadlines to co-worker issues to lack of productivity.  This kind of stress leads to feelings of disengagement-  disengaged workers are unproductive much of their work day, suffer more injuries, log in more sick days, and turn over more frequently.  This unfortunate turn of events means that companies lose about $600 billion a year.

To regain that loss for your company and to help workers feel less stressed and more productive, try some of these ergonomic tactics and general tips.

When it comes to creating a productive office environment—it’s more than just four walls. According to a Cornell University study, even low-level noise in open-style offices can result in higher levels of stress and lower task motivation. If you’re going to go with an open office plan, be sure to think about where you place employees who operate at higher decibel levels. Also keep in mind placement of loud appliances such as copy machines.

Technology is a crazy thing.  Most of the time we idolize it as a way to get a lot of stuff done that used to not be possible.  I remember how amazing recording TV shows on our VCR was when we were out and would miss Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or The Cosby Show.  Those were not shows to be missed for sure.  Now we have TiVo and iPlayers and all kinds of gadgets that keep us afloat in this trendy world.  At the same time, though, we have all these gadgets that seem to allow freedom, yet simultaneously keep us tied down.  Instead of making a choice to go out and just missing a favorite TV show, we know we can do it all, yet we don’t have more time to do it all.  This is where I feel frustrated- my husband and I will be watching a downloaded show from hi s laptop he is beaming to our flat screen TV while we both type away furiously, attempting to stay afloat in a very busy world.

It’s almost as if there’s a ball and chain linking you to your computer, phones, and fax machine, as well as all the ringing, buzzing, and vibrating they make every few minutes.  Instead of getting more done, you tend to get less done because your mind is too divided.  Sensory overload sets in, and the hours tick away while very little work is accomplished.  Besides mental stress, this amount of distraction leads to an incredible lack of productivity.  And why wouldn’t it?  Not only are you held captive by your own gadgets and their noises, but you also fall prey to everyone else’s, especially if you’re in a cubicle.  Or if you manage a whole lot of cubicles.  Just visit the floor and you can see how distracted workers are.

Using Technology to mask Technology

This is where sound masking comes in.  By piping in white noise via speakers mounted in ceiling tiles, you allow your workers to focus more on their work and less on their gadgets.  The white noise itself is quite effective in covering unnecessary and unwanted sounds without proving to be a distraction itself.  Most surveyed employees reported that the only thing they noticed was the ability to work, not the sound masking itself.  And since most workers also report that all they want is distraction-free solo work time, it pays to give them a distraction-free environment.  Why not make technology work for you instead of working for it?

As essential as modern technology seems to be, so is masking it at times.  Technology is only as good as it serves us.

Most of the time we think about “security,” we think of doors, locks, and safes.  That is to say, we think of structural security- a place that is hard to get into and harder to take things out of.  We also tend to think of tangible things, such as jewelry, money, or documents.  Interestingly, what we don’t think of can come at a cost just a high as a theft of that sort of magnitude: speech.  Many businesses and facilities center around confidentiality and the need for it.  Whether it’s a boardroom topic of discussion, a government issue, a military strategy, or stock information, companies thrive on and nations are secure under the cloak of privacy.  Unlike our mental connotation of security, that privacy can’t be bought with high-tech buildings.  It has to be created intentionally.

Speech privacy is the act of protecting private information passed through verbal communication. While this is easier when there are walls and closed doors, in open office plans and reception areas this is most effectively done through the use of sound masking technology. Here are some of the compelling situations needing speech privacy:

Business Clients

Whether on the phone or in person, many businesses communicate sensitive information about their clients on a daily basis. This requires utmost diligence by the business or organization to protect this personal and sensitive information. Financial, personal, and medical privacy is strictly regulated by law. These laws govern printed information, network security for digital data storage, and even the verbal communication of private information.

Trade Secrets

In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, businesses exert significant care to protect  company specific information that provides an advantage over its competitors, whether about a product, a process, or even a compilation of information. Almost every industry, from finance to medicine or manufacturing to social services, is compelled to use all reasonable means available to protect company information.

Medical Facilities

A 2005 study at Johns Hopkins University found that hospital noise increased by almost 30 percent and these levels have continued to climb since. While this obviously creates an uncomfortable experience for patients, even more importantly are the HIPAA compliance problems that accompany a noisy facility.  It’s practically impossible to ensure privacy without being intentional about it.

Eliminating Eavesdropping

Companies go to great lengths to secure the digital transmission and storage of information. But the further step of achieving voice privacy in the work place is essential. The Regus Group found in a recent study that that 59% of business professional had eavesdropped on other people’s conversations, and that 19% used the information they overheard.  Who knows how that information was used and who was hurt by it…

The current trends of open office space and mass communication can help build better collaboration, but also allows for deliberate or accidental eavesdropping. It is imperative that managers find cost-effective means to safeguard sensitive conversations in the workplace. Today’s sound masking technology can provide better speech privacy at affordable prices.

It’s pretty common to feel dead at the end of the day, or at the very least, very drained.  Plus, many workers don’t get to go home and kick up their feet- they have children, spouses, significant others, errands, and home maintenance to keep up with.  Going home to your personal life is great, but not if you don’t have the energy to enjoy it!

Instead of assuming fatigue is simply the cost of working, try these tips to use less energy and work more efficiently.  That way you can enjoy your work day more and go home less exhausted.

Tips for Recovering Energy at Work

Try Using White Noise –Strange as it sounds, tuning out distraction is harder than it seems and requires a great deal of energy.  You lose around 2 hours a day to distraction, which means what you don’t get done then has to be done after hours.  Thus, a sound machine would help by covering unrelated conversations and surrounding office noise. Better yet would be office-wide sound masking that would benefit everyone.

Limit Your Energy-Draining Tasks. Are you aware of specific tasks or certain people who drain you of energy and motivation more than anything else?  Be deliberate about how you approach these tasks or people in your work day. Find the least stressful time of day for you, when you are not hungry or especially tired, and spend only 10 or 15 minutes dealing with this work.  Take breaks if you need to.

Upgrade to Ergonomic Tools.  Ergonomic products are specifically designed to encourage a natural,  ergonomic posture where your muscles are at their lowest strain and and work is minimized. Start with a supportive, ergonomic chair that helps maintain good posture for long periods of time. With any chair, make sure your back has good support;  try adding portable lumbar support if your chair doesn’t provide enough.

Drink More Water.  If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Because our bodies and brains are made up largely of water; even slight dehydration of less than 5% decreases our energy and productivity by more than 20%. A good place to start is with the general rule of daily drinking at least eight glasses of water.

Every day we are bombarded with distractions, interruptions, and physical discomfort that quickly, and unnecessarily,  drain our energy and breaks our concentration. Consider using white noise to cover the office noise that continually interrupts you. And upgrade to a good ergonomic chair to improve your posture and relieve some of the energy-draining pain. Adjusting your office environment and habits can make a huge impact on your energy and productivity.

Who isn’t stressed these days?  It’s all too true that most of us feel stressed during the day, most days.  Then, we spend our weekends stressing about new stuff or what’s coming up the next week.  You just can’t win, can you?  Stress takes a toll on your mind, your emotions, and your body.  Your work life suffers, too, with a terrible loss of productivity, excessive sick days, work-related injuries, and general worker disengagement.  And the bill doesn’t end there- companies lose a lot of money, too.

Tips for dealing with Stress

It may feel like there’s not a lot you can do about stress, except grin and bear it.  While it’s true that there isn’t a magical formula to get rid of stress forever, there are some things you can do to alleviate at least some of it.  Read below for stress reduction and ergonomic tips so you and your employees can practice better habits at work for a better life all the time.  You can’t make your employees follow them all, but giving them options and even the freedom to practice them could really reduce personal pain and stress, while simultaneously improving productivity.

Having three children seems to come part and parcel with waiting rooms and doctors’ offices.  Whether I’m at my own ob-gyn check-up, delivering the child, getting post-partum care, taking baby to a million check-ups (well baby and otherwise), then taking toddler to get development/speech/hearing/etc… checked, and let’s not forget middle of the night emergency room visits, as parents we end up clocking a whole lot of time in medical facilities.  A few weeks ago, my husband a small procedure done that required me to drive him home.  While 2 of the kids were at school, I still had the nursing baby to tote along.  Of course, the procedure was in the middle of nap time, so I was forced to get my child to sleep in the car seat in the waiting room.  During that time, I cannot tell you how many people walked in and out of the waiting room, talking loudly across the room to other workers, and slamming doors as they bustled to point b.  The crazy thing is that particular waiting room was actually more secluded that the others!  All of the hustle and bustle made it pretty difficult to keep baby asleep.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not the doctors’ job to make sure their waiting rooms are sound-proofed in the even of a child who needs a nap.  However, I do feel that it is in the medical facilities’ best interest to make their patients happy.  Thus, whether it’s a cranky baby, a nervous child, an anxious parent, or just someone who wants a little peace and quiet while they wait for their appointment, it would be well worth a little effort to provide some sense of security and sanity.

But  how can we deal with noise in an inherently noisy place like a medical facility, doctor’s office, o waiting room?

Sound Masking for Privacy

A simple solution would be sound masking, in which white noise would softly hum through speakers installed directly in the ceiling tiles.  The result would be that the low-level noise would be soft enough to go largely unnoticed, but just enough to cover the noises (crying, screaming, news, etc.) coming from other rooms and hallways.  Everyone would be spared the fear of pain that is a natural result of hearing others cry.  As an added bonus, speech privacy levels would also go up, so as medical professionals needed to discuss cases, questions, or results, each individual would be protected from being overheard.

As we all know the customer is king- in this case, the patient is king.  If a medical facility would like to keep their patients happy and satisfied, then a simple proactive measure like sound masking may well be the answer.