How to deal with a noisy coworker

"Hacchooooo!"

One of my colleagues has the loudest sneeze I have ever heard! It startles everyone on the floor every time she sneezes. But you know what? We have grown to love it and even miss it when she is absent. Her sneezing and infectiously loud laughter have become a part of our daily routine and has added some diversity to our work environment.

How we communicate in the workplace can significantly affect our productivity and overall work environment. While some colleagues' loud presence can boost productivity, others' loud voices can be disruptive and create noise.

Apart from cultural influences, individuals may speak loudly due to undiagnosed hearing impairments. They may unintentionally raise their voice to compensate for difficulty in hearing themselves or others.

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As we transition to a more open office culture, different communication styles and personal traits can disturb others' workflow, especially if someone is noisy. This raises important questions: Why do some individuals speak loudly in the workplace, and how can we help them adopt an appropriate speaking volume?

It's essential to understand that individuals have different personality traits, such as extroversion and introversion. Extroverted people tend to be more expressive and may speak loudly to effectively convey their thoughts and emotions.

However, cultural norms can influence speaking loudly, significantly shaping communication styles. In some cultures, talking loudly is seen as a sign of enthusiasm or assertiveness; in others, it may be inappropriate.

Apart from cultural influences, individuals may speak loudly due to undiagnosed hearing impairments. They may unintentionally raise their voice to compensate for difficulty in hearing themselves or others. This can hurt the overall work environment.

In workplaces with a lot of noise, such as open-plan offices or other environments with distracting background sounds, people might raise their voices to be heard above the commotion. Unfortunately, this could result in a feedback loop, where people continue to talk louder and louder, causing further disruptions and hindering productivity.

We must work together to create a work environment that promotes productivity and effective communication and always maintains an appropriate speaking volume.

If a colleague's loudness is disrupting your work, figuring out how to deal with the situation can be challenging. Let's explore some positive ways to handle noisy colleagues at work.

Awareness and education: We can help co-workers understand the impact of noise levels on productivity and well-being through workshops. We can also provide resources on effective communication techniques and the importance of mindful speaking to enable everyone to communicate with respect and consideration.

Encourage active listening: Active listening practices stimulate understanding and reduces the need for elevated voice levels. It fosters a culture of respect and consideration and enables everyone to communicate more effectively.

Provide personalised feedback: If you have a consistently noisy colleague, you can seek help from the HR Business Partner (HRBP). The HRBP is skilled in approaching with empathy and can offer constructive feedback to help the individual understand the impact of their volume on others.

Utilise communication tools: Encouraging alternate communication tools, such as messaging platforms or email, for non-urgent discussions or announcements can reduce the need for verbal communication in noisy environments. These tools allow us to communicate more effectively with our colleagues and keep the noise level down.

Designate quiet zones: Establishing designated quiet zones where co-workers can retreat for focused work or conversations requiring lower voice levels can be helpful. We must enforce guidelines to ensure these areas remain free from disruptions and excessive noise.

Create a burst-out pod: This idea may sound unconventional, but it has proven effective. In stressful situations, some individuals relieve themselves by venting their frustrations on friends, family members, or vendors. To prevent this behaviour from disrupting others' work, we propose the creation of a unique soundproof pod where these colleagues can release their emotions without disturbing their co-workers.

Promote respectful communication: Lastly and most importantly, we must foster a culture of respectful communication where individuals are mindful of their volume and its impact on others. We must encourage co-workers to express their needs and preferences regarding noise levels, facilitating a collaborative approach to maintaining a harmonious work environment.