Quiet workplace?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Anonymous reports: <<In my current job I find myself in a rather noisy 
part of the office, sandwiched between a common area, a high-traffic 
corridor, and the mail-sorting area. I'm finding it increasingly 
difficult to concentrate on my work, and I'm feeling stressed by the 
mechanical noises and casual conversations going on around me.>>

This sounds like something you need to discuss with your manager. If 
you can make a strong case for how stressful the environment is, they 
may be able to find you another office. I know that I can't work in 
very noisy environments--can't concentrate nearly as well as when I 
have a relatively quiet workplace.

<<So far my complaints to my manager and the manager of HR have fallen 
on deaf ears>>

Perhaps the key word there is "complaints"? Managers hate people who 
raise problems, but have a great fondness for people who propose 
solutions. I'd recommend doing some snooping to see if you can find an 
open office or even a quieter cubby--talk informally to the facilities 
manager, or whoever allocates workspace, to find out what barriers 
there might be to getting yourself assigned to a new space.

One thing I learned working for the government is that it's much easier 
to get what you want if you know who really holds the power to make 
decisions. In the government, that's rarely the person who holds 
nominal title to this role--often it's their secretary or the one clerk 
in their department who actually knows how to work the photocopier. No, 
really! Get that person on your side (request help, enlist their 
sympathy, don't complain) and you can often move mountains. Move the 
mountain, then point out to your manager the blank space where all that 
rock used to be and request that you occupy that space.

If that doesn't work (it doesn't always), consider investing in some 
"noise-cancelling headphones". You can find these in various techy 
magazines or through a Google search. Haven't tried any of them, but 
have heard (warning: anecdotal evidence) that they work surprisingly 
well. I believe Sennheiser is one company that makes them. Low-tech 
solutions such as earplugs can also work well.

<<How have others (especially lone writers like me) succeeded in 
negotiating for a quiet workspace?>>

When I was working for my former employer, I was first assigned to an 
office nicknamed (for obvious reasons) "the acquarium", in a 
high-traffic area. I made my point without actually complaining about 
the office simply by having my manager meet me there during the course 
of our usual work to discuss various projects at appropriate times 
(i.e., the noisiest times). They got annoyed by the noise and the lack 
of privacy, and were thus quite open to my suggestion for a change. 
Worth a try?

<<When applying for a new job, how do writers assess the suitability of 
their future working environment?>>

I ask them to show me where I'll be working (ideally the actual 
office). If you've done well enough at the interview, you can sometimes 
get a chance to meet the other team members. I've been lucky in getting 
this chance in past interviews, but you have to ask for it: Talk 
privately and off the record to several of the team members. You'd be 
amazed at what you can learn.

--Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)