Common Office Distractions

[editor]

What distracts you most in the office?

[boober]

My Boss!

[flyingfingers]

One of my biggest distractions and annoyances is people who supposedly finish a meeting in a conference room, but then continue to discuss issues (loudly, of course!) in the hallway when they leave the conference room.  They will also start a meeting without shutting the door to the conference room.  My colleague and I are constantly shutting the door to the conference room.  

[gee4]

Well since I work in a large open plan office nothing distracts me.  I have got used to the fact that there are others around me.  In fact our office is not that noisy - we seem to respect each other and the job we do.

G

[diamondlady]

Cell phones ringing all over the office!

Diamondlady
Peer Moderator

[tiffanyctd]

My office neighbor, who thinks he's a drummer! (Well, at least I've convinced him he's not a singer, LOL!)

Tif

[countrigal]

In my current position... people taking their break and visiting with those in the cubbies around me.  They don't keep their voices down too much, but then we're really a very open cuby-ville so unless they sat on top of each other and whispered, you'd be able to hear them from the cuby next door or across the small walk-way.  It's not like you can hear them from 2-3 cubbies away.  But they do get distracting, especially when it's mind-numbing work like I was doing today... almost any noise your brain picks up on as a distraction and a way of keeping it from going comotose.

Any other time...people stopping next to my desk or outside my door (which they partially open) and have a personal conversation.  Thankfully those days are gone. LOL

CountriGal
Peer Moderator

[misslynn]

People who take conference calls on speakerphone!

[carolmmarch]

I just got up and shut the door to the Board Room because of this!!!!!!

For some reason the sound in that room carries and I sit right outside it - a conference call is going on and they have the door open...jeeezzzz.



Carol

[bluefire21]

The most common distraction in my office is ...drum roll please... MY BOSS' GRANDKIDS!!!!!!  I really do enjoy them when they come in the office, but when they are here, I become a nanny instead of an Admin.  Forget the books and making sales calls, the only thing I can do is play Simon Says.  

Fortunatly these kids are sweet, well behaved (for a 3 and 5 yr old) and extremely bright, so I'm able to make a compromise with them.  If they will sit and color quietly, I'll play a game with them when I'm done.  Of course that task can only be about 10 minutes long as that's their attention span.  

The bright side is that my office walls are filled with coloring sheets.  And I litterally mean "Bright Side".  They like to color with highlighters.  

Ellen (Simon Says finish those sales reports!) in TX

[JessW]

While I know this is  a little late in the day, my answer would have to be the guy two bays down who has a hot, steaming, tantilising dish of chips!!! (I really hate that guy!)

Jess

[raindance]

That is truly wicked.  The aroma of chips is too divinely tempting, especially when chips are not on the agenda.  Off with his head!  The Tower of London is not far away, Jess, I suggest we frogmarch him round there this lunchtime.

For DDers Stateside - your chips are our crisps.  Our chips are similar to your fries (only thicker).  

R.

[yc1]

That's it you've set me off now - really hot crispy Chips with lots of vinegar and salt sounds like heaven - instead I'm sitting here with my Ryvita and Humous.

My main office distractions are

a) those phones just keep in ringing (I have 2 to answer - 1 direct line and 1 internal/external through the switchboard) so one rings, answer call, 2nd one rings, answer call, back and forth sometimes for hours.

b) helping my work colleagues - as I have been here the longest they call be Yahoo as I they think I know everything.  I don't mind but sometimes when I have a really tight deadline it can be annoying.

[officeboy]

I find women who wear provocative clothing such as short skirts and see through blouses and stinky purfume  they normally like to be noticed.  

[hucks2803]

I've just started in a new job which I absolutely love but I loathe sitting opposite a really nice lady but who is obviously in love with her other half and has to ring 10 or 12 times a day.  I'm not lying, she comes into the office at 9:30am and calls him to let him know that she got there ok, she'll ring him during the morning quite a few times to remind him to do this that and the other and then just before dinner to find out if he's had anything to eat.  She'll then ring him before she goes to lunch to find out if he wants anything whilst she's out, then she's back from lunch and she rings him to tell him what she's done, various other phone calls during the day and then at 5:30 she rings him to tell him that she's going for the train and she'll ring him when she's near her stop so he can come and pick her up.  It's driving me nuts?!  She's been at the firm 15 years too so is obviously known by everyone but everything is such a drama with her.  I even sit there with my headphones on so I don't have to listen to her going on and on and on and on .............. ARRRGH!