Recent research suggests that an employee's performance is dependent on the organizational climate as much as it is dependent on the employee's skills and competencies. A noisy office can do more harm than most people currently think. In fact, noise inside the office can offset the employee's skills and competencies, negatively impacting his performance.

So, that explains why keeping office noise to a minimum will improve employee performance. Because it involves noisy coworkers and their sensitivities, the task of minimizing or removing noise in the office can prove challenging.

Removing office noise can be especially difficult in certain architectural schemes. Older buildings lack much sound insulation, while newer, more aesthetically-pleasing atrium-style offices with lots of exposed brick or stone surfaces are no help, either. However, there are ways to mitigate the negative impacts of a noisy office.

First, the human resources department should mandate an employee policy that encourages employees to avoid prattling in their cubicles so as not to disturb their co-workers. In addition, employees should be advised to stop taking personal telephone calls in hallways and cubicles. Instead they should be directed outside to the lobby when they have an urgent personal call.

Memo to ALL workers; neither your desktop nor laptop speakers may be used to play music. For those employees who feel this is a crude way to deal with noise in the work place; we offer ear plugs or headsets. Headsets are an excellent tool for helping to maintain your focus and cancels out unwanted sounds from noisy coworkers.

A number of technological solutions are available as well, both for the individual and for offices. Speech privacy systems that have been installed by some progressive organizations have been quite successful. These sound masking systems mask speech, making noisy coworkers less intrusive. Sound absorbing panels on walls and furniture assist in noise reduction, at the same time adding to the office decor. These solutions may require a significant financial investment, but improved noise reduction often pays for itself as worker productivity increases as a result of fewer distractions.

If your employer does not wish to improve facilities by installing white noise machines you may be forced to consider some of the many individual solutions to this problem. There are personal white noise devices you could purchase. They don't take up much room on a desk and using them could help you concentrate on your work.