There is a lot to be said for peace and quiet – but for many CEOs (and those we rely on) this can often be much harder to come by than we’d like, especially at work. Sure, for some it may seem easy to tune out the constant hum of the goings-on in an office environment, but tuning it out isn’t necessarily the same as turning it off. So what? Isn’t this just a necessary evil of productivity? Perhaps not.
Check out this recent article from Harvard Business Review: http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/05/find-quiet-and-maybe-even-peace-at-work/. According to the article’s author, the unavailable silence we all seem to suffer through is actually negatively impacting our ability to increase productivity.
When it comes to strategic innovation specifically, this cacophony of sounds can stifle creativity at an alarming rate – meaning stagnancy is not far behind. Not giving those you rely on for ideas the chance to concentrate isn’t a great way to encourage the thought process, or even to identify areas for improvement, if those background sound bites are too loud.
So what are your options? We can’t all just start offering napping pods like Google – but perhaps we should be considering how elevated noise levels, or the inability to concentrate as a result of them, is hindering our employees’ ability to be productive. Check out the article for some great tips, from something as simple as putting in some earplugs to taking a noise retreat.
At Innovators Alliance, your concerns are our concerns. Struggling to find some semblance of peace and quiet in the workplace to help increase productivity? We can help. Contact us today by calling 1-905-332-0340.
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