As a knowledge worker who is moving from project to project I am used to work in varying circumstances. To me it is essential to have the right equipment with me to set up shop at the customers facility: laptop, lightweight laptop stand, ditto additional keyboard and mouse to help me create an ergonomic working position behind the inevitable screen(s). Next to that I always carry the appropriate adapters and occasional chargers in a pencil case. In time my set up has been trimmed to perfection: it is robust, versatile and light and allows me to set up shop anywhere, any-time.
Last week I forgot to take my smartphone with me, but it proved not to hinder me at all. Traditional phone calls have come all but extinct and all other functionality is not only present at my laptop but perfectly synchronised as well. Smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop they are just different form factors of the same, nothing else. Differences are only marginal, even though they can (still) make you buy or prefer to use one over the other.
A few weeks ago after many years of abusive use my ear phones gave in. Suddenly I was made aware again that I needed these earplugs desperately to shut out all the distractions from the noisy and busy office environment to be able to concentrate and not being distracted again and again. These plugs are basically essential to my productivity. And if I am looking around me many others use earphones as well for the same reason.
In the past I have ventilated my reservations to working in modern day office spaces here at Red Planet Dust.
Open office environments do really challenge workers to properly concentrate. Earplugs look a trivial attribute in the arsenal of the modern day office worker, but for many this is a precondition to be productive in today’s working environments.
Managements all over the world are considering the amount of m2 they have to rent but do they consider the productivity loss due to the loss of concentration as a consequence?
Earphones are a sign of our (office) times.