How do you stay focused and set boundaries in a workspace with zero walls? Working in an open office means I’ve basically become a human Google. It doesn’t matter how deep I’m in a spreadsheet or mid-call, someone will interrupt to ask where we keep the extra forks or what time the lunch delivery is. It’s like my desk has an invisible neon sign that says Ask Me Anything.

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I absolutely hate working in an open office. I typically put in headphones and make it clear that I won't be able to answer any questions with them in. I do not want to become the go to person for everything.

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I truly understand. I’ve done the headphones - the big DJ styles ones and even placed a brightly colored sign on the back of my chair and outside of my cubicle stating “focused on a project - please email any requests”. That helped somewhat. Some people just don’t respect admin and think they couldn’t possibly be busy.

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boundaries are the things you do to maintain what you need. being in an open office is really challenging. i recommend pointing to your headphones and ignoring them and focusing on your call. or saying "i am in the middle of something, so feel free to shoot me a message and I'll respond in a bit". something like that can help. for me, it is important to be strict and not let people walk over them just because their question is easy to answer or maybe whatever they are asking for will only take a couple of minutes. it just continues the perception that my time is not my own. take whatever resonates and leave what doesnt :)

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Politely as you can, let them know you are happy to help, just not right now. I’ve been the go-to person, and I didn’t mind helping out until my work started to suffer.

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Do you have those single person rooms (known as a focus booth in my world) that you can utilize when you need to be heads down without interruption? That’s my solution. My team respects The boundary and only interrupts if necessary.

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Check to see if you're authorized to have noise-cancelling headphones at your desk when you're working. When they see that you are then they should understand that you're deep getting work done.

Set boundaries! When I sat in an open area I put on noise-cancelling headphones with a sign saying that I’m on focused work and will answer when I’m done. Do not let anyone disturb that.

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PART TIME JOB!!!!!!

We are seeking a talented Rental Agent to join our thriving team! The ideal candidate for this position will enjoy fast-paced work, show creativity and have a high degree of professionalism when working with our residents. The Rental Agent is responsible for creating and maintaining successful relationships with landlords and closing rental inquiries efficiently.
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4

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Looking for another remote position

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