> If you want to collaborate, well, come closer and wave your hand so that I noticed you and removed the headphones.
Sure would be nice if people would merely wave their hand in front of me. Nope, instead, everyone [0] does one (or both) of two things: come up behind me and tap my shoulder, or come up behind me and shout.
I don't blame them for wanting my attention, but the end result is the same: I physically jump, sometimes yelp, and it takes me many minutes to get back to the same level of productivity I was before the ambush.
Is "ambush" too strong a word? Nope. To my reptile brain, it's exactly what happened: so now it's time to fight or flee.
For me, open offices are evil. It's the place I go to get ambushed.
[0] Even coworkers who know how I will respond. They've said so, apologize, and still do it.
Yelling in an open office is a no-no (unless you've assembled to sing a "happy birthday to you" anyway). Don't people around you feel distracted by someone shouting, and protest?
I've seen people putting small rear-view mirrors on desks or screen corners to notice people coming from behind. But here, I think, it would mostly take some talking (repeatedly) to your colleagues, and explaining why tapping or shouting does not work for you, and waving would be a better way.
Next time somebody shouts at you from behind, turn, say quietly "I don't react to shouting; please come and wave your hand quietly to get my attention", then turn back and continue to work.
Thanks for the advice. As I alluded in my footnote, I haven't been effective in convincing anyone to change. Apparently it's just not something that's top of mind for a person who feels they need to get my immediate attention (and maybe one tenth of the time the "immediate" aspect is actually warranted).
And to be fair, my characterization of "shouting" is probably an exaggeration, but in the moment it's how my brain interprets the hailing.
I've done the same, but hasn't helped in the slightest. Either I become so engrossed in my work that the mirror is completely forgotten, or I'm distracted every few minutes by people milling about behind me.
Sure would be nice if people would merely wave their hand in front of me. Nope, instead, everyone [0] does one (or both) of two things: come up behind me and tap my shoulder, or come up behind me and shout.
I don't blame them for wanting my attention, but the end result is the same: I physically jump, sometimes yelp, and it takes me many minutes to get back to the same level of productivity I was before the ambush.
Is "ambush" too strong a word? Nope. To my reptile brain, it's exactly what happened: so now it's time to fight or flee.
For me, open offices are evil. It's the place I go to get ambushed.
[0] Even coworkers who know how I will respond. They've said so, apologize, and still do it.