Plantronics - An issue that’s too loud to ignore

But the issue of noise remains. It seems to follow us wherever we are. Like colleagues talking too loudly at the desk next to you. Or the sound of a siren outside your window at home. Or just the hustle and bustle of street life as you walk to your next meeting.

According to audio device specialist Plantronics, the impact is significant – noise can lower productivity, increase stress and lead to physical ailments, such as headaches.

So what can be done? Plantronics explores the problems and the solutions in its guide to Noise.

It suggests we can combat noise by looking at three key factors:

People
We should allow people to collaborate professionally from any environment without interruptions from background noise. The simplest way to do this is to use a headset or smart speakerphone. You can take this further too, by implementing Smarter Meetings and even Speech Impact training.

Places
Being aware of the characteristics of your soundscape – the acoustic environment around you – will allow you to make changes to minimize noise. This might mean choosing headsets with active noise cancelling technology to combat loud audio spikes. It might simply mean ensuring your home office is away from the rest of the household.

Technology
Using technology that offers the same level of audio quality across multiple devices will mean you can take calls anywhere and with confidence. Cutting out unwanted sounds and allowing people’s voices to carry over naturally (even via PC calling) will ensure less time is wasted on important conference calls.

So take a moment to listen to your soundscape and, when you make your next call, think about how it might sound to the person at the other end.