Thanks Barbara.
We have music and noise machines and have used acoustic panels and other means to try to help manage sound. Our current break room is small (a galley kitchen) , so it doesn't serve as a gathering place very well. Members have asked for a place to sit and have a meal and a conversation, but weren't willing to give up some of the flex coworking space to get it. IF we move, we'll definitely take our lessons learned into that new space. Those lessons include:
- Don't try to make the space quiet; aim for a balanced "white noise" of lots of sounds that can fall in the background and make it harder to discern any one conversation
- This is easier to do in larger spaces
- You can use music to define spaces and help manage sound transfer
- Plaster walls are amazingly effective at bouncing sound around
- Make your own cloth-covered acoustic panels; they can be stupid-expensive to buy
- Don't underestimate the importance of a social / gathering / eating space. We minimized it to maximize seats where people could work and, as you can see, that has backfired on us
- Leave the drywall off the ceilings if you can. Fewer flat surfaces help with sound management
- If you have wood, tile, or cement floors consider area rugs
I acknowledge we could use improvements in work space, but I perceive this as more of a behavior issue - or perhaps a culture issue. People shouldn't yell across a room to say hello to someone.
That said, I have an update. I put together a survey that included things like, "The dynamics of our Community Room change throughout the day. From your perspective, the Community Room is ... with the ability to say if the room was quiet, loud, empty, and full not enough, about the right amount, or too much. I also asked respondents to rate how much they feel comfortable, productive, focused, connected, happy, etc. when they work in the Community Room. We then used the results of the survey to have a group discussion. We learned a little from the process, which was good, but mostly the survey gave us an easy way into having a discussion in a recent member meeting about our Playground Rules and how people's behaviors effect others. Without having to be heavy handed with anyone, we noticed an immediate change after our member meeting. So, fingers crossed. Hopefully it sticks because my threatening to put tape on one member's mouth (we're friends) wasn't working. Hahaha.
Julia