Talking all day in a coworking space without bothering people

[Peter Jaros]

Hey, all.

I've been following the coworking movement for years, but I've never
had the chance to actually work in a coworking space. Now I'm in
Northampton, MA, working independently, and considering starting a
coworking community here. There are all sorts of things I want to ask
about, but one thing's on my mind right now.

I'm a software dev, and I pair program ardently. I prefer to spend at
least half my week pairing. Pairing, for the uninitiated, means
working at the same machine on the same problem together. That means
a lot of talking, either with someone in the room or to someone
remotely using Skype.

When I worked at Pivotal Labs, everyone paired 100% of the time. That
meant that there was a good deal of crosstalk, but because everyone's
engaged in conversation it's easy to tune other people out.

But in a coworking space, I imagine pair programming is a bit of a
pain. I once remote paired with someone working out of Indy Hall, and
it was awkward for him. He was the guy "on the phone" all day.

Are there ways to make this work? Has anyone had good experiences
keeping talk from being disruptive with ambient pink noise or sound
isolation (or something else)?

Peter

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[Judy Schramm]

That's a really good question, Peter. It's an issue for me too, because I'm in marketing and I spend half my day on the phone with clients or partners.

I go to an unused conference room and work there. But that means there needs to be private room and it has to be OK to use them like that. Not all spaces are comfortable with that.

Judy

[Jacob Sayles]

Peter,

It's not really black and white when it comes to talking on the phone being a disruption.  We have some people that talk on the phone all day long and no one around them notices.  A normal level of chatter is common so it's not the talking that is a problem.  Now LOUD talkers can be a problem, or people (like me) who tend to pace when we talk.  That's where the meeting and phone rooms come in.   Since you are talking about being at your desk it is just a matter of learning how to talk and not yell into the mic.  Also, utilize the flexibility of the space and try out different areas.  You'll find the right balance if you are looking for it.  And of course it really comes down to who you are sitting by and how you interact with them... but that applies to everything not just talking on the phone.  

Jacob

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Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation
http://www.officenomads.com -  (206) 323-6500

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