Sound Masking and Ergonomics: How You can Improve Your Chances at Promotion this Year

If you have been eyeing your supervisor’s swivel chair for the past two years, would you not consider sitting right on it this year?  Everyone loves a little promotion and it is but normal that you set a goal for yourself, too!  Now, there is something that can catch your employer’s attention that might just merit a swivel chair of your own:  show him that you are his asset, not his liability.  How?  Two words:  productivity and efficiency.  And the tools you would need to achieve them, right here in this article.  Please read on.

How Sound Masking and Ergonomics can Help Your Promotion

Do you feel sluggish as you go about your daily task?  Your feeling of utter “uselessness” won’t help you get closer to your goal.  You may not have realized it, but your office environment can be a culprit.  Office distractions rob you of energy; even without listening intently to office chatter, noise gets into you.  The humming and buzzing sounds of office fax, printer and other equipments seem harmless, but they can sap your energy without you noticing it, until your head starts to ache or your ear starts to ring, as if a bee got in there.    

As your condition is left untreated, it will hamper your concentration towards your work and consequently, your productivity will diminish.  Imagine this happening to your co-employees as well.  Would the boss take notice?  Of course, he will!  Anything that challenges his revenue is bad news, and most often than not, employers act on bad news more readily than they do on good ones.

Now here’s the trick:  show him solutions rather than gripe about the problem.

Tell him about sound masking systems.  Sound masking is NOT eliminating noise (which is impossible to do in an office-setting), but to mask it to a level that it becomes incomprehensible to the human ear, and therefore will not cause distraction.  Voice Arrest by SpeechPrivacySystems.com is one good product you can try immediately.

Tell him about Ergonomics.  Sure, you have heard of this one, but perhaps you have not given it much thought.  You won’t realize how important it is to use ergonomically-designed office equipments, such as ergonomic keyboards, ergonomic desks, or ergonomic mice, until your hand suffers from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - a type of Repetitive Strain Injuries that affect the hand.

Perform a little test on your hands.  With arms parallel on the floor, put the back of your left hand against the back of your right hand with your fingers pointing to the ground.  Hold for 60 seconds.  If you feel numbing on your wrists, or a tingling sensation accompanied by pain, it is an indication that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has slowly set in.  Avoid surgery or long-terms treatments; go ergonomics.   Start with the use of mini keyboards and notice how your wrist and fingers “relax” as you type.  There will be less effort, and definitely no more pain.

Become an Agent of Change

Your employer will appreciate suggestions that protect his bottom line.  Remember, that’s his motivation.  He will surely take notice of your ability to think through sticky situations and emerge with valuable solutions; a trait of a good leader.  

Take notice how the use of sound masking systems and ergonomic keyboards impacts your own productivity and efficiency.  And if you continue to deliver good performance, a swivel chair with your name on it, might just be delivered to your office soon!