1) Work remotely/virtually. You may have to initiate this as a perk. (I saw your comment about this not being a ready option.) You've done particularly well during one review period, and they're seeking to reward you (preferably without spending too much -- if your environment is similar to some I'm familiar with). Introduce the idea/desire to work one day a week remote. One out of five may not seem too risky. Add some personal arguments, and the savings on commute expense (maybe the business has some degree of "green" initiative or attitude, however real or "for show" it may be).
If you get the occasional day remote, build a track record of its particular effectiveness and an argument for (eventually) increasing this. Ease them into it. And be very careful/mindful of avoiding breeding co-worker resentment. Keep your head down, and cast it in terms of "needed/required" as opposed to a perk.
2) Re-evaluate your need/desire to stay. You may have a lot invested. But, how much do you risk if you burn out? And how quickly will they, in turn, throw you under the bus if you do?
Akin to this: BE PRO-ACTIVE. Like a canoe-er or other river-goer, you have to maintain some forward momentum in order to maintain control.
I went through a series of positions and organizational changes that left me extremely exposed to disruptive noise. I compensated until I burned out. At which point I ended up "under the bus".
You don't want that. And, again, pay very close attention to the loyalty you think or assume is present on the side of the organization. Upon what it is contingent. And how quickly, and through how many or few staff changes, that might change.
Finally, I'll mention that there are some businesses that sell "background noise". One has CD's of e.g. fan noise, wind, rain, brook, clothes dryer noise (also good for some infants, I understand), etc. Another has -- or used to have; I haven't checked in a while -- a program with adjustable parameters that would produce specifically incomprehensible, pseudo-roomful/cafe-conversations type noise. They also had some pre-generated recordings, useful where one can't run the program (e.g. a constrained work environment).
P.S. Dug up a few links. I've purchased from the Ear Plug Superstore. By coincidence, part of Farhad Manjoo's NYT article may read a bit like a promotion for them, but at a skim appears to have useful information. And the top response in the Quora thread might be of interest.
Quick and by no means comprehensive nor particularly ranked, but FWIW:
1) Work remotely/virtually. You may have to initiate this as a perk. (I saw your comment about this not being a ready option.) You've done particularly well during one review period, and they're seeking to reward you (preferably without spending too much -- if your environment is similar to some I'm familiar with). Introduce the idea/desire to work one day a week remote. One out of five may not seem too risky. Add some personal arguments, and the savings on commute expense (maybe the business has some degree of "green" initiative or attitude, however real or "for show" it may be).
If you get the occasional day remote, build a track record of its particular effectiveness and an argument for (eventually) increasing this. Ease them into it. And be very careful/mindful of avoiding breeding co-worker resentment. Keep your head down, and cast it in terms of "needed/required" as opposed to a perk.
2) Re-evaluate your need/desire to stay. You may have a lot invested. But, how much do you risk if you burn out? And how quickly will they, in turn, throw you under the bus if you do?
Akin to this: BE PRO-ACTIVE. Like a canoe-er or other river-goer, you have to maintain some forward momentum in order to maintain control.
I went through a series of positions and organizational changes that left me extremely exposed to disruptive noise. I compensated until I burned out. At which point I ended up "under the bus".
You don't want that. And, again, pay very close attention to the loyalty you think or assume is present on the side of the organization. Upon what it is contingent. And how quickly, and through how many or few staff changes, that might change.
Finally, I'll mention that there are some businesses that sell "background noise". One has CD's of e.g. fan noise, wind, rain, brook, clothes dryer noise (also good for some infants, I understand), etc. Another has -- or used to have; I haven't checked in a while -- a program with adjustable parameters that would produce specifically incomprehensible, pseudo-roomful/cafe-conversations type noise. They also had some pre-generated recordings, useful where one can't run the program (e.g. a constrained work environment).
P.S. Dug up a few links. I've purchased from the Ear Plug Superstore. By coincidence, part of Farhad Manjoo's NYT article may read a bit like a promotion for them, but at a skim appears to have useful information. And the top response in the Quora thread might be of interest.
Quick and by no means comprehensive nor particularly ranked, but FWIW:
http://www.earplugstore.com/
http://www.earplugstore.com/whitenoisecds1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/garden/noise-cancelling-de...
http://www.quora.com/Whats-the-best-set-of-noise-canceling-h...