If everyone is being quiet creative it's fine.
Introduce a person constantly on the phone and it's not.
The other ones, and god I hate them, are the pacing round the office while on a mobile. Only topped by pacing round the office on a mobile who's route goes behind your chair. The most distracting thing in the world to me.
My three month review ended when I walked out after being criticised for wearing headphones all day.
A manager that uses her speakerphone to call someone else.
Two cubes over.
Needless to say, I don't work there anymore.
However, the worst distraction I have is actually another developer whose voice carries like buckshot out at 12 gauge. He's been asked to keep it down but it seems like he is physically incapable of understanding how loud he talks.
I took the office, finished the software, and quit.
- You don't wanna be next to this employee (too lazy, friction)
- Being too close to a [bad] manager
- Being moved was a very cheap lever toward fear of inflicted unspoken sanctions