Dictating in an open-plan office without feeling ridiculous - solutions?

Priya · Platform engineer · 27 June 2026 illustrative example

Dictation transformed my ticket updates, but I work in an open-plan office three days a week and narrating my incident notes out loud feels like performing a one-woman radio drama for the service desk.

Current workaround: hoarding drafts until I can grab a meeting room. Not ideal. What are people actually doing?

✓ helpful to 2 people

4 replies

Ellie · Datacentre technician · 28 June 2026 illustrative example
Walking dictation. I 'go check something in the comms room' and dictate into my phone on the way. Paste and tidy at the desk. My step count is fantastic and my tickets are up to date.
✓ helpful to 3 people
- Priya · Platform engineer · 28 June 2026 illustrative example
  The fake errand as accessibility infrastructure. I'm laughing but I'm also doing this from tomorrow.
Kez · NOC shift lead · 29 June 2026 illustrative example
Serious answer: book a recurring 30-min 'documentation' slot in a focus room, daily, in the calendar, like a meeting. Nobody questions a recurring meeting. Batch all dictation into it.
✓ helpful to 2 people
Tom · Sysadmin, healthcare · 29 June 2026 illustrative example
Half-solution that works for me: whisper-quiet dictation with a decent headset mic. Modern speech models cope with low volume shockingly well. You look like you're on a call, because you are - with yourself.
✓ helpful to 1 person