Open spaces and doorless cubicles were designed to be areas where productive ideas could be exchanged. That does happen, but something else goes on all too often.

If one person is concentrating on a problem that requires full attention, and others within earshot are discussing matters of a personal nature, forget concentration.

Business conversation is normal and expected. It is easily filtered out so those who hear it can go on with their work. But management professors at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business say the human mind will automatically zero in on conversation about sex or any kind of disease.

The result is more than a distraction. Such conversation can keep others from thinking about their work, can cause rumors to spread, or result in character assassination. It can be difficult to see a person in the same light after hearing a list of medications, descriptions of marriage problems, and discussions of body image.

Some workers ask to have their location changed, and others resort to earplugs. One supervisor says she doesn't allow people to talk about their grandkids, their pets, or their aging parents.

The message is: If you want to share details of your personal life with a workplace friend, do it at break time and in a place where others won't hear.