So we got the same news last week that we can’t listen to headphones either. We were told it’s “not professional” and it makes us seem cut off from discussion. That’s just B.S. We also work in an new open floor plan where you can hear everything around you, it’s distracting. We have those new lower cubes too where you see everyone walking around. I don’t think non-designers really understand that getting into a long groove of design thinking/process is when you get your best work. Stop, go, stop go there is never any flow. It’s not like returning to a spreadsheet.
So now my goal is to keep distracting my boss to the point they need to put their headphones on.