I keep resolving to stop writing about open office spaces. Even though I’ve never suffered having to work in one, I find their use almost as infuriating as I do the government’s illegal surveillance. Sadly, the madness goes on, I keep getting incensed, and I keep writing.
There are a couple of fairly recent articles on open offices worth mentioning. The first, Everyone hates open offices. Here’s why they still exist, by Katharine Schwab takes a look at why, despite the myriad studies showing that they don’t deliver on their promised benefits and have significantly adverse effects on employee productivity, morale, and health, open offices not only aren’t going away but are becoming more common.
The reasons are well known. One is that they’re cheaper and can save large companies hundreds of millions of dollars. As much as managers love to recite their fairy tales about increased communication and productivity, it’s just cant; the main reason is saving on rent and buildout.
The other reason, although not as venal, is more depressing: the hipsters are doing it and the people in charge want to be hip too. These people think that because Google has open offices they should get them too so they’ll be cool and successful. Like Google. The idea is self-ridiculing so there’s no point on saying more about it.
The second article, How my colleagues and I stay sane in our open office, by Jonas Downey discusses some strategies for dealing with the open office environment if you’re unlucky enough to find yourself in one. The first and most important rule is to strictly enforce “library rules” for the office. That means no talking, no phones, no music, and generally being quiet and respecting your colleagues’ focus.
Downey works at Basecamp, which is predominately a remote work company so mostly people are in the office only if they need to meet with someone face-to-face. That makes the open office setup less onerous, I suppose, but notice that even so the company has taken pains to reduce the stress on their employees. Obviously not cool like the hipsters.