I keep resolving to stop writing about open office spaces. Even though I\u2019ve never suffered having to work in one, I find their use almost as infuriating as I do the government\u2019s illegal surveillance. Sadly, the madness goes on, I keep getting incensed, and I keep writing.<\/p>\n
There are a couple of fairly recent articles on open offices worth mentioning. The first, Everyone hates open offices. Here\u2019s why they still exist<\/a>, by Katharine Schwab takes a look at why, despite the myriad studies showing that they don\u2019t deliver on their promised benefits and have significantly adverse effects on employee productivity, morale, and health, open offices not only aren\u2019t going away but are becoming more common.<\/p>\n The reasons are well known. One is that they\u2019re 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\u2019s just cant; the main reason is saving on rent and buildout.<\/p>\n 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\u2019ll be cool and successful. Like Google. The idea is self-ridiculing so there\u2019s no point on saying more about it.<\/p>\n The second article, How my colleagues and I stay sane in our open office<\/a>, by Jonas Downey discusses some strategies for dealing with the open office environment if you\u2019re unlucky enough to find yourself in one. The first and most important rule is to strictly enforce \u201clibrary rules\u201d for the office. That means no talking, no phones, no music, and generally being quiet and respecting your colleagues\u2019 focus.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I keep resolving to stop writing about open office spaces. Even though I\u2019ve never suffered having to work in one, I find their use almost as infuriating as I do the government\u2019s illegal surveillance. Sadly, the madness goes on, I … Continue reading