Comment Re:Backward Tech Companies (Score 1) 345
Oh really? And that applies to software development as well does it? And it means more productivity as well, right - of course many people are happy to sit in a big open office and chat all day, but do they get more work done?
Amen to that. People that are in favor of cubes or the so-called open arrangements have particular models in mind for how people work, both what they must do to do their jobs, and how individuals are best able to get stuff done. The problem is that their models are wrong for many jobs and for many people. If you are in a cube farm in which everyone is working on the same project, then overhearing someone else's conversation (because you can't not hear it) about project stuff may be informative, but if you are working on a different project, it is a distraction. If everyone is working on jobs they can do relatively quietly, then cubes might be alright, but if you are frequently on telecons or in impromptu, loud, contentious discussions, then you may be a disruptions to your neighbors, of whom there are many. If your job requires you to do relatively rote, menial tasks, then external disruptions may not have much impact, but if you need to have some good focused thinking time, the external disruptions will prevent you from ever getting focused, and you will not be able to do your job. If you are an extrovert who enjoys company, then perhaps you want to hear all the conversations around you, but if you are an introvert who needs quiet time to think, those conversations are disruptive. For many people, I would think any savings in going to a cube farm (assuming that the motivation is $$'s) will be more than offset by losses in productivity.
Amen to that. People that are in favor of cubes or the so-called open arrangements have particular models in mind for how people work, both what they must do to do their jobs, and how individuals are best able to get stuff done. The problem is that their models are wrong for many jobs and for many people. If you are in a cube farm in which everyone is working on the same project, then overhearing someone else's conversation (because you can't not hear it) about project stuff may be informative, but if you are working on a different project, it is a distraction. If everyone is working on jobs they can do relatively quietly, then cubes might be alright, but if you are frequently on telecons or in impromptu, loud, contentious discussions, then you may be a disruptions to your neighbors, of whom there are many. If your job requires you to do relatively rote, menial tasks, then external disruptions may not have much impact, but if you need to have some good focused thinking time, the external disruptions will prevent you from ever getting focused, and you will not be able to do your job. If you are an extrovert who enjoys company, then perhaps you want to hear all the conversations around you, but if you are an introvert who needs quiet time to think, those conversations are disruptive. For many people, I would think any savings in going to a cube farm (assuming that the motivation is $$'s) will be more than offset by losses in productivity.
