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Even temporary room/sound-dividers do wonders. I've worked somewhere that had things like these: https://i.imgur.com/F2TDKSe.jpg https://i.imgur.com/F2TDKSe.j

Even temporary room/sound-dividers do wonders. I've worked somewhere that had things like these: https://i.imgur.com/F2TDKSe.jpg https://i.imgur.com/F2TDKSe.jpg And while on paper we were one "open office," in practice the dividers created mini-cubes/"offices." Which made it a reasonable workplace. People argue that creating distinct offices is expensive, but cubicles/dividers aren't. I feel like the reason for open plan isn't about cost, it is about trust i.e. that management wants to oversee/micromanage employees.

maxxxxx 8y ago
"Even temporary room/sound-dividers do wonders." I have mentioned to facilities that they should be putting these in to get some insulation between different groups but they refused.
- mcv 8y ago
  A rule at my current client is that every department gets 0.7 desks per member, and facilities sticks to it. The rationale is that we're all flexible and not everybody is in all the time, and that might be for managers and other people who live in meetings, but for product teams it can mean you can't sit together. We had to fight for a spot of our own. It's not the best spot, but at least I'm sitting with my team.
mcv 8y ago
I've worked at a bank where the entire floor was technically one gigantic open floor, but in practice there were dividers, plants, and various other obstacles that created separate corners per team, and blocked most of the sound. Perfectly fine place to work. > I feel like the reason for open plan isn't about cost, it is about trust i.e. that management wants to oversee/micromanage employees. That's one of those things I really don't understand. What kind of manager would want to micromanage my work? How would they even do that? And do they really have nothing better to do with their time? It's one of those caricatures I only know from Dilbert.
- tomatocracy 8y ago
  Bank trading floors also usually have significant sound dampening/soundproofing in the ceilings and other surfaces which makes a big difference. They spend a lot of time thinking about the acoustic environment.
- commandlinefan 8y ago
  > What kind of micromanager The kind that's looking out for people watching Netflix movies all day instead of working. That's right - they're willing to kill the productivity, engagement and loyalty to the company rather than actually doing a little bit of management and paying attention to who's actually doing work. And we're letting them get away with it.
  - mcv 8y ago
    I admit at my first job, I did have a manager who couldn't stand that I never looked busy. I wrote scripts and macros to automate most of my work, one of which the team lead declared the biggest productivity booster in the team. But I was always leaning back watching my scripts do the work, and that manager hated that. I've never met that type since I started working for more professional organisations, though.

maxxxxx 8y ago

"Even temporary room/sound-dividers do wonders." I have mentioned to facilities that they should be putting these in to get some insulation between different groups but they refused.

mcv 8y ago
A rule at my current client is that every department gets 0.7 desks per member, and facilities sticks to it. The rationale is that we're all flexible and not everybody is in all the time, and that might be for managers and other people who live in meetings, but for product teams it can mean you can't sit together. We had to fight for a spot of our own. It's not the best spot, but at least I'm sitting with my team.

mcv 8y ago

I've worked at a bank where the entire floor was technically one gigantic open floor, but in practice there were dividers, plants, and various other obstacles that created separate corners per team, and blocked most of the sound. Perfectly fine place to work. > I feel like the reason for open plan isn't about cost, it is about trust i.e. that management wants to oversee/micromanage employees. That's one of those things I really don't understand. What kind of manager would want to micromanage my work? How would they even do that? And do they really have nothing better to do with their time? It's one of those caricatures I only know from Dilbert.

tomatocracy 8y ago
Bank trading floors also usually have significant sound dampening/soundproofing in the ceilings and other surfaces which makes a big difference. They spend a lot of time thinking about the acoustic environment.
commandlinefan 8y ago
> What kind of micromanager The kind that's looking out for people watching Netflix movies all day instead of working. That's right - they're willing to kill the productivity, engagement and loyalty to the company rather than actually doing a little bit of management and paying attention to who's actually doing work. And we're letting them get away with it.
- mcv 8y ago
  I admit at my first job, I did have a manager who couldn't stand that I never looked busy. I wrote scripts and macros to automate most of my work, one of which the team lead declared the biggest productivity booster in the team. But I was always leaning back watching my scripts do the work, and that manager hated that. I've never met that type since I started working for more professional organisations, though.