4 ms·

Ironically, "group synergy" was given as the reason for cramming people into the open plan offices that everybody was glad to get away from.

labster 5y ago
“Group synergy” where “group” means “reduced real estate cost” and “synergy” means “fnord.”
- whatshisface 5y ago
  Synergy means multiplication instead of addition when things are put together, like male and female oxen. You put them together in an open office and more oxen are sure to be produced.
  - robocat 5y ago
    Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle. https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox
  - JackFr 5y ago
    That’s not what synergy means. That’s also not how oxen work.
oceanghost 5y ago
Do you ever notice the guys pushing the group synergy, generally have big offices?
- ethbr0 5y ago
  Average office size : average cube size An underrated ratio for measuring corporate inequality.
  - oceanghost 5y ago
    I like this a LOT.
  - andreareina 5y ago
    Bold of you to assume they even have cubes
ddingus 5y ago
I left a job over open office plans. I really hate it. And I am one of those tech + social people too. Like having people nearby. But the distractions are everywhere. It is hard to flow. It is hard to have a phone call with a prospect or customer. Things get moved, borrowed, lost. But mostly I hate it because everytime I have seen open plan, the people who set it up have big offices with windows looking out at the people they screwed over and seek to ultra micro manage. (And this is exactly what happened at the company I left) "I saw you doing that, why?" "How come you wander around several times a day?" "Your desk is a mess" And so it goes. Nope. Do not have time for that. Happy to work elsewhere or make less, whatever. Anyway, they announced, I counter announced, and then was out before the move. They lost a few people, and that company was sold a while back. Now pretty much everyone doing that work has a new email and works mostly from home! New owners saw no need for a group office scenario and has small teams all over the place. Given the nature of the work, that makes a ton of sense. Funny how things can work. Having talked with the old owner after all this went down, the real reasons were to save money and manage people and their relationships. Profound lack of trust.

labster 5y ago

“Group synergy” where “group” means “reduced real estate cost” and “synergy” means “fnord.”

whatshisface 5y ago
Synergy means multiplication instead of addition when things are put together, like male and female oxen. You put them together in an open office and more oxen are sure to be produced.
- robocat 5y ago
  Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle. https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Ox
- JackFr 5y ago
  That’s not what synergy means. That’s also not how oxen work.

oceanghost 5y ago

Do you ever notice the guys pushing the group synergy, generally have big offices?

ethbr0 5y ago
Average office size : average cube size An underrated ratio for measuring corporate inequality.
- oceanghost 5y ago
  I like this a LOT.
- andreareina 5y ago
  Bold of you to assume they even have cubes

ddingus 5y ago

I left a job over open office plans. I really hate it. And I am one of those tech + social people too. Like having people nearby. But the distractions are everywhere. It is hard to flow. It is hard to have a phone call with a prospect or customer. Things get moved, borrowed, lost. But mostly I hate it because everytime I have seen open plan, the people who set it up have big offices with windows looking out at the people they screwed over and seek to ultra micro manage. (And this is exactly what happened at the company I left) "I saw you doing that, why?" "How come you wander around several times a day?" "Your desk is a mess" And so it goes. Nope. Do not have time for that. Happy to work elsewhere or make less, whatever. Anyway, they announced, I counter announced, and then was out before the move. They lost a few people, and that company was sold a while back. Now pretty much everyone doing that work has a new email and works mostly from home! New owners saw no need for a group office scenario and has small teams all over the place. Given the nature of the work, that makes a ton of sense. Funny how things can work. Having talked with the old owner after all this went down, the real reasons were to save money and manage people and their relationships. Profound lack of trust.