I have never actually heard an engineer ever proclaim why an open office plan is definitively a better approach to do things. I have heard things like "Foster o

I have never actually heard an engineer ever proclaim why an open office plan is definitively a better approach to do things. I have heard things like "Foster open communication" or "Collaboration" but I am not really clear why one couldn't collaborate online or slip into a meeting room and conspire. I haven't got a good answer from non-engineering folks who usually decide on the office plan. Rant aside, I try to get to work incredibly early and get a significant portion of my work done then. Another option as someone else suggested is in-ear phones. These can vary from $200 (Shure) to $500 (Westone ) for a really awesome pair and can get some getting used to, however they surpass active noise cancellation headphones in terms of shutting down coworker noise.