3 ms·

I pretty much concluded at the end of the article that offices should accomodate both collaborative open-planning and leave-me-to-concentrate cubicles. You're

• blowski 14y ago
  Just read the article now. Yeah, I think the key to understand is that it's 'open-plan ONLY' offices that are the nightmare. Even in workplaces where everyone has a separate office, if the culture doesn't have a way of saying "this person is busy, don't talk to them" then it doesn't really help. I worked with a bunch of about 8 other developers in the basement, and it was fine. Some suggested rules: * Turn off ALL notification sounds. This includes vibrate functions on phones, which still makes a sound when it rattles on the desk. * No phone calls or conversations at the desk. Take it to the kitchen. * No talking, screaming, or muttering to yourself. Nobody cares about your problems, they're trying to solve their own. * If someone has headphones own, they're trying to concentrate. Send them an email saying you want to talk to them.
  • einhverfr 14y ago
    One thing I wonder is whether the idea of super-large offices with one team per office might be a good compromise. You get the team cohesion and collaboration but also some isolation, and the team can figure out how to be productive.