5 ms·
Open floorplan works if the entire "open area" is engaged in a common goal. In that case, headphones can be more of a hindrance than a help. However, in the c
by bbarn 12y ago
Open floorplan works if the entire "open area" is engaged in a common goal. In that case, headphones can be more of a hindrance than a help.
However, in the case where the open floorplan is simply an office cost savings measure that puts mixed goals in a small collocated area, then yes, headphones..
- existencebox 12y agoThe latter is so important, I'll risk a vapid comment just to second this. To echo the sentiment of a commenter below, you don't realize how miserable a mixed open office is until you are trying to do work with a standup happening 2 feet away from your head. (Disclaimer; Microsoft employee without a personal office, quite jealous of those with.)
- bbarn 12y agoThe place I'm at now is the only job I've had (or place I've contracted with, met with etc.,) that's gotten this right. The whole open floor plan thing, to work well, has to have a reasonably accessible way to escape it when necessary. Open offices can only work, IMO, when there's a breakout room, or in general some sort of closed door room anyone can jump into and get things done or have a 4 person meeting. There's just no escaping the need to have privacy for the point of thinking, or even privacy for the point of talking. Maybe there's a perfect job in a perfect world where everything is open, but in my experience, there's a need to get away from the group once in a while, either alone or with a group.
- Blackthorn 12y agoEven that wouldn't work for me with open offices because I can't simply pick up my giant desktop and move in there to do work -- I'm completely stuck in the open office.
- existencebox 12y agoBeat me to it; this is precisely the problem. There are these sort of offices available, but the problem is the cost of the context switching, a distraction being an involuntary context switch.
- seanmcdirmid 12y agoDoesn't Valve in Bellevue solve this problem with dev stations on carts.
- webnrrd2k 12y agoI disagree with the common goal idea -- even if there is a common goal, there are often very different tasks. And there are still countless distractions from noise, etc...
- virtue3 12y agoYou sir, hit the nail on the head. So many people focus on open vs private offices and miss the whole point of which one is better for when. Realistically, getting the choice seems to be more encouraging. I'm, unfortunately, at an open office as a cost savings measure type place and without headphones I would get absolutely _nothing_ done.
- x0x0 12y agoOne conversation that I can't tune out, and I lose 20-60 minutes of work. I may not be cut out to work for other people, but it's intensely frustrating that by far my most productive hours every day are post gym/dinner between 10pm and 1am every night.