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Can you explain what collaborative benefits an open office plan brings when trying to concentrate on fixing code? Currently I work in a place with 66" high wall
by mirkules 12y ago
Can you explain what collaborative benefits an open office plan brings when trying to concentrate on fixing code? Currently I work in a place with 66" high walls and I find that true collaboration happens regardless of the wall height, via instant messaging, email and walking into someone's cube. I've worked in places with low cube walls and I've absolutely hated it - I felt so uncomfortable I couldn't wait to leave by the end of the day. In the end, I feel low cube walls hurt privacy-minded people more than they help "collaborative" types.
- a_c_s 12y agoI work on a rather large system: it is not uncommon that when when a couple of people are talking (out loud, not digitally) about a problem, another co-worker, who wrote or otherwise has much more experience with the module we are discussing, joins the discussion and adds insight.
- a_c_s 12y agoP.S. I find that there are three levels of noise: library-like silence, individual conversations and coffee-shop blur of conversation. In my experience with cubicles, the middle-level of noise was most common. Since there was often only one conversation happening in the office, it could be heard by many people and it was hard for me to tune out. (Sometimes people would be in their own offices but on the same conference call, so the only noise would be that one conversation in stereo!) However in the open-office, we often end up with enough noise to be at a coffee-shop level of noise which is easier to tune out. (My preference being Library > Coffee Shop > 1 conversation)