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How Is Your Company's Office Space Organized? (1 Viewer)

J

James Daulton

Footballguy
Was recently talking to a dude who works for a large multi-national insurance company.  He said that his company is re configuring their office space and doing away with offices.  They are going to some kind of pod concept where desks are organized in pods of 5 and there are no walls.  No offices no cubes no privacy.  The idea according to him is to do away with the time people waste not working while at their desk space and making everyone's actions transparent and accountable to everyone.

He said the concept is similar to the old IBM days from the 50's where desks were lined up next to each other in a huge open space.  Apparently even the C suite folks won't have offices (those will be used for conference rooms).

Does anyone else work in such an environment?  I'm pretty sure if my company went in this direction I'd quit. 

 
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Just a few years ago, we went to an open concept floor plan.  Offices along the outside walls for managers and then just rows of open desk space.  You sit next to someone with just a side desk between you and there is a small chance wall between you and the person that you face, but you can still see one another.

They said it was too encourage teamwork and make it more easy to communicate amongst one another and teams....which is just bull****.

It's loud, it's obnoxious, and it just increases the ability of the office busybodies and people with nothing to do to walk around and bug other people.

Rumor is that the new CIO is not a fan of the concept and will be reinstituting cube walls.  I can't wait.

 
That was part of the idea behind what this dude said as well, increase teamwork, etc.  He said the biggest beef management had was the time people wasted on their phones.  I can't imagine going into work every day and having virtually no privacy, what if you've had a fight with the wife, aren't feeling well that day, have stomach issues, or are just in a bad mood?  No privacy at all would be a deal breaker to me I think.  And I hadn't thought about the noise, that would be a pain the ### too. 

 
James Daulton said:
That was part of the idea behind what this dude said as well, increase teamwork, etc.  He said the biggest beef management had was the time people wasted on their phones.  I can't imagine going into work every day and having virtually no privacy, what if you've had a fight with the wife, aren't feeling well that day, have stomach issues, or are just in a bad mood?  No privacy at all would be a deal breaker to me I think.  And I hadn't thought about the noise, that would be a pain the ### too. 
Click to expand...
I've always worked open plan so don't mind it except when someone decides to have a conference call on speaker with three or four guys standing around at one end and yelling into the phone.

As for fights with the wife, most places you can duck into the copy room or some such

 
Good article on the subject:

https://99percentinvisible.org/article/office-space-time-loop-open-plans-cubicle-farms-back/

Our company uses a combination of cubicle farms and offices. The leadership and lawyers get offices, the worker bees in other divisions are in cubicles or open spaces. This is pretty much the same as every place I've been over the last decade.  

I'll always fondly remember my 2nd job post college, our company worked in 4 large cages.  Two desks in each for the leaders of that subunit.

 
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James Daulton said:
That was part of the idea behind what this dude said as well, increase teamwork, etc.  He said the biggest beef management had was the time people wasted on their phones.  I can't imagine going into work every day and having virtually no privacy, what if you've had a fight with the wife, aren't feeling well that day, have stomach issues, or are just in a bad mood?  No privacy at all would be a deal breaker to me I think.  And I hadn't thought about the noise, that would be a pain the ### too. 
Click to expand...
As was mentioned, there are still places at our office where you can go if you need privacy.  But yeah, everything else you said is spot on.  It sucks.

 
Isn’t this just stealing Silicon Valley’s office set up in corporate america?  My firm has already configured its headquarters this way and the 2nd office is about to be reconfigured by Feb 2018.  I run a smaller satalite office that is a “traditional” office but I would expect that will change at some point.

 
I wonder if any actual studies have been done that show this type of setup increases worker productivity?  It certainly can't help worker well being or job satisfaction. 

 
My company has this open concept as well. I work from home, but would want to hang myself if I had to do that. No assigned space, no privacy. If they ever tell me I need to start coming in, I'd VPN in at least two days a week anyway. #### that.

 
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The Lincoln Brand set up their floor in our corporate marketing and sales building this way.  Reaction was mixed.  There were two or three small rooms to handle private conversations.  One old school manager just set up her laptop in there everyday - not sure if she is still doing it.

Home office and telecommuting seems to be the wave of the future.   Lower costs, more efficiency, higher employee satisfaction.  

 
It sucks.   

I get more distracted by people just walking by, seeing people just sitting there.  When I'm in my cube I feel like i'm distracted less :shrug:

I recommend picking your nose and scratching your balls a lot.

 
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Nugget said:
The Lincoln Brand set up their floor in our corporate marketing and sales building this way.  Reaction was mixed.  There were two or three small rooms to handle private conversations.  One old school manager just set up her laptop in there everyday - not sure if she is still doing it.

Home office and telecommuting seems to be the wave of the future.   Lower costs, more efficiency, higher employee satisfaction.  
Click to expand...
You'd think companies would embrace the saving of not having an office.  I guess that whole sticky issue of expecting employees to actually work gets in the way. 

 
James Daulton said:
I wonder if any actual studies have been done that show this type of setup increases worker productivity?  It certainly can't help worker well being or job satisfaction. 
Click to expand...
There are studies that show anything on the scale from "best thing ever" to "nooooooooo"

I think it may have to do with how each individual company is organized and operates. If silos and hierarchy, it won't change for the better

 
Something like this 

https://hbr.org/resources/images/article_assets/2014/10/2014ag15-431.jpeg

There’s still offices but on the interior for upper management.  I’ve grown to like it - lots of natural light, views of downtown Atlanta and plenty of places to huddle with folks.  I will say that if I need to really focus on something I will put my noise cancelling headphones on - most people are pretty good at keeping the noise level down.  

ETA - one big difference is our spaces have dividers so you can’t really see what the person next to you is doing and the space is a little more spread out for FTEs - contractor space is more like the one in that pic

 
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ClownCausedChaos2 said:
Just a few years ago, we went to an open concept floor plan.  Offices along the outside walls for managers and then just rows of open desk space.  You sit next to someone with just a side desk between you and there is a small chance wall between you and the person that you face, but you can still see one another.

They said it was too encourage teamwork and make it more easy to communicate amongst one another and teams....which is just bull****.

It's loud, it's obnoxious, and it just increases the ability of the office busybodies and people with nothing to do to walk around and bug other people.

Rumor is that the new CIO is not a fan of the concept and will be reinstituting cube walls.  I can't wait.
Click to expand...
same experience here. It was billed the "new way of working" and we were told it was done in the name of "collaboration" but was really done for cost cutting. We've been this way for about two years now so I'm kind of used to it but it's a terribly inefficient work concept.

 
James Daulton said:
That was part of the idea behind what this dude said as well, increase teamwork, etc.  He said the biggest beef management had was the time people wasted on their phones.  I can't imagine going into work every day and having virtually no privacy, what if you've had a fight with the wife, aren't feeling well that day, have stomach issues, or are just in a bad mood?  No privacy at all would be a deal breaker to me I think.  And I hadn't thought about the noise, that would be a pain the ### too. 
Click to expand...
we do have private "phone booths" around where you can have more private conversations or go to avoid being too loud out in the open, but many people have their conversations out in the open.  when I need to review a document it's annoying. it has given us the ability to work from home more often which is a plus. I do it once a week but many do it two or three times a week.

 
At my office we have a bit of a mix. No assigned seating at an individual level, but groups have "neighborhoods" so that team members are somewhat located together. Most of the seating space is just tables (that go up and down for sitting or standing during the day). There are a few half-wall cubes for those who prefer that. 

I think it's obvious that a lot of the reasoning behind this is the lower cost. Less furniture to seat more people in less space. It's supposed to promote collaboration, but I've not seen that. Most people are trying to do their own thing and will just put on headphones to drown out the few who just don't care and will talk loudly as if no one but the person they're talking to can hear them. 

I also don't like having an assigned seat. We just had a reassignment of neighborhoods and I've now had to play with a chair at 3 different desks in 3 days to be comfortable and I never know where someone else is if I wanted to stop by and talk to them. 

 
The fact is, every employee is different. Some people gain energy being around other people, and lose energy when they're alone, while other people feel like being around other people sucks the life out of them and they need to get alone to get their energy back. The first kind will leave their office/cubical and wonder around the office looking for people to talk to, even when they're not doing anything productive. So even though they would prefer the type of layout your company is going to do, they find a way to make the office/cubical layout work. But the second kind of person would find that type of layout to be a living hell. They can't get alone, so for the entire day they feel like the life is being sucked out of them. They'll quit just for their own sanity. 

 
Previous company (in Dow 30) moving towards the open concept. In IT at HQ, landing tables for contractors and "assigned" tables for employees in rows of two with desks facing each other.  Manager offices are now conference rooms. The employees get a clear plexiglass "spitshield" between the person facing them. Minimal storage for any personal items. So loud everyone wears headphones. Other variations being tested with staff depts and remote locations. No one seems to like it but they put up with it. The company is more open to telecommuting now.  Previously they were worried about law suits if you worked at home and something happened (tripped over plug, ergonomic issues, etc). 

 
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AAABatteries said:
Something like this 

https://hbr.org/resources/images/article_assets/2014/10/2014ag15-431.jpeg

There’s still offices but on the interior for upper management.  I’ve grown to like it - lots of natural light, views of downtown Atlanta and plenty of places to huddle with folks.  I will say that if I need to really focus on something I will put my noise cancelling headphones on - most people are pretty good at keeping the noise level down.  

ETA - one big difference is our spaces have dividers so you can’t really see what the person next to you is doing and the space is a little more spread out for FTEs - contractor space is more like the one in that pic
Click to expand...
Really?  Bare feet (shoes off)?  I find these open environments nauseating enough without that.

 
Our company moved to a new HQ within the last year - Mostly SMALL cubicles (~7' x 7', one desk surface, one file drawer, one bulletin board, one smaller drawer) in an arrangement like a 6 on a dice.  Facing the same way in each cluster, so it's not like you're staring at people.  VERY low walls.  Not even as high as my monitor.  Offices and conference rooms in the interior.  

The only people with offices along the window are C-suite and a few other higher-ups (Controller, SVP Financial Ops, etc).  The cut-off is Senior Director.  I don't know anyone below that in an office outside of some key HR and Legal folks.  Several Senior Directors are still in cubes.  Concept works fine for me.  It can get loud in our area.  If it gets loud, I just put headphones on.  Tons of "Huddle Rooms," which we call "Cuddle Rooms" because they're not much bigger than a cube, with a small sofa, table, 2 chairs, phone, and TV for 1-1 conferences, calls, etc.  

My wife's company is basically moving towards 100% flex workspace.  You don't have an assigned desk.  You show up, sign into a location, and your calls get routed there.  I don't even know why a lot of places have desk phones.  I don't answer mine, and I've had an unlistened to voicemail for 9 months now.  I'd bet on any given day, 10% of our folks are WFH or in the field, so flex space, in theory, makes a lot of sense for a lot of companies.

 
Moved to a building a year and a half ago with the new "collaborative" open floorplan.  It's horse####.  Only way to concentrate is to put on headphones and try and block out everyone.  The forced collaboration means I pretty much hate all the people in my department now, I spent enough time in college dragging along the monkeys to an A.  F them, they ramble on stream of consciousness all morning and afternoon.  I make a point to internet surf more now as a middle finger to all of them.  Then when they are asked how the like the new building, the blank-stare lemmings all raise their hands and nod in agreement that this place is like the Taj Majal.

 
Nugget said:
The Lincoln Brand set up their floor in our corporate marketing and sales building this way.  Reaction was mixed.  There were two or three small rooms to handle private conversations.  One old school manager just set up her laptop in there everyday - not sure if she is still doing it.

Home office and telecommuting seems to be the wave of the future.   Lower costs, more efficiency, higher employee satisfaction.  
Click to expand...
This is great if you have a matured work force.  No way i let junior people manage their own time.  

 
Fat Nick said:
Our company moved to a new HQ within the last year - Mostly SMALL cubicles (~7' x 7', one desk surface, one file drawer, one bulletin board, one smaller drawer) in an arrangement like a 6 on a dice.  Facing the same way in each cluster, so it's not like you're staring at people.  VERY low walls.  Not even as high as my monitor.  Offices and conference rooms in the interior.  

The only people with offices along the window are C-suite and a few other higher-ups (Controller, SVP Financial Ops, etc).  The cut-off is Senior Director.  I don't know anyone below that in an office outside of some key HR and Legal folks.  Several Senior Directors are still in cubes.  Concept works fine for me.  It can get loud in our area.  If it gets loud, I just put headphones on.  Tons of "Huddle Rooms," which we call "Cuddle Rooms" because they're not much bigger than a cube, with a small sofa, table, 2 chairs, phone, and TV for 1-1 conferences, calls, etc.  

My wife's company is basically moving towards 100% flex workspace.  You don't have an assigned desk.  You show up, sign into a location, and your calls get routed there.  I don't even know why a lot of places have desk phones.  I don't answer mine, and I've had an unlistened to voicemail for 9 months now.  I'd bet on any given day, 10% of our folks are WFH or in the field, so flex space, in theory, makes a lot of sense for a lot of companies.
Click to expand...
One of my companies (large public engineering and construction firm) just move to the "hotel" concept of first come first serve for all space.  From what i hear, it is a complete disaster.  I would hate this concept personally. 

 
Vanilla Guerrilla said:
Moved to a building a year and a half ago with the new "collaborative" open floorplan.  It's horse####.  Only way to concentrate is to put on headphones and try and block out everyone.  The forced collaboration means I pretty much hate all the people in my department now, I spent enough time in college dragging along the monkeys to an A.  F them, they ramble on stream of consciousness all morning and afternoon.  I make a point to internet surf more now as a middle finger to all of them.  Then when they are asked how the like the new building, the blank-stare lemmings all raise their hands and nod in agreement that this place is like the Taj Majal.
Click to expand...
In most work environments 80% of the work is done by 20% of the employees. Of course the 80% are going to love the "collaborative" open floorplan, because it's easier to dump their work on the 20% by doing it publicly than it is by doing it privately. If someone in the 20% had an office, it's easier for them to say "no" to the dumper than it is when the dumper says across the room "Hey Nick, I need your 'help' on ABC". The 20% person knows the word "help" is being used very liberally, and what the guy really wants is for the 20% person to just do ABC for him. But to respond to that public request with a "no" and now the 20% person isn't seen as a team player. 

 
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Politician Spock said:
In most work environments 80% of the work is done by 20% of the employees. Of course the 80% are going to love the "collaborative" open floorplan, because it's easier to dump their work on the 20% by doing it publicly than it is by doing it privately. If someone in the 20% had an office, it's easier for them to say "no" to the dumper than it is when the dumper says across the room "Hey Nick, I need your 'help' on ABC". The 20% person knows the word "help" is being used very liberally, and what the guy really wants is for the 20% person to just do ABC for him. But to respond to that public request with a "no" and now the 20% person isn't seen as a team player. 
Click to expand...
I've learned to embrace my inner 80%.

 
James Daulton said:
Was recently talking to a dude who works for a large multi-national insurance company.  He said that his company is re configuring their office space and doing away with offices.  They are going to some kind of pod concept where desks are organized in pods of 5 and there are no walls.  No offices no cubes no privacy.  The idea according to him is to do away with the time people waste not working while at their desk space and making everyone's actions transparent and accountable to everyone.

He said the concept is similar to the old IBM days from the 50's where desks were lined up next to each other in a huge open space.  Apparently even the C suite folks won't have offices (those will be used for conference rooms).

Does anyone else work in such an environment?  I'm pretty sure if my company went in this direction I'd quit. 
Click to expand...
Yes, I do and it sucks.

Companies will come up with 1,000 fake reasons to do this, but really the only reason is that it saves money.  You now have 5 people in a space where you previously had 1 or 2.  Cuts office space in half at least.

 
No assigned seat so I have to adjust my chair every day when I sit down and don't get 4 monitors to code with?  Eff that noise.  We have a more open concept for my team now where the cube walls have basically been torn down so it's easier to talk with one another.  It's not that different than having the cube walls up.  I still surf the net plenty, but I get my stuff done on time and to spec, so my boss doesn't care.  All the managers have office around the outside.  Plenty of conference rooms for meetings/private calls/etc.

 
sbonomo said:
One of my companies (large public engineering and construction firm) just move to the "hotel" concept of first come first serve for all space.  From what i hear, it is a complete disaster.  I would hate this concept personally. 
Click to expand...
I work for a large MNC that executes projects and we sit in 6' high cubes, but any new locations are required to go to the "open office concept" with no assigned seating.  However, we haven't converted yet and I would absolutely hate it because:

  1. I tend to have my hands in a lot of emerging issues and not everything gets done that day...........so my desk has a lot of papers/folders/notes with various stages of completion.  Yes, i know "we are supposed to go paperless".........but sometimes it's just easier to print things out and go to a meeting and make notes and finish the task at hand later.  At the end of a day, i would have to figure out what to do with that crap.
  2. I had neck surgery 4 yrs ago and have a chair that works for my back and neck.  It was an older model, but in a first come, first served environment, i fear that the chair would get adjusted time and time again.
  3. The visual Distractions would be hard to get used to............i currently put in headphones if needed (and sometimes i don't even listen to anything) 
  4. The previous poster that said "Sometimes i can't find the person i need to talk to"
 
We moved to cube farms with the short walls about 2 years ago. I think it negatively affects production. You are sitting there concentrating on something and then someone walks over to another cube and they start talking about game on Monday night. Next thing you know, about 8 people are all standing and joining in the conversation. 15 mins later, everyone filters off and starts working again until someone else walks up to talk about the TV show that was on last night. On days I have urgent things to get done, I will work from home and get more done.

 
for the most part, i know i'd be surfing the net a lot less if people could see what I was doing.  not sure if that would make me more productive or if I just find other ways to kill time throughout the day.

 
No asigned seats??  Wtf?   

1. I shocked that in today’s “ick” environment that people would want to sharing things like chairs, desk germs and yesterday’s delicious food crumbs in the keyboard.  

2. Are we robots? I don’t have much, but I️ enjoy the few photos of my family, my few chochskies and other little items that make my Space mine. #### I spend more time there on most days then I do in my own house.  

3, does no one has paperwork or work orders or any other documentation that you are working on past a day or longer? I have projects files on my desk that stretch weeks in length with different levels of progress done to each. 

Im a creative in advertising if it helps.   

 
This all sounds hellish.  I've never not had a private office.  I'm in academia, so my office used to be a converted dorm room.  Now I'm at the back of a suite that people have to talk to my receptionist to get to.  But still, #### this open office business.  I would go insane.

 
sbonomo said:
One of my companies (large public engineering and construction firm) just move to the "hotel" concept of first come first serve for all space.  From what i hear, it is a complete disaster.  I would hate this concept personally. 
Click to expand...
You and me both.  I'm one of those people who learns a lot at work from the social aspect.  While I don't WANT an office, because it's isolating, I also value a space that's "mine," where I can put up pictures of my kids, have my own clutter, my own keyboard, etc.  The hotel concept, for someone who is regularly in the same office, would be horrible.  

 
Fat Nick said:
You and me both.  I'm one of those people who learns a lot at work from the social aspect.  While I don't WANT an office, because it's isolating, I also value a space that's "mine," where I can put up pictures of my kids, have my own clutter, my own keyboard, etc.  The hotel concept, for someone who is regularly in the same office, would be horrible.  
Click to expand...
I'd also not hate having "me" space.  My office is littered with South Park, Star Wars, and Ren and Stimpy stuffed animals, action figures, funny magnets and buttons.  Needless to say if I have to have a professional conversation, I book a conference room.  But I love my comfortable space.  Maybe I'll throw a pic up later today. 

 
James Daulton said:
I'd also not hate having "me" space.  My office is littered with South Park, Star Wars, and Ren and Stimpy stuffed animals, action figures, funny magnets and buttons.  Needless to say if I have to have a professional conversation, I book a conference room.  But I love my comfortable space.  Maybe I'll throw a pic up later today. 
Click to expand...
Doubt it.

 
James Daulton said:
Was recently talking to a dude who works for a large multi-national insurance company.  He said that his company is re configuring their office space and doing away with offices.  They are going to some kind of pod concept where desks are organized in pods of 5 and there are no walls.  No offices no cubes no privacy.  The idea according to him is to do away with the time people waste not working while at their desk space and making everyone's actions transparent and accountable to everyone.

He said the concept is similar to the old IBM days from the 50's where desks were lined up next to each other in a huge open space.  Apparently even the C suite folks won't have offices (those will be used for conference rooms).

Does anyone else work in such an environment?  I'm pretty sure if my company went in this direction I'd quit. 
Click to expand...
We do....it's stupid and I am incredibly thankful I work from home :thumbup:  

 
I work out of my recliner in the great room.  I have two of those small, wire like folder holders for my current clients on the floor next to the chair.  MLS sheets and copies of contacts are in three piles and processed about every month.   :bag:

 
James Daulton said:
I wonder if any actual studies have been done that show this type of setup increases worker productivity?  It certainly can't help worker well being or job satisfaction. 
Click to expand...


Politician Spock said:
The fact is, every employee is different. Some people gain energy being around other people, and lose energy when they're alone, while other people feel like being around other people sucks the life out of them and they need to get alone to get their energy back. The first kind will leave their office/cubical and wonder around the office looking for people to talk to, even when they're not doing anything productive. So even though they would prefer the type of layout your company is going to do, they find a way to make the office/cubical layout work. But the second kind of person would find that type of layout to be a living hell. They can't get alone, so for the entire day they feel like the life is being sucked out of them. They'll quit just for their own sanity. 
Click to expand...
I am reading a book on introversion, and pretty much nails what Spock says here.  Open floor plans and productivity killers for introverts.  I have medium sized cube walls (can't see my neighbors when I sit, but if someone is standing in an adjacent cube, I can see them).  It is impossible to contrentrate when the three people around me are yammering about whatever, business or otherwise.

I had to laugh when given a task on a project that required some heavy concentration digging through a bunch of documents for information and one of the senior staff who has an office suggested I just "block off three hours or so to contrentrate on this task."  There is no such concept of blocking off time when you live in cubeville.  Office?  Shut the door and send the phone to voicemail.  In a cube, you are constantly bombarded with distractions (as an introvert).

 
Vanilla Guerrilla said:
Moved to a building a year and a half ago with the new "collaborative" open floorplan.  It's horse####.  Only way to concentrate is to put on headphones and try and block out everyone.  The forced collaboration means I pretty much hate all the people in my department now, I spent enough time in college dragging along the monkeys to an A.  F them, they ramble on stream of consciousness all morning and afternoon.  I make a point to internet surf more now as a middle finger to all of them.  Then when they are asked how the like the new building, the blank-stare lemmings all raise their hands and nod in agreement that this place is like the Taj Majal.
Click to expand...
If I didn't know who you were, I would have read this and thought it sure sounded like someone I went to high school with.

 
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