The basis for this rant:
A number of these open workspaces have now been installed at my company -- at very huge expense and this is what I hear from people using them: "They're pretty." Yup. Indeed, the natural light (common in European offices) helps a great deal. But people say the two floors refurbished about a year ago are not getting the occupancy they expected. People hate them so much they stay home instead. They hate the pumped-in white noise, the lack of privacy, the poor ergonomics and the coldness of the austere design. Want a picture of your family on your desk? Well, you no longer have an assigned desk but you can move that photo in and out of your assigned locker every day if you like. Sorry -- you are a robot now and if I care about you socially I'll connect to you on Facebook I guess.
In case it isn't obvious from my rant, today I learned that my own days with a real office are numbered. Mid-year we get relocated to a site 20 miles away -- where we'll be in an 18-month penalty box of sort, until our new fabulous workspace is available. I was really hoping this would intersect more closely with my retirement plans. Drat.
- We do an employee survey that says as a company, we need to be better at innovation.
- Studies have shown that solitude is an important key to creativity.
A number of these open workspaces have now been installed at my company -- at very huge expense and this is what I hear from people using them: "They're pretty." Yup. Indeed, the natural light (common in European offices) helps a great deal. But people say the two floors refurbished about a year ago are not getting the occupancy they expected. People hate them so much they stay home instead. They hate the pumped-in white noise, the lack of privacy, the poor ergonomics and the coldness of the austere design. Want a picture of your family on your desk? Well, you no longer have an assigned desk but you can move that photo in and out of your assigned locker every day if you like. Sorry -- you are a robot now and if I care about you socially I'll connect to you on Facebook I guess.
In case it isn't obvious from my rant, today I learned that my own days with a real office are numbered. Mid-year we get relocated to a site 20 miles away -- where we'll be in an 18-month penalty box of sort, until our new fabulous workspace is available. I was really hoping this would intersect more closely with my retirement plans. Drat.