back to article Open plan offices flop – you talk less, IM more, if forced to flee a cubicle

Open plan offices don’t deliver their promised benefits of more face-to-face collaboration and instead make us misanthropic recluses and more likely to use electronic communications tools. So says a new article in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, by Harvard academics Ethan S. Bernstein, Stephen Turban. …

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  1. getHandle

    What about disturbing others?

    I favour electronic communication in open plan offices to avoid disturbing others.

    I would happily shoot the sociopaths who think they have the right to share their conversations, thoughts and phone calls with the whole damn floor...

    1. big_D Silver badge

      Re: What about disturbing others?

      We had this in the late 80s and early 90s. Big open plan offices. If you talked to your neighbours, the noise level increased so quickly, you were often shouting. Even telephone calls were awkward, because you had somebody talking quietly in the receiver in one ear and the whole office shouting in the other ear.

      After a while, nobody bothered talking to anyone else and tried to have hushed telephone conversations.

      The other thing is, everybody can hear what you are saying, so you are more reticent to talk at all, in case you make a fool of yourself. If you have misunderstood something and the other person in the conversation points it out, it is a little embarassing, but if the whole office is listening to you making a fool of yourself, that is another matter. Private discussions are also difficult to have.

      We used to get up and go into the stairwell to have conversations, or go out and get a coffee.

    2. Vanir

      Re: What about disturbing others?

      Oh dear! I'm going to be shot.

      I've mostly worked in open plan offices. There's been a low level hub-hub of converstion at most times But people are generally considerate. At times, even in big offices, - full of coders be they managers or not - there have been moments of complete silence and noisy banter. I like the noisy banter!

      When I'm in the zone I'm just oblivious. I've never been annoyed at being interrupted though. Well, maybe just once or twice but then I was in a bad mood for starters. Usually having to deal with really bad code.

      I'm just human. I like to talk to my fellow human beings F2F. It's how you get to really know them.

      I see a lot of job specs that require team 'players' and that can work alone too. Go figure.

      I hate using phones, conferencing, email.

      1. big_D Silver badge

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        I hat phones and conferencing as well. And I don't mind working in teams, I currently sit in an office with 2 other people and my boss next door, with the door open. Most of the time, it is great, the noise level is acceptable.

        But in the large open-plan offices, where dozens of teams have to work together, the noise level is often too high to concentrate.

        I also hate it when other people can look over my shoulder. It is irrelevant, whether I am just doing my work or dossing off and reading the Reg, I feel somehow violated, that people can just look over my shoulder, without me knowing about it or allowing it.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: What about disturbing others?

          Dear Sir,

          I find your idea of a hat phone for both personal calls and teleconferencing intriguing. Is there any chance you have a prototype?

          Regards

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        When I'm in the zone I'm just oblivious. I've never been annoyed at being interrupted though. Well, maybe just once or twice but then I was in a bad mood for starters. Usually having to deal with really bad code.

        Please share the secret and tell me how you get in the zone in the first place in an open plan office with Lync, Outlook, and Teams constantly popping up notifications about inconsequential shit. Or is it just me who has this problem?

        1. Vanir

          Re: Please share the secret

          AC:

          <Please share the secret and tell me how you get in the zone in the first place in an open plan office with Lync, Outlook, and Teams constantly popping up notifications about inconsequential shit. Or is it just me who has this problem?>

          Can't help you there. I just start writing / reading the code and I can quickly get lost in it.

          Been doing this coding stint >20yrs. Never had a problem. The only problems I've had is with something like, for example, an AC ceiling unit wafting cold air on my neck, bright lights etc.

          Before my coding career I was an electrician working in noisy and sometimes unpleasant, dangerous environments with perhaps what you would call boisterous tradesmen; veteran tradesmen most of them. They still did high quality work. It's just how you are 'brought' up and what you think is 'normal'.

          I don't mind interruptions but that does not mean I like them. Sometime's I have welcomed interuptions. Hasn't everybody?

          Before I interupt someone I do look at them to evaluate them and their situation against the reason why I want or need to do so.

          All these 'scientific' studies just seem to blow with the wind. Compaines are not going to change their office layouts on one study.

      3. rmullen0

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        If you like being interrupted, it sounds like you don't care about doing a good job or being productive. Constantly being interrupted is not conducive to being productive. I am a lot more productive when I work from home for the simple fact that I can concentrate on what I am doing without being constantly interrupted. When I am in the office, my productivity plummets.

        1. Alan_Peery

          Re: What about disturbing others?

          People are not all the same. Some thrive on interaction, others can't handle interruption. Don't assume that someone doesn't car or isn't productive because interruptions just because interruptions bother you.

      4. JohnFen

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        Some people can do very well in such environments. Clearly, you're one of them. Most people, however, don't do well in such environments.

      5. PeteA
        Trollface

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        I'm just human. I like to talk to my fellow human beings F2F. It's how you get to really know them.

        What you doing on the El Reg fora then?

      6. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @Vanir Re: What about disturbing others?

        But people are generally considerate

        I just laughed so hard, I think a bit of wee came out

      7. fidodogbreath

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        I'm just human. I like to talk to my fellow human beings F2F. It's how you get to really know them.

        Your sunny, magnanimous view of other people is in the minority in the Reg forums...

    3. Flywheel

      Re: What about disturbing others?

      disturbing others

      Same here, and in fact, I had to push management and HR real hard to be able to work from home to avoid this.

      The problem I specifically faced was that due to policy, our initially large office was being reduced in size by selling off bits to other companies and "shrinking" it by installing new partition walls. So eventually we ended up with an aisle of developers, next to an aisle of sales people next to an aisle of general plebs. Sales were constantly babbling on the phone trying to sell stuff, while the plebs would saunter in and start eating their bowls of breakfast cereal making it sound like a greasy spoon caf.

      Then, some bright spark decided it would be a great idea to use meeting rooms for management, so we then had to have group Hangout Meetings in the same open-plan area, sometimes with senior management or external clients. Nightmare! "Is that a dog in the room with you?" "Are you in a cafe?" Me: "it's the builders next door loading up a skip..."

      And as for trying to write software when the Office Dweeb is starting one of his "Say, did I ever tell about that time when....." monologues? fuggedit

      Open-plan office advocates should be SHOT (in the office)

      1. paulf
        Mushroom

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        @Flywheel, "start eating their bowls of breakfast cereal making it sound like a greasy spoon caf."

        Now that is nasty - people who eat in open plan offices when others are trying to work. A personal bug bear because the guy opposite me likes eating cereal. Some people do eat at their desks and either do so during lunchtime or quietly at other times. He eats slurps cereal most days with his mouth open so the whole damned floor can hear it - and seems completely oblivious to this being in any way wrong. Oblivious or a sociopath so should be promoted to manglement any time soon.

        Oh and people who have serious problems with personal hygiene such that they stink out the whole office (you'll not be surprised that the same guy appears in that one too!)

        Icon - Why bother with passive aggressive when actual aggressive is much more effective!

        1. adam 40 Silver badge

          Cereal - is that all?

          I have to put up with crisps, slurping hot coffee, and slurping soup.

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      Re: What about disturbing others?

      > I would happily shoot the sociopaths who think they have the right to share their conversations, thoughts and phone calls with the whole damn floor...

      Do you take contracts? There's a 'foghorn leghorn' in my office that needs dealing with. I'd send you the address but you can probably hear him anyway...

      1. Amos1

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        Just a "foghorn leghorn"? Another lovely aspect of the open office plan is the male or female who slathers on so much cologne or perfume that I can't breathe even though they are several rows away. My manager is one of those.

        1. JohnFen

          Re: What about disturbing others?

          About half of the places I've worked have had a firm "no perfume/cologne" workplace rule. I wish it were all of them.

          1. adam 40 Silver badge

            Re: What about disturbing others?

            About half of the places I've worked have had a firm "no perfume/cologne" workplace rule. I wish it were all of them.

            Even the ones in Cologne?

        2. bombastic bob Silver badge
          Mushroom

          Re: What about disturbing others?

          "the male or female who slathers on so much cologne or perfume that I can't breathe"

          At least they're not **SMOKING**. OK not an issue HERE since the 80's [but 'vaping' would be ok]. I understand that in SOME places "they" still "allow" in-office smoking. I'd rage quit, LOUDLY and maybe even VIOLENTLY, the first time someone lit a @#$% cancer stick anywhere upwind of me. The exhaust *ALWAYS* gives me a *BAD* headache.

          1. BebopWeBop

            Re: What about disturbing others?

            I would be curious to know where they allow amoking in a publc place - to quote from gov.uk

            Businesses can be fined up to £2,500 if they don’t stop people smoking in the workplace or up to £1,000 if they don’t display ‘no smoking’ signs.

          2. Steve Kellett

            Re: What about disturbing others?

            I had a stunned reaction from some 20 something colleagues yesterday when I described a chain smoking colleague from the early 80's who would sometimes during times of extreme stress have three cigs on the go simultaneously. "Yes. People did used to be allowed to smoke in the workplace".

          3. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: What about disturbing others?

            And not just smokING, but being a smokER, the stench of tabacco that wafts arounds them makes me retch.

      2. Steve K
        Megaphone

        Re: What about disturbing others?

        My brother-in-law had one of those in his office years ago - always listened to his Voicemail on speaker and irritating everyone.

        So he left an anonymous voice message along the lines of "Hello - You're an annoying, inconsiderately loud bastard who won't shut up".

        When said annoying person played that one, the message got home and the problem was (amusingly) solved!

        1. FIA Silver badge

          Re: What about disturbing others?

          [...]So he left an anonymous voice message along the lines of "Hello - You're an annoying, inconsiderately loud bastard who won't shut up".

          What a cunt.

          When said annoying person played that one, the message got home and the problem was (amusingly) solved!

          Yay! Glad the problem was solved, I love group shaming people too, makes me feel like one of the herd. I hope they pointed and laughed just to make extra sure.

        2. ZPO

          Re: What about disturbing others?

          Voicemails of:

          Hello, this is the doctors office. The health department requires you to come in to discuss the results of your STD tests...

          This is Detective Smith at the police department. We need to schedule an appointment to interview you about these child abuse allegations...

          Should fix the problem with listening to Voicemails on speaker rather quickly.

        3. rnturn

          Re: What about disturbing others?

          Years ago I worked down the hall from a manager who did everything via speakerphone. Even when dialing he had the speaker on. The worst of it was that the guy had no hand/eye coordination and he'd need to dial number at least 2-3 times before he got it right. Everyone in a radius of a half dozen offices (yes. we had offices but offices with at least three engineers crammed into them) had to listen to John's attempts to dial a phone number. All. Day. Long.

          1. jelabarre59

            Re: What about disturbing others?

            Years ago I worked down the hall from a manager who did everything via speakerphone. Even when dialing he had the speaker on.

            There was the office I worked at where my door was almost directly opposite a conference room at the intersection of two hallways. They would be using their speakerphone for various meetings (logically) with the doors to both hallways open. The problem was the one manager who would call into some of the meetings on *HIS* speakerphone. His office was opposite the other door to the conference room, on the other hallway. And he would have *his* door open when he called. Being a manager, it wasn't like he had any *real* work to do.

            At least if I had occasion where I couldn't walk *my* lazy ass across the hall to a meeting (not on the same team as the dimwitted manager, thankfully) because I was in the middle of some system work that I needed to babysit, I'd at least have the courtesy to use a handset, or at least close my door.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What about disturbing others?

      Interesting. They have no choice but to speak to others, when a phone call will not do. And you can't put yourself in their place or feel any empathy. Hmm.

    6. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Mushroom

      Re: What about disturbing others?

      "I would happily shoot the sociopaths who think they have the right to share their conversations, thoughts and phone calls with the whole damn floor..."

      Or the OTHER sociopaths that have to INCESSANTLY complain about everyone around them, particularly those who need to "interact" like the office plan implies...

      yeah "fish bowl" office design is JUST! PLAIN! STUPID! (and I guess that pretty much says it all). Whoever thought that up needs to be re-educated with a cat-5-o-nine-tails *AND* a clue-bat. And maybe 'accidentally' 'fall' out of a 2nd floor window that swings open easily when leaned on...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There is no communication / less verbal communication because people complain about the noise if people are talking. So you get told to go to the small meeting rooms. Which means you don't have the conversation you would have because its too much hassle to go to the meeting room with what you need to show the person, so it doesn't get done.

    1. whoseyourdaddy

      "Which means you don't have the conversation you would have because its too much hassle to go to the meeting room with what you need to show the person, so it doesn't get done."

      Do you have to be in a conference room? You have no hallways away from cubicles to have a long-ass discussion about stuff most people don't have the necessary background info to process?

      I worked for a large company in San Diego who used to put more than 90% of their employees in private offices. It didn't help. People just talked louder.

      Arguably, you're impromptu discussions that take longer than 3 minutes or so should be happening on the Wiki where business-critical information and ideas will be harder to lose (unless one of you opted to type up meeting notes after the discussion.)

      Still, you're just being lazy and oblivious because *everyone* will use that excuse to talk about the World Cup or the NBA Finals in the middle of a cubicle farm.

  3. thondwe

    Hard to Hear

    Hard to hear any chatter with Led Zep on the head phones...

    1. Rich 11

      Re: Hard to Hear

      That's just triggering a communication breakdown.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Hard to Hear

        It's enough to bring on the Black Dog of depression

    2. Korev Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Hard to Hear

      Sounds like a Stairway to Heaven

      1. onefang

        Re: Hard to Hear

        But When the Levee Breaks, you might end up with The Battle of Evermore. People hate it when you ignore them like that.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hard to Hear

      Led Zep?

      Our office is so noisy I have to listen to The Gerogerigegege.

      1. Aladdin Sane

        Re: Hard to Hear

        You should get better headphones - mine go all the way to 11.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Hard to Hear

          You should get better headphones - mine go all the way to 11.

          Yes, so do mine. They also cost three hundred fucking quid. My money, that I should have been able to spend on something else, instead of having to use it to make the workplace marginally less unfit for purpose.

          If of course these idiots happen to leave their phones on their desks, then a £3.99 claw hammer from Wickes does the job much better.

        2. JohnFen

          Re: Hard to Hear

          I can't do headphones in an open office space. When I'm so exposed, then not being able to hear what's happening around me means that I am "on alert" the entire time, constantly looking over my shoulder because I think someone might be behind me.

          For me, open office space is a massive productivity killer and dramatically ramps up the stress level.

          1. bombastic bob Silver badge
            Devil

            Re: Hard to Hear

            "not being able to hear what's happening around me means that I am "on alert" the entire time"

            yes, having your back to an open hole, doorway, window, etc. is naturally "un-nerving". It's bad feng sheui too, from what I hear.

            Good office environment means productivity. So, face the hole, or install one of those wide angle rearview clip-on mirrors like you might put in your car to see the kids in the back seat [a friend of mine actually did that, taped to the top of his monitor, and it was brilliant].

            1. JohnFen

              Re: Hard to Hear

              "So, face the hole, or install one of those wide angle rearview clip-on mirrors"

              "Facing the hole" was impossible at the last job I had that inflicted this nonsense on employees. Your desk faced where it faced, it was impossible to reorient it. I did use rear-view mirrors, but that didn't change the "always on alert" thing at all, it only meant that I wasn't always physically turning around anymore.

  4. PerlyKing
    Meh

    Is it just me?

    I thought that companies moved to open-plan so that they could cram more "human resources" into the same space, saving money. Or is that just me?

    1. big_D Silver badge

      Re: Is it just me?

      I thought open plan died a death towards the end of the 90s...

      1. JohnFen

        Re: Is it just me?

        I thought it died a deserving death with the invention of the cubicle. Fun fact: open office plans were extremely common before the cubicle was invented, and its invention was, at the time, hailed as welcome humanitarian development. It also increased productivity by quite a bit.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it just me?

      Open plan facilitates "hot desking" - often arranged in rows like an old slave galley.

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Those cubicle things

        Those weird cubicle things you see in American films, are they actually a real thing or are they just made up in Hollywood?

        If they are real, how does anybody tolerate working in them?

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