Software developer Adam Lane has written an interesting article expressing his personal opinion on the office vs. cubicle debate. He makes a good point that for people in a line of work that requires uninterrupted concentration, an open cubicle layout may be less than desirable. That’s why many employees in his line of work use headphones and music to drown out the noise created by their coworkers.
The author runs through a pretty impressive list of benefits to giving each developer his/her own office space while also leaving some areas open for collaborative tasks. Of course, he acknowledges that this approach is more costly than setting up cubicles. However, he argues that the increase in productivity and reduction in errors makes up for the initial investment.
There are actually quite a few cubicle manufacturers who also offer architectural walls. The Altos collection from Teknion is one example. These walls are reconfigurable (although not as flexible as a cubicle system) and reduce noise very efficiently. This type of solution might be a good option for companies that want to spend a little extra making their “thought workers” happy and reduce distractions.
Tags: cubicle layout
The work cubicle has become the standard office setup, even for executives, today. Those who are “living” in cubicle work stations know too well, though, the issues besetting them everyday.
Hmm, I’ve never worked at a company where executives had to work in cubicles. Managers and supervisors, yes, but not actual VPs. I suppose the CEO of a smaller company that can’t afford corner offices might have to make do, though.
First and foremost, he actually got a point in there. Cubicles are created so that people can be more productive and work quietly. What actually happened is that these cubicles make employees’ lives miserable - well, at least that is what other people are saying. But, the fact is, these cubicles, if used properly, can create a great impact on the efficiency and of course the performance of an employee inside the office.
I do agree with one point the author made - when you need to be in “the zone” to do creative and highly technical work, it does help not to have any distractions. Using a mix of offices, well designed cubicles, and collaborative workspaces can offer the best of all worlds to many employers since they can ensure that the work area is matched to the needs of each type of employee.