The open-plan office is a mind-boggling invention. Especially for those whose role is heavily detail-oriented, I just don't see how it's possible to focus. And the horror of hot-desking! Having a permanent desk at some of my jobs has allowed me to have at least some footing in this structure, where I could sit with my mementos and cute little things, giving me a feeling that it's my corner. I do not like "clear desk" policies either, because, well, they prevent me from creating this corner. One thing I used to do to cope with open-plan offices was to book meeting rooms for my focus time. Not every office has these available, but if yours (or whoever reads this comment) does, it's worth considering.
Detail-oriented jobs should not be done in an open-ppan office! Couldn't agree more here. And booking a meeting room probably is the best solution, but at the same time I find it a bit grotesque that employers make it so hard for their employees to do their job well…
We moved to an open floor last year and URGH. Luckily I BSd my way around and got my small team a dedicated section in a corner with some extra privacy panels. Yes, yes, we're technically hot-desking amongst ourselves but, really, we don't. We're not sociopaths.
That indeed is really lucky! An open-plan office is one thing, but hot-desking? What was your companies reasoning behind it? Ours was Covid and the fact that more and more people work from home. I get it, but at the same time I find it annoying that I don't own a desk in the office.
Our reasoning was quite literally the opposite! Needed more space in the main building and decided to move all administration out. Now they have an empty admin building because everyone is WFH thanks to COVID and surely the open plan hot desking isn't helping. I'm not complaining from my corner desk with free (bad) coffee but great view
This article made me giggle, just because it is so REAL. Whenever I go into the office, my favorite thing is to vent to my coworkers about how we get nothing done. It is a social party every second. I also love to chat with people, but we also have work to get done!! Boundaries and balance are everything.
In my personal experience, open or open-ish plan offices have been the work of managers who a) want to seem cool and hip or b) cannot bear the idea of not watching their employees’ every move to ensure everyone stays on task. There has been no in-between.
Definitely agree that it started with that mindset, but now open-plan offices are so widely 'accepted' that any other office layout is seen as 'out of touch' from a management perspective.
The open-plan office is a mind-boggling invention. Especially for those whose role is heavily detail-oriented, I just don't see how it's possible to focus. And the horror of hot-desking! Having a permanent desk at some of my jobs has allowed me to have at least some footing in this structure, where I could sit with my mementos and cute little things, giving me a feeling that it's my corner. I do not like "clear desk" policies either, because, well, they prevent me from creating this corner. One thing I used to do to cope with open-plan offices was to book meeting rooms for my focus time. Not every office has these available, but if yours (or whoever reads this comment) does, it's worth considering.
I've only ever worked in open plan offices so I don't know any different but hotdesking is were I draw the line.
Detail-oriented jobs should not be done in an open-ppan office! Couldn't agree more here. And booking a meeting room probably is the best solution, but at the same time I find it a bit grotesque that employers make it so hard for their employees to do their job well…
We moved to an open floor last year and URGH. Luckily I BSd my way around and got my small team a dedicated section in a corner with some extra privacy panels. Yes, yes, we're technically hot-desking amongst ourselves but, really, we don't. We're not sociopaths.
That indeed is really lucky! An open-plan office is one thing, but hot-desking? What was your companies reasoning behind it? Ours was Covid and the fact that more and more people work from home. I get it, but at the same time I find it annoying that I don't own a desk in the office.
Our reasoning was quite literally the opposite! Needed more space in the main building and decided to move all administration out. Now they have an empty admin building because everyone is WFH thanks to COVID and surely the open plan hot desking isn't helping. I'm not complaining from my corner desk with free (bad) coffee but great view
This article made me giggle, just because it is so REAL. Whenever I go into the office, my favorite thing is to vent to my coworkers about how we get nothing done. It is a social party every second. I also love to chat with people, but we also have work to get done!! Boundaries and balance are everything.
Thank you and I am so happy you enjoyed reading! It truly is a social party in an open-office. I too get barely anything done when I am there...
In my personal experience, open or open-ish plan offices have been the work of managers who a) want to seem cool and hip or b) cannot bear the idea of not watching their employees’ every move to ensure everyone stays on task. There has been no in-between.
Definitely agree that it started with that mindset, but now open-plan offices are so widely 'accepted' that any other office layout is seen as 'out of touch' from a management perspective.