Bosses love the ability to keep a closer eye on their employees, ensuring clandestine porn-watching, constant social media-browsing and unlimited personal cellphone use isn’t occupying billing hours. But employers are getting a false sense of improved productivity.
I absolutely hate “open-office” layouts. I’ve worked for two companies that used them, and found them to be significantly less productive environments to work in. I hated the way my “door was always open” to co-workers to walk up and interrupt me as I was trying to concentrate on whatever I was working on at the time. And as the author of the article writes, they did little to nothing to improve inter-office communication and collaboration; many times it did just the opposite.
Newsrooms and trading desks have used this format for decades and are exemplars of productivity and focus. It takes getting used to but is actually enormously creative and dynamic.
You would be the only person I’ve ever met that felt that way.
One of the most significant benefits to being self employed—increased productivity!