With the rise in popularity of the “open office” layout, the team at Fastcubes called in the experts to break down the trend. If you’ve been a loyal reader, you might know what we are talking about but for those who don’t, the “open office” concept is basically cubicle-less work spaces where there is one open space shared by all workers instead of workers walled off from one another by the typical dividers of a cubicle.
But what if you sit across from a co-worker that cannot refrain herself from sharing with you every detail of last night’s episode of Downton Abbey and you like her but you really need have some privacy to focus and get some work done?
Lionel Valdellon, a content marketing manager for Wrike, a California based startup that makes project management and work collaboration software, said there are ways around it but even he’d prefer his privacy most of the time.
“You could try instituting a signaling system to show that you are not to be disturbed by drive-by questions: either a Do Not Disturb hat that you wear or a DND card that you hang near your laptop,” Valdellon said.
Don’t look good in hats? Yeah, we don’t either.
The Fastcubes designers wanted to come up with their alternative to this happening trend that would still be as cost-effective as the open floor plan and we recently featured it here. This King of Prussia startup needed a setup to foster the right amount of collaboration needed to drive sales and bring fresh ideas to the table. But they also needed the privacy to foster those important relationships and the ability to be free of distractions while making important phone calls.
Surely we understand the need to collaborate, communicate, and foster a deep camaraderie with your co-workers but our traditional cubicle wall panels as well as our shorter options truly provide employees with the private, distraction-free space they need to be their most productive, without compromising those important interactions that make working in an office awesome.
Having experienced both cubicles and more open layouts, Valdellon said he needs a little isolation and silence in order to perform at his best.
“I find the noise and distraction really multiplies exponentially when there are more workers sharing an open floor plan. Also, I don’t want to have to hear the sales team playing “The Final Countdown” by Europe over tiny laptop speakers every month’s end, “Valdellon said.
For more on Valdellon, visit Wrike’s blog or follow him on social media. To talk to one of our designers about the new “heights” your next project can reach, email us or call us today at 866.622.2823.
Sebastian Squarehead
Fastcubes offers instant purchasing and support for your cubicle needs. View our online store at Fastcubes.com to customize your cubicle solution.
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