I hate closed doors. Secrets happen behind them, people are talked about and decisions are made for others. That, of course, is why you have to have them. But too many of them? Well, they just bring a place down, man. It’s, like, all to do with some kind of hippie philosophy of bad vibes and poor energy flow … dude.
So this week we decided to smash down all the walls in our office. Everyone now lives in one big office, not their own little cocoon. And the grooviest stuff has started happening. As soon as the physical barriers went down, so did the personal ones. When people walk in, they greet one everyone because they can see them; they walk over to other’s desks and ask them things; they are even calling across the office and making music requests. Is it noisy? Yeah, kinda, but noise is energy and energy is gooood.
You see, I think fun is an essential part of the workplace. As important as the building, the computers, or the bottom line. If people are having fun, they want to come to work, they want to do their jobs and they feel freer to be more creative.
So, like, the vibe is all chilled now, man, and everyone is, like, having a groovy time and stuff — well, except me because of course I kept my office. Hell, I need to talk about people and plot my takeover of the world.
er … Peace, man.
That’s awesome. Feel the love.
like…totally man
Who needs walls anyway? Completely overrated.
In theory this is great. But the only drawback would be that it that would make the sneaky-sex-on-the-desk-in-my-office-with-the-cute-guy-from-accounting kinda problematic.
@ Claire – True! But for some extra suspense you always could ‘borrow’ the desk of colleagues who still reside in an wall-to-wall office
I work in a kick ass open – plan space in the old FNB building on market street. I only recently started and had the displeasure of working in a corporate environment with Dilbert like cubicles. The open plan environment lends itself to creativity because you’ve got cerebral stimulation and everyone gets a little more oral in an open plan environment, so claire you needn’t worry.
I dunno Claire i think the open plan office could add a whole other dimension to it.
Vince – i agree, cubicles are the devil
I guess I would have to work on my inner exhibitionist (or is that a contradiction in terms?).
I suppose that, if it was for the good of all, for the promotion of a happy working environment and the stimulation (so to speak) of the creativity of my colleagues, I could make the sacrifice; forgo my privacy and just have sex on my open-plan desk then.
I’m such a saint.
You’re all heart…well and all the other bits we can all see
hehe.. i can hear you all!
I work somewhere where there are no walls, and yes there is a sort of social vibe going around, even with my manager when he’s around in his office.. we are all sales people so we DO know how to socialize..
but the thing is, not everyone could work in such an environment.. there are people who prefer to be behind closed doors, like researchers for example, or even developers.. jobs that need concentration and silence, add to that the differences in personalities between people.. there are those who can’t stand the ‘noise’.. yeah?