Open Plan Offices Are Counterproductive
"Open plan" offices look cool. As the name implies, they're open, airy, and have a free, creative, Web 2.0 feeling to them. You've seen them. Or, perhaps, you work in one - everyone is sitting in the same open room with everyone else, with no barriers between each other.
Some office environments need to encourage collaboration and instant interaction with colleagues. An air traffic control (ATC) center would be an example. But what is the implication of an open plan for the typical B2B office of 2010? Research from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia found that the open plan is counterproductive for health service managers, but I think the study has farther-reaching implications:
In an era of changing workplace reforms, health service managers are embracing innovative work place designs, such as open plan work environments, where employees may have more flexibility. Managers are constantly seeking different ways of transforming their workplace so that their corporate culture and image can be improved. On the one hand, they must respond to corporate pressures to reduce the costs of building facilities and on the other hand they are indirectly introducing different types of issues that affect their employees. Method: A review of the literature was conducted by examining textbooks and journal articles in relation to the various issues that affect employees in an open plan work environment. Results: Research evidence shows that employees face a multitude of problems such as the loss of privacy, loss of identity, low work productivity, various health issues, overstimulation and low job satisfaction when working in an open plan work environment. Conclusion: Managers need to have a better understanding of open plan work environments before embracing such workplace designs. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended when decisions are being made in relation to which type of environment is better suited to the requirements of their employees as this has an impact on workforce productivity and job satisfaction.
A few years ago I was exposed to my first open office environment. It was at an IT research and consulting firm. I remember that it felt awkward, at first, and then I became accustomed to the noise, lack of privacy, and constant interruptions. The office was equipped with meeting rooms along the outsides of the open plan office space. The idea was that anyone could duck into one of these rooms if they needed peace and quiet.
A colleague and I questioned the validity of the open office plan at that company. We knew that it was counterproductive to our focused effort at making a high volume of focused sales calls, managing conference calls with executives and analysts, and so forth. We'd frequently have to use the side rooms, but then we weren't at our own phone extension, had to carry our laptop with us, and make sure we weren't in a scheduled room. Intuitively we knew that the open plan wasn't the most productive, and both of us had seen research that validated our concern.
What this means for sales and marketing
Even though it's tempting to create a "bull pen" for sales and watch them jump like monkeys to try and make sales, it might not be working in your favor, especially if your product is B2B-focused, and more strategic. If you're hosting a PBS fund raising drive, perhaps that's a different story.
And the marketing folks need peace and quiet too. Although sales and marketing are converging, they don't need to be right on top of each other. If you are redoing your office workplace environment, consider consulting with an efficiency expert who is certified in workplace productivity design. Sometimes business ideas that seem chic and hip are not as practical as we would hope.
More Research
My blog post is based on my opinion, with some supporting research. To be fair, there is additional research that supports the open office plan, and varying degrees thereof. One great source for office workplace design research is Knoll's Whitepapers and Topic Briefs web page. Knoll is a workplace furnishings design company. Check out Open Plan and Enclosed Private Offices by Dr. Mike O'Neill. It's a superb source of information and cites additional research on the subject.
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