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Ryan Paugh graduated from Penn State in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business. After working in corporate communications, freelance writing and reporting, he co-founded 
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New here? Employee Evolution is dedicated to helping the Millennial generation answer the hard-hitting questions that come with the biggest transition of our lives. Be sure to visit our about section for the full story. Since you're here, check out our best articles in the archives. We've also put together a list of some Millennial-friendly employers on our jobs page. Any questions? Feel free to contact us.
Over the centuries humankind has adapted to all kinds of environments and climates. As our surroundings evolve, so do we. Eskimos adjusted to arctic conditions by building igloos and hunting in sealskin canoes. In Los Angeles, where the weather is perfect, people have decided they need to be perfect, too, and survive on green-tea hand lotion and Botox injections. For thirteen hundred years the residents of Inuyama, Japan, have provided for their families with ukai, a traditional style of river fishing that utilizes cormorants on leashes. Nevertheless, despite its impressive history, the human race has had difficulty harmonizing with the proliferation of cubicle environments.
The Cubicle Survival Guide by James F. Thompson
Of all the daily torments I face at the office none is more hellish than the isolated gray, felt walls of my cubicle. Every morning I enter the building, my legs laggardly thrusting me forward, and I take one final breath before sitting in the same chair, in the same cube, in the same sector, of the same flawlessly symmetric structure that is home to my daily routine. Some people seem to find solace in the habitual nature of the traditional office setting, but I am not one of them.
This whole dilemma has got me perplexed. How is this the best way to go about your day? Throughout my high school and college career, work was something most frequently done in a communal environment. Whether a library, a study hall, or a cafeteria, this is where the science of momentum was seen at its finest. Productivity always seemed to give birth to more productivity, it’s how the majority of my peers seemed to get their work done, and we were interacting as the social beings we are at the same time.
So why, as I step into the next big phase of life, is the system set up to counteract my inherent nature to be involved in a social environment while I work? Is it a generational thing? Do X-ers, Boomers, and all of the above thrive in an atmosphere of seclusion? Or is this something that should have evolved a long time ago? If the cube is an approach that has actually inspired people to take their work above and beyond in the past, some upgrades need to be made to accommodate the team-oriented atmosphere of the Millennial generation.
The utter scheme of dividing people into separate boxes screams insanity to a person who has grown up in a productive social atmosphere. For myself, it even goes as far as to spawn depression. And why would it not? Isolation is definitely grounds for a slue of anxiety issues to come during the course of your life.
What are some alternatives to the typical distribution of bodies in the workplace? One suggestion is the concept of “hoteling,” a work environment with non-dedicated spaces communally shared by employees. It’s almost like going back to high school (without the teenage drama), you get a locker to house all of your supplies and you go about your daily routine without the constraint of assigned seating. I’m skeptical of this approach, but if several global companies – including IBM, American Express, and Microsoft – have already adopted this method to some degree, than who is to say it can’t work at your office?
My solution is a lot easier, and it caters to certain individual needs for personal space. Hack down the top half of people’s cubes so people can actually look each other in the eye when they’re having a conversation. Where I work, administrative assistants already have this luxury so they can communicate to their boss, but I need to talk to my coworkers too!
Presently, I can already see work environments changing for the better. Sadly, I’m still sitting in an outdated environment, but with the right amount of change taking place with our competitors, hopefully the bigwigs will take notice, and make some amendments themselves.
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I whole-heartedly agree. Not only is my department’s “territory” the only area cut off from the rest of our organization by a door, but my cubicle backs up against the farthest outside wall. I always feel cut off from the rest of my co-workers.
However, I’ve made a habit of working on certain tasks from the work table that sits as an island in our communal area. As I understand, no one really utilized this space before I joined the team, but I’ve noticed in my very short time at the organization that when I’m working in this area, it almost always results is the team congregating, discussing, and sharing ideas. Can’t be a bad thing, right?
Jacqui,
Sounds like you’re taking a step in the right direction. I’m jealous of your communal area, I wish I had a place at my office where I could easily go to do work. If not to get the rest of my team involved, at least for a change of scenery.
Anyways, keep on fighting the good fight, maybe something will change. And it will all be thanks to your unwillingness to conform to a boring, isolated workspace.
The biggest distraction in my workplace are speaker phones (or speaking loudly on the phone). Can you imagine a communal area where we can all see each other (or only have half-sized walls) and we’re all on the phone or in conference calls? It’d be a loud, distracting mad house.
I’d be like working in the cafeteria rather than the study hall.
There’s definitely a need to have some seclusion sometimes.
Devin,
You’ve definitely got a point. In fact, I’ve dealt with the speaker phone/loud talker issue on many occasions and I’m sure, depending on the type of business, that it’s more of an issue for some people.
Maybe in your case there needs to be a little bit of both — a happy medium between solitude and sociability. For instance, a “quiet zone” where employees that need to focus can go to get down to business. Any other ideas?
Obviously, there’s always going to be a few cons floating around in even the most masterminded of plans.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Keep reading.
Yeah, I think thats the point. Unfortunately I’m tied down to a desk. But, allowing employees to be mobile and work anywhere (atrium, under a tree, etc.) would foster a happier workplace.
But, not many places are willing to give up that control.
Hell, I don’t even need a cube. I could do 90% of my work from home with little-to-no interaction with anyone. But, physical presence is, for some reason, still valued.
Several months ago, I watched a CNN clip about Google’s new mobile workplace design. I tried to find the video, but this article with enclosed slideshow was the best I could find.
I know making huge structural changes like this can be expensive, and the cost is probably not justifiable in a world where most workers don’t put as much value on the collaborative, teamwork mentality of Millenials, but I’m still jealous.
money.cnn.com/2006/11/14/magazines/business2/office_redesign.biz2/index.htm
Devin,
Check out Ryan’s post on Flexibility.
It hits the last point you made pretty well.
Jacqui,
I jealous too. I’ve been admiring companies like Google & Cisco for awhile.
Thanks for the link!
Have to say my work environment tends to be more on the communal side, and always has been. I’ve never actually sat at a desk, but in a conference room with the rest of my team (currently 7 - 8 of us on a daily basis). We all work and take conference calls and really there is no problem. If there is more than one call going on at one time, or someone needs quiet there are “huddle rooms” set up on each floor of the building with a small table, internet connectivity, and a phone. I will say that there are some distractions, but usually it’s just a team member needing to blow off some steam, but a little distraction is good every now and again, and I personally like being able to just turn around and talk to someone vs. walking over to their cube. So perhaps while the idea of an entire floor being communal, there is still some division, but on the team level vs. the individual.
Shameless product plug here (so I’ll understand if you don’t post it)… But, I wonder if part of the problem is that companies think, “That all sounds good. But how would we do it? How would anybody know where other people are if they don’t have a permanent ‘address’? How will I know that there’s going to be a space for me to plug in when I head into the office in the morning?” Well… ummmm… technology, that’s how! My company (see www.dea.com) produces a software package that simplifies hoteling. Employees can book a temporary work space, reserve any additional resources they might need, and find co-workers from the web, through a kiosk at their office entrance, or on the company network. One less reason to put off hoteling. It’s an idea whose time his come!
Tom,
Thanks!
One of our goals here at Employee Evolution is to promote a dialogue that helps change the modern workplace for the better. So any “shameless plug” that supports the cause is more than welcomed on our site.
Sounds like you’ve got a company with the kind of potential we need to evolve the modern office scene. Keep reading. We’ll be checking out your site for future posts.
Tom,
That is a great idea, my company actually uses a system like that now. If you’ll be in the office you sign onto the portal and request a workspace. This is then posted both online and on tv screen in the office which allow people to find you. Our phone system also allows you to ‘log-in’ with your phone number so your number remains static no matter where you sit. It also has a ‘follow me’ feature so should you be out of the office, you can have your calls ring your cell or even home phones.