Open Space : still some work to do !

Tired of seeing your colleague, unoccupied, sitting on your desk ? “You’re upset, today ?”. Even more tired of inventing impossible strategies to escape from work before nightfall without hearing another colleague say “so you take your afternoon free ?”. Bad news : the open space, this place of work without walls, has nice days forward. Since 10 years, we don’t even talk about it anymore. It just is. Nobody’s talking about inventing a new space for work. Nevertheless, some associations try to open a debate. Some even write books about it “Must we close the open space ?” or “the open space killed me”. The book places the open space as a symbol of neo management, vaguely transparent, wrongfully without hang ups. The place smells like grilled nem and anyone can participate at the contest of the one who received the biggest quantity of mails, screaming in a falsely annoyed ton : “fuck, 350 mails !”. More than 60% of french firms made the decision of the open space. Benefits for the firm are not really proved, outside the feeling of the managers, convinced that their team won on efficiency. It’s because firms strongly believe that the open space is good for communication and dynamism. But studies show much more diverse realities. It depends of the activity of the company or the age of the employees. Sometimes we think, It’s only a question of costs (open space could allow a reduction of the costs of the square meter up to 10 to 40%) and ideology. Let’s reexaminate. The open space improves communication : for sure, we talk more to a colleague on an open floor than from a closed office to another. We scream more, too. And, talking about communication, don't be shy, we communicate also our stress. It’s what we call, the “cocktail effect”. Everybody’s talking louder because nobody can listen anyone. More exchanges, true, but not of a better quality. Studies show that walls, actually, improve communication at work because It allows intimacy and confidentiality. We mix people to whom we say “you must communicate” but if they open their mouth, they disturb everybody. Strangely, big companies, rich companies or advertising agencies, multiply closed spaces beside big open floors, in order to organize quiet meetings. For the poor ones, the option of the headset, the ipod or hearplugs are still available. That relies straight away to a very strong image of open communication ! The open space erases the hierarchical barriers : an office near the corridor ? you’re a trainee. Back on the window : congratulations for your promotion. The open space is sometimes assimilated to a democratic space : we share the adventure together. But we read very clearly the hierarchical links. The ones who have a portable computer are the ones we give the possibility to extract themselves from the community. The managers have a drawer, even if It is empty. Another example : a company, 450 employees, needed to move. After 30 years of closed offices, they had to move to an open space. The employees said no to the project. The manager said : It will be open space. But he showed some exemplariness : he has a totally transparent office with a opened door. The open space allows more to watch over : It’s the big success of the open space. It’s like the supervisor is in the middle of the star and the “prisoners”, able to be watched over at any time, interiorize this control. Meaning, we are always under the eyes and ears of everybody. And we are, as well, supervisor of the other ones. When your chief is not watching your screen, your colleagues do it for him. It is called the self watch over, It’s very economical and efficient. You have a conversation in an approximate English with a customer and your colleague thinks : “and he said on his CV, he’s fluent in English …”. But the full transparency can turn against its promoters. Because of the open space, people get used to bring a bit of their private life in the middle of their colleagues. It does not disturb very much anymore to see his neighbour, making a booking for holiday flight tickets at work. Maybe not that efficient, the open office. I wish you a good start in the week.