My office used to be a coffee shop that we converted — using this word very loosely — into an office space. The front room is totally open. The old kitchen is our conference room and we have a tiny kitchen and bathroom off the conference space. Basically, we have two workspaces.
I love the openness. I think it cuts down on office drama. No walls mean no secret, closed-door meetings … no whispers or rumor-spreading at the water cooler. It fosters collaboration, stronger relationships, and lots of dialogue. Most of that time, the dialogue is a positive. Impromptu brainstorms occur frequently. Stricken with a case of writer’s block? Someone is always within earshot to help you think of that random word on the tip of your tongue.
But, as our team continues to grow, the amount of chatter also grows. Where are we going for lunch? Did you see this funny Faecbook post? Who read this article? Did you see that @BreakingNews tweet? Being in such close proximity without walls to provide a sound barrier means that if two people are having a conversation, everyone else is distracted. And that’s the downside of the open office. Distractions are plentiful.
Starting today, we’re trying something new. In the main room (where all our desks are located), 9:30-noon is considered quiet hours. No talking. While it feels a bit like kindergarten, I think it’s going to drastically improve productivity. Pre-9:30, people can still catch up with each other and have some initial questions (client- or pop culture-related!). Then, we can hunker down for the next few hours. Hipchat is our internal IM system, and I imagine it will get used a lot during the quiet hours, but that’s exactly the point. Instead of distracting everyone with your question, IM it to the person who can give you the answer. Or, go to the back conference room quick meeting. Or, head outside for a brainstorming-while-walking session. I don’t think we’ll ever get to the point where the main room is a quiet zone ALL day, but having this time for extreme productivity in the morning at starts our morning out right. Who knows? Maybe as we learn to not interrupt others in the morning, that learned behavior will carry over to the afternoon!
Are you in an open office? How do you limit distractions? Share in the comments so we can all be more productive!