О пользе открытых офисов

В противовес одной из предыдущих записей — небольшой текст от Джеймса Каана, предпринимателя и инвестора, о том, почему он всегда настаивает на открытой планировке в офисе:

That’s why I have always insisted on having an open plan office. It makes things so much easier when you can simply get up and walk over to a colleague if you need to discuss something. Ideas flow a lot more freely and I find this approach works far better than lengthy email discussions which can sometimes be misunderstood or missed.

It also allows different departments to work together and learn from each other. Even departments which are at opposite ends of the scale – for example the Finance and Marketing teams – are equally crucial cogs within the company, and by working together they can share knowledge and methods. Simply confining yourself to your own team is never a good option.

Another advantage is that the junior members of staff feel at ease approaching senior members. In a lot of businesses, the CEO and departmental heads spend most of the time in their own office, perhaps even on a separate floor. But I can usually be found in the same space as everyone else and this makes me a lot more approachable – people can pick my brains at any time and vice versa. Again, this speeds up the process of decision making.

Впрочем, есть много людей, которые не так уж обрадуются подобной открытости и просто не смогут сосредоточиться.