No Shit, Sherlock !
High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
11–20 of 129 posts
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#12> We need to understand high-performance employees based on what they are tasked with and their core principles, not how much they produce, or even worse on standardized personality traits. So high performance employees are whoever thinks they're important enough to be one?
I am assuming it isn't people stacking shelves in a supermarket.
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#13The obsession for open plan offices continues to amaze me. Companies that invest huge amounts in staffing and other strategic programmes don't seem to spend much time challenging the default suggestion that 'openness = collaboration'. This article mentions high performance employees - but most knowledge workers (designers, programmers etc.) that I know all struggle with open plan office environments irrespective of t…
The collaborative nature of my open office environment helps me to generate tons of great ideas that I'll never have the focus to implement.
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#14Why do we think that we need only one kind of workspace that meets all of our criteria? Can't we have an office with a variety of different workspaces that we can move between as our needs change?
Can't we have an office with a variety of different workspaces that we can move between as our needs change? This would require companies to invest in their people beyond "Here's your paycheck, here's your healthcare, be glad we're giving you this much". Granted, some companies do-and some probably do come with a variety of workspaces. I used to work at one, but I don't know how many people would answer in the affirm…
Healthcare? Hell, we just had our dental insurance dropped. Healthcare is now a $10k OOPM at rates 3x what they were 10 years ago.
The open office plan could work with tall, fabric cubicles. My place now uses short, glass & aluminum ones. Not to mention people chit chat too much. I'm an EE and have to think about complex stuff; I can't think with the chit-chat; breaks my squelch.
Fortunately I have a lab I can retreat to. Thinking about moving in there permanently.
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#15I guess that I fall into this characterization. Over my 36-year career, I've sat in solo offices with doors, shared offices, cubicles with progressively shorter walls, and wall-less high-density desk arrays. I've easily been twice as productive with a door as I am in a noisy environment -- all the other arrangements suck if there is even one inconsiderate human in the space making a phone call, moving a pound of mucus from one sinus cavity to another, playing desk bongos along with their headphones, or any of the thousand other ways that normal humans can be distracting.
Good headphones help, if only to take control over my own distraction, but honestly this is a management problem. If you want me to be extremely productive, and my productivity is a function of my ability to concentrate, then please just allow me to concentrate.
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#16I get page not found?
The link now shows "This article was published inadvertantly"
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#17I find it very odd that these articles make the front page of HN on an almost daily basis. I'm currently working at home with twin toddlers with chicken pox playing at full volume, yet I'm having little trouble concentrating. Why do techs seem to obsess over this so much?
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can't we have an office with a variety of different workspaces that we can move between as our needs change? This would require companies to invest in their people beyond "Here's your paycheck, here's your healthcare, be glad we're giving you this much". Granted, some companies do-and some probably do come with a variety of workspaces. I used to work at one, but I don't know how many people would answer in the affirm…
For a long time people could spend their whole career at one company - now not so much, do you think we may be swinging back to that? From a business perspective its better to keep your high performers as long as you can - pay them what they are worth since someone else will any ways.
I've been at the same place for 21 years, though each year I swear I'm going to quit. I could be here another 21 until I'm 67.
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#19The obsession for open plan offices continues to amaze me. Companies that invest huge amounts in staffing and other strategic programmes don't seem to spend much time challenging the default suggestion that 'openness = collaboration'. This article mentions high performance employees - but most knowledge workers (designers, programmers etc.) that I know all struggle with open plan office environments irrespective of t…
Our company is currently relocating to new office, and they want an open office plan in the space. We will pack in tight, and our cube walls will all be 3.5 feet high. We have adjustable standing desks that will coming with us, so when standing we will towering over every one and I already know it's going to be awkward for me.
The best part is our 5 person IT team will be right next to 25 people who work phones for customer service.
Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces
#20Not much discussion of the anonymous survey - are these "High Performing Employees" Self selecting? My gut says quiet spaces are a boon to productivity - but why not prove it instead of a research methodology with holes so large I could drive a truck through them.
> Self selecting?
Yes, probably. http://bit.ly/high-performance-survey
Though some of those questions might be input as weights/qualifying factors in the results.