Physical spaces at work

An interesting discussion at work, set off by an idea mooted by a colleague, a soon-to-be-boss. This was about physical spaces and their importance at the work place. How important actually are individual, physical spaces in an office environment? Not important at all, the colleague opined. His take was this: a “livelier, more productive” atmosphere is created when people sit facing one another, close to one another without the physical barriers of a cubicle or a cabin separating them. This also resulted in more interaction between and among teams, he supposed. One begs to differ here. To me, physical spaces are important, really important. There are moments when I do believe one perceives the need to detach oneself from one’s surroundings, and not only in the mental sense, but in a physical sense; and the cubicle that one works in becomes one’s very own private spot in this very public domain. The need for isolation could be a very professional one – to regulate stuff that one needs to do, stuff one needs to concentrate on; this is a lot more than just a distance in the mind. Hence what is required is enough space to do one’s work, including interaction with a team, and a customized world for oneself, limited, but perfectly one’s own. Besides, as another colleague rightly put it, congested spaces breed congested work patterns, and could also result in one becoming really petty.

And of course, I also believe there is another aspect to it – the whole privacy part that one can easily overlook in wanting to be politically correct. It is true – we do not necessarily want someone looking at our screens all the time, being able to see exactly what we are doing at any given point of time. I find that intrusive. Also, I am sure each one of us likes to work without having to worry about anyone watching or judging us; in that sense the cubicle essentially becomes a comfort barrier. This is where the individual can concentrate on his or her thoughts, and not be distracted in one's state of concentration. I am not sure about others, but having someone stand/sit real close to me while I work makes me extremely uncomfortable, unless I am working with someone on an issue/problem. Maybe, this just stems from the fear of having our "space" invaded.

I remember reading this about spaces and people (not sure where, though); that each of us demarcate different zones of interaction; that one has an intimate zone, which is reserved for closest friends. For Americans this “intimate zone” is about two feet, but can vary from culture to culture. The “personal zone” from about 2-4 feet is usually reserved for friends and family. And the “social zone”, about 4-12 feet, is where most business transactions take place. The “public zone”, which is above 12 feet, is the one usually used for lectures.

I believe the “social zone” is what is required in office spaces. An individual grows professionally and personally in a space where the person is appropriately influenced by the positive factors surrounding one, and yet is given an opportunity to detach from others.

Oomph! Now I have had my say. My two cents worth!

ASIDE: Yesterday, I solved my first SUDOKU puzzle inside of 15 minutes. Solved another one this morning successfully. And yes, it felt real good. I am not sure how long the interest will last though.