And I’m flattered you ventured outside of your reader to chime in! I’m glad you also acknowledge my attempt to maintain some level of uncertainty on the issue. Rarely is something cut and dry, but it takes talented managers to know how to help everyone reach their optimal potential/productivity.

I rarely go outside my RSS reader to comment on posts…but this article resonated with me immediately.

This concept of “Alone Time” in the workplace is an interesting topic. I work in the tech industry and often have two or three chats open, and a live audio chat going while actively doing web development – thus leaving myself open for distraction. But, when I need to really focus, I try to shut out everything – and I mean EVERYTHING. I close the blinds, turn off the lights, close every application that isn’t critical for development, and force myself into solitude for sometimes hours at a time. Both have their purposes, advantages, and disadvantages.

I like how you concluded your thoughts in the post…this isn’t a cut and dry matter. Some people, like you mentioned, can “bounce back” quickly and others completely loose focus and can therefore waste precious work time. I think you’re right in sensing how people behave differently and may also thrive in different environments.

I really enjoyed your thoughts – thank you!
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We used a combination of [a] discussions during weekly team meetings to openly agree on basic ground rules, and for each person to voice their preferences.

[b] we allocated a small meeting room [sound proof cabin] for conference calls, and any discussion that required a two people talking for more than 5 minutes. Was also used by people who required silence to think thru an impt document

The ‘understanding’ was reinforced during the week, by requesting people to shift to the conference room, if a team member was distracted by a chat. It quickly became a habit.

But the real secret, is people who are committed to delivering on deadlines and will stick with it, no matter what!

You obviously have some experience managing other people. What kind of remedies would you recommend for employees who have trouble tuning out an open office environment? Do you find that most co-workers typically understand/respect each others’ preference?

Like Norcross I have no issues closing my doors and DNDing my phone if I’m working on something. If I need alone time to work, I’ll take it. If I need to collaborate I’ll schedule time on a colleagues calendar or call to ask “if I can borrow their brain for a minute.” Course there are 4 of us and a secretary in my office, so that makes it a little bit of a different dynamic…
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I think their should be a good balance of the two.

I’m looking forward to Jason Fried’s “ReWork” book and his thoughts.

I think it’s important to cultivate an environment in which co-workers are comfortable discussing these things with each other. I suspect that often times people are inadvertently disrespectful of other people’s work environment because the things they’re doing wouldn’t adversely affect them.