Companies are pushing open office spaces as a way to increase collaboration and engagement.  What they may not realize is that employees all know it is more about the bottom line and maximizing the number of people they can cram into a footprint.

If your workspace is moving to the “open concept”, here are 6 things you should know ahead of time to prepare yourself: 

1. Open office workspaces are not very safe.  The number of people I have seen trip over bags, get a foot stuck in a strap, trip on a chair, etc., is pretty extensive.  And what if there is a disgruntled employee  – where do you hide?   
2. Prepare to become aware of others’ personal issues.  From medical problems to whose marriages are on the rocks to calls from schools…  everyone is on display with severely limited privacy.  Invest in a good pair of noise canceling headphones to avoid awkwardness and only take personal calls in private areas.
3. It can be impossible to focus.  Meant to increase collaboration, open space is more of a time suck of constantly “ramping-up and ramping-down”.  That’s office jargon for time spent to get on the same page as whatever you are being asked and then remember what the heck you were doing before you were interrupted.  Every time I get into working on something, someone comes over and stands at my desk until I acknowledge them.  Prepare to be on anyone’s timeline that stops by your desk.  What was I doing again?
4. You need to learn how to get people to leave you alone or you will freak out.  Open space etiquette is out the window as soon as the training ends.  I get interrupted daily even when fully engaged and emanating the “ques” (engaged in work, headphones on, typing, reading, even in a discussion with someone else, etc.).  If you are new to open space here are a few tips to get that desperate-for-attention or bored colleague to chew someone else’s ear off:
   • Start walking to the bathroom.  They may follow you in, they may not – but it’s worth the chance.
   • Tell them you are on a phone call (if you have your headphones on).
   • Tell them you are about to get on a call and go through the motions to pretend you are getting on a teleconference (as simple as just putting on your headset / headphones).
5. You need to become a pro at dissing out of conversations… if you care to get any work done.  The workspace areas either seem super quiet and isolating, where it is awkward to talk or they are loud and distracting.
6. Illnesses spread much quicker.  Regardless of management saying, “If you don’t feel well, stay home”, there are always those colleagues who see it as a badge of honor to come in sick.  One colleague comes in sniffly and sneezing, calling meetings in huddle rooms and before you know it, several colleagues are unwell.  Who is going to enforce a policy of making sick people leave? I have never seen it enforced, but think it is of utmost importance given the current climate (COVID prevalence).