I Want to Be Alone…
Although she really said something a little different than this, these words are often attributed to the actress Greta Garbo. And according to a study quoted in the September 2018 issue of Southwest, The Magazine (p. 33), forty-three (43) percent of the 2100 full-time employees who were polled by CommercialCafe indicated they would prefer a private office workplace. This is more than the twenty-three (23) percent that preferred a home office. You may be part of this group that prefers some privacy, as do I. Introvert that I am, I enjoy having walls, a door I can close, and a sense that this space belongs, at least while I’m in it, to me.
However, the extroverts reading this may feel more comfortable and productive – fifteen (15) of the respondents – and said they enjoy working in an open space or cubicle environment. Although the article doesn’t mention it, some of them might possibly feel almost claustrophobic in an office like mine. This number may be on the rise since this seems to be a concept that educators have embraced. Those who prefer to work collaboratively and find a bit of noise stimulating will be more productive in open spaces.
If you have options for your own office space, what might you prefer? WHERE you spend those forty hours of your week can make a lot of difference.