Open plan offices bad for focus

Most of us now work in an open plan office, which we’ve come to know as the typical workplace domain. But this may not be the ideal layout, according to one of the world’s most prominent design firms Gesler.

A new study has found that while an open layout may help collaboration, it could also be making us lose focus. Basically, there’s too much other stuff going on – phone calls, discussions, colleagues bouncing balls on their desks – for us to knuckle down when the time comes to work.

Being able to separate ourselves from the bustle of office activity is the most important factor for being individually productive, but the majority of people just aren’t given that luxury. The majority of office workers now toil away in full view of other people, according to the International Management Facility Association.

The sad fact is that there is little alternative for companies who don’t have the budget to design their own offices. So we’re just going to be stuck with creating dividers with stacks of ring-binders and wearing headphones to get anything done.