Over on his blog, sethgodin.typepad.com, Seth wrote a post titled ‘Goodbye to the Office’. I still feel there is value in an office but the fundamental shift will be in it’s function and how we work. See below for his original post and my rebuttal.

Seth’s Post:

Factories used to be arranged in a straight line. That’s because there was one steam engine, and it turned a shaft. All the machines were set up along the shaft, with a belt giving each of them power. The office needed to be right next to this building, so management could monitor what was going on.

150 years later, why go to work in an office/plant/factory?

1. That’s where the machines are.
2. That’s where the items I need to work on are.
3. The boss needs to keep tabs on my productivity.
4. There are important meetings to go to.
5. It’s a source of energy.
6. The people I collaborate with all day are there.
7. I need someplace to go.

But…

1. If you have a laptop, you probably have the machine already, in your house.
2. If you do work with a keyboard and a mouse, the items you need to work on are on your laptop, not in the office.
3. The boss can easily keep tabs on productivity digitally.
4. How many meetings are important? If you didn’t go, what would happen?
5. You can get energy from people other than those in the same company.
6. Of the 100 people in your office, how many do you collaborate with daily?
7. So go someplace. But it doesn’t have to be to your office.

If we were starting this whole office thing today, it’s inconceivable we’d pay the rent/time/commuting cost to get what we get. I think in ten years the TV show ‘the Office’ will be seen as a quaint antique.

When you need to have a meeting, have a meeting. When you need to collaborate, collaborate. The rest of the time, do the work, wherever you like.

The gain in speed, productivity and happiness is massive. What’s missing is #7… someplace to go. Once someone figures that part out, the office is dead.

My response:

Offices will always exist and be useful. As already noted in the original article we draw energy from other people.ere However, from my personal experience, these people need to be working or at the very least product. I used to do most of my work from a coffee shop. Since finding a private space to get something done my productivity has soared with far less distractions.

Secondly, there is something to be said about being in a team / collaborative environment. Yes, meetings and collaboration can be scheduled but what about those fleeting thoughts? Coffees together? That is where the real magic happens. Having to call a co-worker for a piece of knowledge will slow us both down.

I see offices as having set times and otherwise being available as a space to do my work in when I see fit. Many studies show a fragmented work day is far better. A place to go and do some work, knowing other co-workers will also be there doing work,  is where I think things will go. In many ways I think this is why co-working spaces are becoming so huge (not only are they cheaper but we can collaborate outside of our own company far more easily).