The Complete Introvert’s Guide to Surviving an Open-plan Office
10 tips to help introverts get work done in small spaces surrounded by lots of people
I grew up thinking the ideal office was somewhere like the den on The Brady Bunch — a place where I would be able to create, think, lounge, maybe drink a Martini after dinner, and enjoy some undisturbed “me time” while planning the family holiday to Hawaii in my spare time.
Alas, in 2019 our “home offices” look more like a crowded shelf that’s time-sharing as an ironing board.
As for “workplaces”, the rise of open-plan spaces now dominate the landscape in ways that can be quite daunting for people like me: Introverts.
Now I know there are benefits to working collaboratively alongside one another, and it does breed a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. It’s also a lot easier for organizations to save lean resources on more open spaces than confining everyone to private offices.
