"I WANT TO BE ALONE"
Although she apparently 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 nearly double 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.
~ Linda A