Office Space

I read an article in the NY Times and its commentary regarding office space. It made me think back.

First, in the early 1960s I had my first real job at NY Telephone, suit, even hats. The office was a thousand square foot space with grey desks side by side and telephones from the 1920s hanging from the side of the desk. No air-conditioning and they all went out for martinis at lunch. I even think smoking was allowed and of course no women. It was a monastery scribes' room with suits rather than robes. Coffee breaks were duly observed and everything was in paper.

Then when at NYNEX, soon to be Verizon, I had a room the size of a modest NYC apartment, a conference room, a bath, a secretary room, and even dishes. I was not all the way on top but it was clearly a select group of Bishops and Cardinals, sans color.

When we started my company I had everyone go out to Staples, buy their own desk, transport it back to the cheap office space and assemble it themselves, me included. I still use that $175 desk, it has many fond memories.

In Prague we had a redone apartment, I and my Czech staff shared a set of connected desks, no phones, just mobile, and I overlooked the oldest Synagogue in Europe, and the Golem store. My local COO, yes he worked for me, was a Canadian ex-pat who insisted on his own suite, expensive furniture, secretary etc. He lasted about four months. Then back to the team crammed in on one another.

So what does the office culture of a company reflect? Good questions. Cubicles are dehumanizing, open space is equalizing, and there are times one needs the privacy of a conference room. Yet it all depends on what you do for a living I surmise.

Interesting article but I feel it really missed the point, in fact all the points. Form follows function, I have heard that, architects spout if frequently, but one of my best offices was in the wooden shacks left over from WW II at MIT which housed the Radiation Lab. Mice, drafts, and all!