The World is Flat- and so is my Workplace

So I work in a truly evolved work environment here in Cisco. We call it a "Connected Workspace'. It is open, no cubicles, no offices- a very open plan with plenty of desks and chairs each equipped with docking stations, monitors, and phones that enable mobility (ie any desk I sit at I can log into a phone to make it my own- my setting, my extension etc). No fixed seats and better still no visual evidence of any hierarchy. It is truly flat and collaborative. All levels, all seniority, all ranks sit right next to each other. Gone are the days you can tell a VP by their plush office. Talk about a truly open door policy- we have taken it a level further and got rid of the door altogether :-)

So whats the implication of this to work, to productivity, to professional interactions? Significant- to say the least. Once you get used to the noise of talking, typing etc- it is really liberating. I feel I have easy reach to all my colleagues. We have dens and lounge spaces to encourage interaction and meetings on the fly and an environment like this fosters collaboration. It is good for the company too- since it brings down costs. Rather than have dedicated offices and cubes for each employee- here is a way you have a collaborative, connected workspace- where no real estate gets wasted if employees choose to work from home for say 50% of their time.

In this new workspace, I have seen people come together, have impromptu discussions, generate creative solutions more than ever before. So - in my mind having broken the cubicle barrier is a great breakthrough in this 'Brave New World' of collaboration, web 2.o and being connected.