Space Planning Dangers Of Cubism It's hard for most employees to "think outside the box" if they feel like they're working inside of one. Perhaps one reason so many people feel like Dilbert cartoons are "about our office" is the universal revulsion to "cube" work places. Even the inventor hates them, or at least hates the term. Bob Probst designed the world's first "office system" for Herman Miller back in 1960. His name for it was the "action office." "The last thing on the planet we'd have ever called it was the 'cubicle.'" While arguments for "open communications" and economy seem to prevail from corporate bigwigs (usually sitting in private offices themselves) studies have found that it's actually possible to track how serious the problem becomes. Look for these danger signs of "Cube Unrest." Lacking real walls, do employees "build" walls out of other things — file cabinets, desks, boxes, etc. Do employees "tune out" with personal stereo headphones? It drowns out workplace noise, but defeats the purpose of "open communications." Are the walls covered with Dilbert comics, or other cartoons that vent frustration at the office experience? If your cubes have glass panels, do you find them covered up by calendars, photos, or cartoons? Listen to employee terminology and self-image. Do they work in zoo cages, pens, or cell blocks? Do they laugh about "prairie dogging," watching heads pop up over the tops of cubicles as people try to exercise that "open communication?") What can you do to help? Look for ways that employees can take some individual responsibility in the upkeep and selection of their workspaces. Encourage them to find ways of improving on their environment. Strict rules of conformity "handed down" from management (who doesn't use cubicles themselves) is a sure-fire way of stifling creativity and satisfaction. Research indicates that greater attention paid to individual space saves money by improving job performance, satisfaction, and quality of communication. When you price the cost of "disgruntled Cubenaughts" and high turnover, the answer is obvious. Done well, the "cube" can actually perform as desired, using space efficiently, providing a sense of private turf, increasing communication, and providing flexibility. Done badly, employees feel like the cargo in a container ship. Provide the right balance of private and collective space, and allow some flexibility and choice in furniture options and interior layout. Sensitivity here can make a huge difference, so that your folks don't associate "getting out of the box" with escaping from the office.