I haven't seen this situation in any actual pulp and paper mill offices yet, but I am sure it is coming. It is hard to resist fads and the more outlandish, the harder they are to oppose.
I am speaking about these modern office layouts. The ones with cubicles separated by partitions shorter than girls' skirts in high school in 1968, the ones with huddle rooms, bean bags and jungle gyms. The last time I was assigned to a space with a jungle gym was Mrs. Porter's Kindergarten Class, Kyle Elementary School, Troy, Ohio, September 1955.
And, I apologize for my criticism to friends whose companies (suppliers to the industry) have created office spaces such as this in the last few years. I have visited some of these and they look nice--but what is the productivity? WeWork (www.wework.com) is the epitome of this craze, for there you not only have the toys I described, but you are comingled with other companies, thus offering an environment conducive of destroying trade secrets, too. In my humble opinion, they should call it "WePlay."
And maybe this is working fabulously for some companies. If it is, I would love to hear about it--from a manager charged with getting real results. Email me at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com. I'll keep your frustrations confidential as to your name and company.
If the intent is to promote creativity, I ask you, just how much creativity do you need? I have always been told I am very creative, but I can tell you my best creative thinking has always been in the shower. Hey--maybe group showers are the answer!
