Are Open Office Spaces Good Or Bad?

There have been quite a few articles written recently around open office spaces and why we need to get rid of them, why they’re bad for engagement, why they’re bad for productivity, and why they are killing our companies. There have been just as many articles written about the positive impacts of open office spaces and how they improve trust, transparency, engagement, and create a "better" culture. It’s an interesting debate because years ago — of course, we all remember — most offices had cubicles. Cubicles and offices were a symbol of hierarchy. The farther up you went in the food chain, the better office you had or the better cubicle spots you had. We went to this open office environment to help flatten the organization, and improve collaboration, creativity and communication. Now we’re back to “square 1.” So which side is right? Neither, the discussion should be focused on choice!