Here is what I've noticed from noisy spaces and quieter, more functional, spaces:
Loads of places for people to work alone, have meetings, make calls etc. Think like 1 small meeting room per 6 people on the floor.
Make discussions longer than 3 minutes taboo in the open space. Pairing is an exception, phone calls are not.
Pairing doesn't need to happen 100% of the time. Maybe even less than 50% is more accurate. It's a strategy for reducing bugs and transferring knowledge. Are your devs really writing source (high risk activity, pairing is good) 6 hours a day?
Lunch elsewhere.
As with all personal things, consider taking a private moment to deliver well thought out feedback to someone if they are obnoxious, or the only person you can hear from across the floor.
Question for you: if your open space becomes a quieter space than it is now, when and where will casual communities and relationships develop?
Be careful not to kill the most important team building tool, people becoming friends, by censoring the workplace. Foster the noise and camaraderie elsewhere
Here is what I've noticed from noisy spaces and quieter, more functional, spaces:
Loads of places for people to work alone, have meetings, make calls etc. Think like 1 small meeting room per 6 people on the floor.
Make discussions longer than 3 minutes taboo in the open space. Pairing is an exception, phone calls are not.
Pairing doesn't need to happen 100% of the time. Maybe even less than 50% is more accurate. It's a strategy for reducing bugs and transferring knowledge. Are your devs really writing source (high risk activity, pairing is good) 6 hours a day?
Lunch elsewhere.
As with all personal things, consider taking a private moment to deliver well thought out feedback to someone if they are obnoxious, or the only person you can hear from across the floor.
Question for you: if your open space becomes a quieter space than it is now, when and where will casual communities and relationships develop?
Be careful not to kill the most important team building tool, people becoming friends, by censoring the workplace. Foster the noise and camaraderie elsewhere
Thx, Marc!