It's an idea that rang true: Open up the office.
For thousands of startups and office remodels, egalitarian open offices have been in. No more stuffy cubicles. Instead, have large worktables. Let the CEO be accessible. Let the workers mingle and generate ideas together.
It sounded great, but workers may soon find a new, old idea in their work spaces: Offices with doors. Private spaces.
And more inaccessible CEOs. It's not that they don't care; they just want a quiet place to think.
And it so happens that a lot of people do.
According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly 70 percent of offices are designed with open concept in mind. That number is up from 64 percent 20 years ago.
The open concept revolution has been led by prominent CEOs such as Michael Bloomberg and Tony Hsieh of Zappos.com who wanted to generate camaraderie and shared experience with the workers.
But a British study of open work places found that, while some communication improved, open office spaces hurt worker motivation and focus.
In fact, open concept companies have tacitly acknowledged this by creating 'focus booths' for employees who want peace and quiet.
For some CEOs, the open concept hasn't been great either. One CEO told The Wall Street Journal that he sometimes needed to regroup with music or an inspirational video, but this was impossible in an open setting. Employees also think the worst when watching their boss and a co-worker separate from the herd for a meeting, he said.