Infographic: The pitfalls of an open office

Open offices may boost collaboration, but they can also reduce productivity. Did you know employees in open offices suffer from—excuse me a second—interruptions every three minutes?

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When I was in elementary school, teachers would ask us to create “forts” on our desks before we took a test.

Creating a fort meant opening two folders and standing them up next to each other around the edge of your desk so the students around you couldn’t see your paper. Forts were meant to keep us focused on our work and discourage cheating.

Plus, to an elementary school kid, forts are cool.

As an adult, there are times when I wish I could turn my cubicle into a fort. When people around me are talking loudly or continuously stopping to chat when I have a lot of work to do, hiding in a fort is tempting.

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