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By Rich, December 30, 2009 8:00 am

One of the first things people notice when they visit our space for the first time is that there are no private offices, walls, cubes, or doors. On a walking tour they learn that most people at Menlo do not even have their own desk, chair, or computer. People are often surprised by this lack of personal space as they contemplate what it might be like to work here. I’m sure they’re thinking of their own work environments, where they have a cube or private office. They believe that this physical separation from their teammates produces greater productivity and a better environment for personal contributions.

I can’t help but to reflect on the excitement of my first job after graduating from Michigan. I was a programmer for a high-flying tech firm in Ann Arbor called Manufacturing Data Systems, Inc. MDSI had a beautiful, futuristic office complex and I got my very first “office” — a 8′x8′ cubicle, with 5′ high walls. Proudly I invited my in-laws for a tour of my new employer. I walked them through the building and eventually got to my cube and pointed out my new working home. My father-in-law didn’t react as I had expected. He was a dyed in the wool tool and die maker. He looked at me and said, “How can you work like this?” Shocked, I asked him what he meant. He said, “You’re like cattle in here!”

My balloon had burst.

I was, however, convinced that he simply didn’t understand the new world of high technology and how important it was for each of us to have our private little space to work in library quiet in order to produce great software.

Over much of the next twenty years, companies I worked for and teams I managed used this same style of office. I became increasingly frustrated with the results of these teams. In 1999 I was reminded of that twenty year old conversation with my father-in-law. Kent Beck described the power of an open and collaborative work environment in his book, Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change. That same year I saw an ABC News Nightline video on an industrial design firm in Palo Alto called IDEO. These two vivid examples made me realize that my father-in-law had been right all along:

Cubicles kill.

They kill morale, communication, productivity, creativity, teamwork, camaraderie, energy, spirit, and results. They suck the joy out of work.

Each day I feel blessed to sit and revel in the energy, creativity, and productivity of the open and collaborative work environment that is the Menlo Software Factory™. It is the palpable energy of the space that both drives the demand for near daily tours while simultaneously supporting the phenomenal results of my team.

You should consider that the greatest change you could make in the New Year for your team could be enabled by the simple application of an Allen wrench. I can assure you that such an exciting change will not be without its drama. My 1999 team’s first reaction was “Blood, Mayhem, Murder.”

I didn’t listen then, and the results astounded even me.  Sometimes you just have to listen to your gut, your heart, and your intuition to do the things you know are right.