The latest corporate trend
is the office-less manager,
managers sharing cubicles
with their employees.
This seems like a great deal
for managers.
Wow, now managers can contribute
and micro-manage
every step of the process.
They can stay abreast
of every project
and every sales call
and every everything.
As a contractor,
a creative person,
and a problem solver,
I HATE sitting in a bullpen with my manager.
I HATE the office-less environment.
Creativity is about failure.
There are a dozen failed solutions
for every successful one
(for an example of that, look at BP’s process).
With the manager right there,
she will be aware of every single failure.
I play it safe when watched.
I reach for things that have worked.
I don’t come up with crazy yet brilliant ideas.
If you want average,
go for the office-less environment.
If you want cutting edge,
let your creative people
have the space to fail.