A Contradiction in Trends

An article about the new "virtual collaborative" office called attention to a contradiction in terms that even its author didn't seem to recognize, in spite of how obvious it was in his various descriptions of the topic: it is possible for an office to be virtual and it is possible for an office to be collaborative - but I remain steadfastly unconvinced that it is possible to be both at once, as they represent separate extremes of separation and colocation.

Separation (Location and Time Independence)

The "virtual office" is a concept that leverages technology to eliminate the need for a physical space in which employees would be present in the same location at the same time.   In this sense, employees can work from their homes, or from coffee shops, or from any location so long as they have connection to a network to access shared resources.   Physical files are replaced by digital ones, memos by email, and meetings by threaded discussions.

The benefit of this arrangement, aside of saving real estate expenses for the employer who provides a physical space, is that employees are untethered.   They do not need to be in the same place to share resources or converse, nor do they need to work at the same time of day, given that a person can read and respond to a message (email, text, or discussion thread) at their leisure.

The drawback to this arrangement is that collaboration is not efficient without violating the principles on which it is based: workers must be brought into the same space and time, or at least the same time, to exchange information in a dynamic and rapid enough manner to effectively contribute to the same effort.   It is not impossible, as an email conversation can still take place, but there is a great deal of lag between sending a message and receiving a response - such that conversation that would have taken five minutes in person can take several hours or several days to complete in a separated situation.

Colocation (Location and Time Dependence)

The "collaborative office" is a contradictory trend that not only requires a physical space, but requires that physical space to be more accessible than before.   The core concept requires (literally) tearing down walls to get people to be constantly accessible to one another - ideally within line of site and a distance at which they can observe one another and converse at any time, without having to make arrangements to meet because they are always meeting.

The benefit of this arrangement is increased exposure.  It is not possible for an individual to work on something secretly and unveil it at a meeting because others are always observe his actions, hear his conversations, and see what is on his desk and computer screen so that they may interrupt at any moment when they see an opportunity to contribute to his efforts.   In such an environment, information travels fluidly and conversations are constant.

The drawback to this arrangement is the very same thing: when an individual is constantly interrupted by others who wish to contribute, he is capable of getting very little done.   This can frequently be seen in meetings where a person is typing into a computer while others watch on a projection screen: he can scarce finish a sentence without someone else telling him what he ought to be typing (or multiple people telling him to type different things), nor is it possible finish a sentence and then go back and correct a typographical error because others will spot it and insist it be corrected right away.   It would be much more efficient for the individual to prepare work in isolation and bring it to others for review afterward, but this is not possible in a collaborative environment.

Blended Arrangements

The ideal situation would seem to be a blended arrangement in which individuals could spend part of their time working individually and another part of their time sharing information in a collaborative discussion.   Ironically, that is exactly the arrangement most offices have at the present time: people can withdraw to a cubicle or an office to work in private and schedule a meeting when a discussion is necessary.

That considered, it is likely that the physical office (or the degree to which a physical office is used) is not quite as bad, counterproductive, or outdated as it would seem.   While there are some tasks that can be done in a virtual office and others that require communication, chances are that many individuals hold positions that are a blend of the two - and what is needed is not a change in office arrangements, but better work management to ensure that work that is best done in isolation can be done in isolation and that which is best done collaboratively can be done collaboratively.