January 27, 2010 71 Comments

Cubicle Farming

What’s your take on cubicles? Are you in one? Are you happy there? In this episode of Kitchen Table Talks, I ask you where you are in the spectrum of cubicle farmers. It’s just an opening for some further conversations down the road. Call this a pulse-taking:

Direct link to the video

What’s your take?

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  • http://enricchi.wordpress.com Terry East

    I left the corporate world because I wasn’t interested in growing my cubicle FIEFDOM. It seemed to me, the game of advancing in Overhead City was tied to how many cubicles you had under your command — which correlated to headcount (but, that would be too personal). If the corporate gods liked you, more cubicles would come your way each year. If you claimed enough floor space, you may have your own conference room in which to conduct endless, unproductive meetings…

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  • http://www.r4-ds-karte.ch/ buy dsi r4

    Hi,
    A cubicle farm is an office environment where workers are primarily separated by cubicle partitions. Usually a cubicle farm is found in an insurance environment or large corporate environment where there are many employees in a closed space.The idea of dozens of employees within the same office environment is nothing new. However, in decades past, they each had their own desk, but little else separating workers from each other. This worked well, but it quickly became dated as office environments became larger and therefore more complex.

  • http://twitter.com/iizLiz Liz Philips

    No shame in being a cubicle farmer! If you're lucky – and I mean extremely lucky – you can work for a company AND pursue your passions while doing great work for that company. If you are good, you can parlay that into your next cube farm adventure or even go off on your own. But for some, living out of hotels or desperately seeking Wifi in web cafes isn't exactly “living the dream.” The important thing is you're enthused about what you're doing and always learning new things… your office space need not matter

    • http://www.retirepreneur.com Donna Kastner

      Amen Liz – it’s not so much where you work as it is what you do.

      If you’re passionate and working in a role where you can apply your strengths & talents to make great things happen, you’re blessed with something special. IF NOT, probably a good time to look at where you’re at and determine if this is a short term bump in the road or a dead end.

      Of the thousands of people who want to start their own business, maybe 20% will actually make it happen. That doesn’t mean the other 80% are out of luck – but they’re going to have to change expectations and develop new skills to succeed.

      I love what I do – and humility aside, I’m good at it. With a laptop, wifi, four bars on my cell phone and a space heater, I could work out of the backyard shed and still keep it going ;)

  • alisoncreamer

    I have to say there are times when I want to be separated from the group. Im currently in a Real Estate office with no partitions and no privacy. Its hard to concentrate and many times I find my self leaving the room to talk or stay focused. I guess its a good thing if you need to concentrate on something.

  • philsimonsystems

    Good stuff, Chris.

    Your video reminded me of Yoda's quote, “Do or do not… there is no try.”

    I had the desire to do my own thing back in 2002 and it's been an amazing ride. If I had continued to work for “the man”, there's no way that I ever would have started writing books, speaking, or defining my own career path. It's exciting but, I agree with you, it's not for everyone. Your personal circumstances and personality have to lend themselves to the enhanced risk of being your own boss.

    …and don't forget about double taxes on FICA and Medicaid.

    But it's way too early for me to get off on that rant.

  • http://www.avenue3re.com Lois Ardito

    Love this talk for several reasons. In my business( Real Estate) the cubicle offered privacy and a false sense of being in control of one's business. As RE Companies started to see the trend of agents working more independantly from home and the companies revenues dwindling with the economy, they started looking at alternatives for office models…….like agents sharing cubicles. This did not go well with many agents as it threatened their sense of privacy and domain. The step out and into the open isn't easy, but doing business on your own terms, in your real space ( not one determined for you) is refreshing. I'm going to send off this post to some agents we would to join our company….a great recruiting message. Thanks Chris.

  • http://sizzle4health.com/ Judith Atkinson

    One thing for sure we are all different and some people enjoy being in their Cubicle Farms where they are safe.

    I made the decision some years ago to become an an alpha entrepreneur – still work in progress there. Doubt if I would be employable now!!! Thanks for the daily mind thoughts!

  • k1v1n

    Cubicles are an idea that came directly from the world of factory farming. They're inhumane and no way to treat workers.

  • christaavampato

    I would be very happy to never see another cubicle again. Why in the world did anyone ever invent them. They are a roadblock to collaboration in the workplace.

  • http://www.benspark.com BenSpark

    Chris,
    This is so timely for me. If you glance over at my post titled “Brightest Ray of Light in my Day” you will see that yesterday this sort of pall of depression swept over me. This happens after ever event, conference or tweetup that that I attend. I spend time with people who are full of ideas and energy. Then the moment I get back to work and my cube all of that energy and promise and excitement gets completely sucked away by the bullshit of office politics, roadblocks and negativity.

    I used to love my job. I would travel and meet people and see amazing things all over the country. I worked really well on my own. Now I'm saddled to a desk every day and the monotony is killing my will to break free.

    the thing is, the job is not difficult and if it were eliminated then no one would notice so I feel like I don't even matter. So, I work on my dream and my passion, I don't want to be the best at what I do in this cube because it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. This is just a job, a job to pay the bills and support the family. I want my wife and daughter to be able to spend as much time together as they can so I continue to work to pay the bills. Sure I am a bit jealous that I can't spend much more time with my daughter but we get to eat supper every night as a family and that is a great thing. I want out of the cubicle life so that my talents can shine. I'm just lost as to how to break free and still support my family.

  • http://understandingyourwebsite.com Thomas Brunt

    I broke free from my cubicle 11 years ago. I cannot imagine a scenario in which I would ever be willing to go back to that. I think in many cases cubicles are a necessary evil, but I think sometimes having folks work from home would be much more efficient and productive.

    I have people tell me that won't work because it's too hard for management to keep up with what you're doing. I think that's incorrect. Furthermore, management had basically no idea what I was doing back during my cubicle days. Maybe my situation was unusual. I don't know.

  • http://blog.adsdevshop.com Robert Dempsey

    I work from home and am glad that I don't work in a cubicle farm. I've worked with companies that have cubes with walls of varying levels. It reminds me of gophers popping out of holes to look around. Sad but true. I suppose cubicles serve a purpose, such as if you have phone banks and don't want the conversations to overlap. Either way, I won't work in one.

  • http://twitter.com/azterik Web Development

    I was a cube dweller for many years and although it is likely not the norm I look back on that experience with great fondness. The days spent shopping at ThinkGeek.com for the lastest in cubicle warefare to playing practicle jokes on my cubemates. It was also where I was exposed to the crazy world of customer service. I think everyone should work in customer service in there adult life for at LEAST a year, it's a valuable life lesson. For me my years in the cube farm were just a stopover on my career path it was not somewhere I ever planned to stay but when I was there I did the very best that I could and enjoyed it while it lasted.

  • http://twitter.com/KipDurney Kip Durney

    Ben/Chris… I could not agree with you more. I've been a cubicle farmer for too long now and it's the equivalent of a slow death for me. I used to look forward to Mondays because that meant I could go back to work and be surrounded by passionate people, a great project, great leadership, and endless opportunities. But as the years slipped by, the passion disappeared and the work is just dreadful to me.

    When I got to events, meetups, etc… the passion is tangible. It makes me feel alive again. I feel like for a short time, I can breathe and I'm so pumped to be part of something so full of energy.

    And then I go back to the cube – the corporate hell that I used to love so much.

    What keeps me here? Two things: money and skills. By that I mean I've reached a six figure level in my career and to just leave that behind would have a significant impact on my ability to care for and support my family. Secondly, I work in a technical vocation and absolutely despise coding. My passion is in marketing and the business application of social media. And while I've got a few projects in the works that may help be a stepping stone out of my own professional hell, the biggest obstacle in finding a new job is my lack of “resume experience.”

    Therefore, I need to break out on my own because I can't seem to make the career change happen by getting a new job in the industry that I'm so passionate about and support my family at the same time. Or at least I have not figured out how to do that yet.

    So I feel you pain Ben. Tangibly and painfully.

    PS: If you figure it out, please DM me! :)

  • http://www.benspark.com BenSpark

    Kip,
    I don't know the answer but I'd love to talk more about finding the answer.

  • blfarris

    Wow, these comments are really interesting. I wonder why so many of you feel that the passion and excitement has drained out of your workplace? Is it just because the economy has slowed down and so the accomplishment of new heights and new projects has diminished?

    As one who has also run away to join the circus, it's not as risky as you might think. You get pretty creative when you know you either find work or you can't put food on the table. I did dig about a $50K hole getting started, but I have never looked back, now 9 years later I can't imagine going back to the cube farm.

    Looking forward to more conversation on this topic.

  • terryeast

    I left the corporate world because, it seemed to me, advancement meant growing the number of cubicles under your organization — your own little fiefdom. If the corporate gods were kind, your cubicle fiefdom grew [you repaid them by receiving an allocation of their expenses]. If your fiefdom grew large enough… you might have your own conference room in which conduct endless, unproductive meetings.

  • http://surgepromotions.com/ Surge Promotions

    I've never worked in a cube, but I can certainly say that it wouldn't have been for me. Of course there are different kind of cubes. For instance, the CEO of Zappos.com has a cube, and it's right in the middle of a cube room. That's certainly a different kind of cube, a much better one!

  • http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g

    I've never worked in a cube. As a college student, I had a summer job at the local steel mill. I worked w/ppl who made obscene amounts of money, but only “lived” during the weekend. The rest of their lives was spent slogging away at a job where they were exposed to God knows what (stuff OSHA hasn't identified yet), having their life force ebbing away.

    That's a cube for me. I knew when I was 18 that I could not encapsulate myself. There are those for whom the Cube works, and there are those who can bide their time until they transition to full emancipation.

    The Cube for me represents a matrix of thought – there's a certain synthesis at that level that forms a sub-strata for higher production. Once in awhile, though, someone breaks from that matrix and ascends to another plane. FWIW, that plane is just another sort of “cube.” Each plane/strata has its own rules and boundaries. They just take different shapes. It's chaos theory/math.

    Wow. I need more coffee. Pretty woo woo this morning.

  • http://25andtrying.com Beth Oppenheim

    Thanks for this great video blog. I myself share an office (so maybe a cubicle would be more privacy) and I am constantly thinking of a way out. I think that the cubicle is obviously symbolic, but I also think its good to think of it as a time in your life where you're contained. By reality or your own fears, is another discussion entirely. But I really like the way you use the metaphor. It got me thinking!

  • http://twitter.com/KipDurney Kip Durney

    Anytime Ben… would love to. @kipdurney or kipdurney at gmail dot com.

  • scotthaley

    Average size prison cell in the United States 8' x 10' —average size office cubicle 6' x 8'

  • daniellefarrar

    I used to think that cubicles were lifeless, soul-sucking places, Chris and all… In our cultural vision of cubicles, there's something almost blue-collar about being in a cube (at least, the blue-collar of white-collar). “Farming” implies that it's somehow toil-based, futile or repetitive, but some of the most exciting work I've ever done has been in a cube. I think just like there's no one blanket we could spread over entrepreneurs (I was one for 8 years, very successfully, and left it to go to an office because I like the social nature of offices), there can be no one blanket spread over work in offices, or, smaller scale, in cubicles.
    I moved up to an office from a cube about a year ago and I miss having a social cluster around my desk at all times. We would throw stuff around, pin fabric and heavy-duty decorations to the easily-transformed cube walls, and generally have way more fun than I have in my pictures-of-cattle-in-pastures-nailed-to-a-wall office. I miss being able to walk over to my co-worker/friend's desk and look at the project or problem she's working on just feet away to tweak copy… now that's all done in IM or in email. At my old film distribution company, we pinned blue velvet on every cube down our cube wall and became known as the “Blue Velvet Row” in a screwed-up homage to Lynch.
    There can be a lot of creativity in cubes. It doesn't have to be a choice of either suffering the drudgery of a cube or jumping out the window to entrepreneurship. It's all about the job you pick.

  • http://www.retirepreneur.com Donna Kastner/Retirepreneur

    Amen to that, Liz – It's WHAT you do that matters most.

    If you're passionate about your work and you're applying your talents & strengths to make good things happen, you're blessed with something very special. If not, time to look at your situation and evaluate options… stay the course and make it better (cubicle or not) – or start making the necessary changes to create something better.

    For every 100 people who think about starting their own business, maybe 20 will actually make it happen. That doesn't mean the other 80 are out of luck – it just means they're going to have to change their expectations and/or develop new skills to succeed as a solopreneur.

    I love what I do and humility aside, I'm pretty darn good at it. With a laptop, solid wifi, four bars on my cell phone and a space heater, I could keep it going working out of my backyard shed ;)

  • daniellefarrar

    Ugh, I replied but my reply was caught in some sort of a disqus hole.

    I actaully did it myself. I was a graphic designer/web developer for years and now am a social media expert and senior-level product manager. It's a fuckton of work to change careers and involves doing two jobs — many jobs, actually — for a long time as you transition. Sounds like you have some responsibilities to your family, so as the bread-earner, this is more complicated for you (I chose to not have a family).

    That said, it's possible.

    Start doing work in the industry you're interested in (if there's a division at your current job, talk to your boss about your interests and he or she will likely try to find opportunities to do extra work over there as long as you do not fall behind on your actual Job Duties). It will require a lot of work, but no career change is easy.

    Good luck.

    - Danielle

  • http://40daystochange.wordpress.com/ ami@40daystochange

    When I was there, I hated it, hated the lack of privacy, the factory-esque environment, the noise, the pressure to look 'busy' rather than sit and think. I also got mad at the cubicle farm for not being my be-all, end-all Dream Job. Now, I see that, with the right perspective, the cubicle farm can provide: funding for the dream job, ideas, social interaction, energy. It can be a great tool, and it comes with benefits.

  • http://twitter.com/dudleybdawson Dudley B. Dawson

    Cubicles are not hated for their actual physical appearance or their lack of comfort or privacy. Cubicles are hated because of what they symbolize.

    Cubicles are big business. Cubicles are the employee ID number that overshadows your name. They are the symbol of large corporations bleeding money. Cubicles are corporate greed. They are essentially everything that is wrong in the world of big business and it has nothing to do with the actual cubicle itself.

    But, most of all, it's the result of us ALL hating work. God bless the USA!

    - Dudley B. Dawson
    http://www.LifeInTheCubicle.com

  • Annie

    It all depends on the people if you ask me. I worked in an open loft space for a year and had the worst working year of my life because my boss was absolutely NUTS!! Now I work at a much better, happier place in a cubicle (but not in a cubicle farm) and have never been happier to be in a cubicle.

  • http://BuckingtheRealEstateTrend.com SusieBlackmon

    Once I jumped out of the cubicle, I realized I would have to be hog-tied to get back in 'there.' It's harder out here in my own space, but the happiness is well worth having to figure out on my own what path to take.

  • desaraev

    I do not cubical farm, nor do I miss the 8-5 desk job. I work hard and longer but the things we do are much cooler. I'm excited to see where this goes.

  • Candie Harris

    I am a recent subscriber to your blog, and this is my first comment. I watched with interest your video on cubicle farms. As someone who has worked in marketing for a medium sized company for a long time, I wanted to point out that it is possible to have 'passion' for your work, even if not in your own business. I have been lucky enough to have such an experience. That even after more than 20 years with my firm, I am still passionate about our products, our people, and our customers!

  • http://www.tips2excel.com/ Steve

    Hi,

    I've read through most of the comments, but I have a slightly different take on Chris's video – mainly because I have never worked in such a situation, but also feel the same way (for different reasons).

    I live in the countryside and have worked outside doing a job I enjoy as a self employed farmer. Great, satisfying work which provides me with a reasonable (but not brilliant) level of income.

    So for me the cubicle that I wish to leave is a financial one. I know the agricultural industry well enough to know that it is not easy to expand and increase profits. Therefore over the past 2-3 years I have started to explore internet based income streams and I am finding it easier to increase profit on the net than on the farm (my financial cubicle).

    I therefore agree with chris that people may want to get out of their current situation and explore something different. Many people have commented that they like their careers and working in either an open plan office or a cubicle; and that's great.

    For the individuals who want to change their current jobs and feel stuck in their workplace then the internet is the zero cost solution that anyone can start to use to get them out of the cubicle. There are very few other ways of starting to develop a business slowly on an evening/weekend, whilst still holding down the day job. It is a no-risk strategy. The only investment is some time and some hard work.

    When I started the internet was like a hobby. I thoroughly enjoyed it and still do. A hobby that makes money. How good is that!

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  • bkjrecruiter

    Chris- Been there, and NOT going back… I am in 100% control of my destiny, and while it is NOT for everyone, I am happier, and have had a chance to learn, grow, and evolve as a human, and have shared my experiences (and will continue) with anyone who wants MORE out of there life….

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    So glad to see you here, and so happy that you're happy. By all means, passion doesn't have to be outside of the walls. I just wish businesses would create more fun, usable spaces.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Quite true. And if anyone could bring excitement to a cube, it'd be you. Glad to hear your perspective and thanks. : )

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Brilliant. I love the “cube” as not the actual Herman Miller furniture, but that yoke. Super smart!

  • http://twitter.com/iizLiz Liz Philips

    Totally agree here. About a year ago, we moved to a SHARED cube arrangement… and thank goodness. Though it can get a bit noisy sometimes, I would not trade it for the solitude of my old office space. In my shared cube we collaborate, we laugh, we get work done. It's actually ideal

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  • http://www.facebook.com/david.benjamin1 David Benjamin

    I'm a former cubicle farm worker, left that position three years ago to do my own thing and like you, haven't looked back. Although as I reflect now, it was those experiences that helped me get to where I am now and so for that, I'm thankful for going through it. Complaining doesn't get you anything but a small paycheck more times than not and today I hear and see a lot of people spending their time complaining about their boss, being micromanaged, and doing nothing to make things better. My guess is they'll probably be working in that same cubicle the rest of their lives or until they get fired.

    As the movie Lemonade portrays, when you're given a lemon, make lemonade.

  • Lori Iocchelli

    Being in a cubicle is like being in prison for 7 1/2 hours a day. They tell you when you can eat, when you can come and go and herd you like cattle when they need to. I left the world of cubicles and am so happy to do so. I have such a hard time coming to the same box every day. Not for me.

  • http://twitter.com/thinkstrategy Mat Maynor

    I loved my job, what I did and the impact I had. But then things changed. Organizations changed. Leadership changed. Everything I had worked for changed. The cube environment is not “safe”. It may feel that way, but it's a false sense of security. I'm now gone, not by my own choice, but I'm loving every minute of it.

  • http://twitter.com/Israel_Garcia Israel García

    If I don't believe in what I'm doing it doesn't make sense at all. For me befief is equal to passion, no belief no passion, no passion, no need to stay in the cubicle or wherever.

  • http://fermierjohn.blogspot.com/ Farmer John

    I was kicked out of (laid off from) my engineering cubicle farm last may. I joined the lemonade movement and did some soul searching. Since then, I've worked labor jobs to keep bringing in the money, while planning my next move. Real farming. Good old, hands dirty, taking care of your land farming. I used my time to interview different farmers and find the best one to apprentice under. I'm never going to be rich, but I'm going to be passionate and unhesitant about what I do.

    Social media will be a significant source of contacts for partnerships and building trust with customers.

    Although

  • Emily

    Great video! And congrats to you for having the courage to leave the cube farm and branch out on your own.

    I'm in a cube for the first time in over 15 years in my (crappy) career of choice and I absolutely hate it. I am overqualified for this position, my unique talents and skills are unappreciated, and I report to someone whose job I could do 100 times better. (Not that I want it, its just frustrating to have a lazy numbskull for a manager.) I believe that employees who are in cubes are silently being told by their employer: “You don't matter. There is nothing special about you. You are a cog in the machine. Sit down, shut up, and get your work done. Do you want to leave? We don't care. We will replace you with another cog.”

    I've been bitter about this job and this cube I'm in for a while now. I started looking for another job recently; went on an interview a few weeks ago and was led through a maze of very old and ugly cubes to the conference room. After my initial reaction of, “Eww—could I really work here?” I realized that leaving my job is pointless. As long as I am someone's employee, my work ethic, talent and skills are NEVER going to be appreciated. I am truly sick and tired of spinning my wheels at this dead end job in this dead end career working for people who (sorry) are not as talented as I am. (There, I said it!)

    I'm that third type of cube farmer … going to stay in my cube and work on my own gig on my own time, and when I quit my job, it will be to start my own business.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=8635511 Wendy Krautkramer

    I've been in offices, cubicles (current), worked in large sporting event arenas, and worked from home. In my experiences, I don't think it really matters where your “office” is as long as you enjoy what you are doing. Sure, having an office with a door that shuts offers more privacy, but if you hate your job, location doesn't matter. I would rather live in a cubicle farm doing something I love.

    As far as cubicles being 'safe' — here's my take: Organizations have cubicles because they need people to run their company. I would argue that 'safe' means working for someone else, not just being a cubicle.

  • http://www.benspark.com BenSpark

    Thanks Danielle,
    I appreciate the suggestions. Great to see someone has made the transition work.

  • http://www.people-communicating.com/ imelda

    I'm a recovering cubicle (and office) farmer.

    I currently word from home and enjoy every minute of it. I put in longer hours than ever before but I don't mind at all, on the contrary, I wake up ready to get to my work. I just love what I do now.

    I've got nothing against cubicles if you get to do work that you love.

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