Two of my three kids work in the advertising business. Before February 1, they both worked in an open office environment. Since working from home over the past three months, they have different opinions about working from home. One likes it, the other can’t wait to get back to the office. Last week, management began talking about going back to the office and what that might look like. Like architects, they work in teams for most of their projects, so the question is when they return, will that change? What will change?

Like many of us, they have been on more Zoom calls than they can count. As companies are planning to unfold their plans for going back to the office and the “new normal,” I think they are asking the same question we’re asking, what’s normal, or is there a new normal?

Will companies return to cubicle offices, with project teams working close together, or will they go back to individual offices? I can tell you upper management likes the cubicle office because it reduces the amount of square footage needed in an office. With that, most people I talk to are not a fan of the open concept office.

Some people like the open concept, and others dislike it. I think it depends how much distractions bother you. I’ve worked in an open office concept before, where I learned, I am a distraction! Sitting still is not one of my traits. When I’m talking on the phone, I’m not quiet and I subconsciously pace and walk around while talking. (I’ve also noticed I pace around while I’m brushing my teeth!) Anyway, I’ve been working from home for the past eight years and that works for me, so the only person I annoy is my wife.

I had a long conversation with one architect on this very subject. He was telling me that they still need to work in teams on certain projects, and they talked about a rotating work schedule for various people, but he said they do acknowledge, in the long run, that will not be a long-term solution.

Maybe there’s a middle ground here to consider. Bigger cubical offices and more personal working space around team members? I’m not sure what the answer is, but I do know this, more “spit-balling” conversations need to happen around this subject. It’s my opinion that the past couple of months of working from home is not a long-term answer. To be successful, we need people interaction and we need to bounce things off each other. Or at least, we need to talk about the final score from the game the night before.

My two cents.