There was a time when most employees worked in some form of bullpen, filled with steel desks and tables, file cabinets, and people. With the exception of managers, scientists and engineers in laboratories, accountants, marketers, and salespeople, and most other employees lived in the bullpen. Communication was face-to-face and within a few steps or a few shouts. It was almost impossible not to become involved with people from other disciplines. The bullpen allowed us to become familiar with what was taking place in the department just by walking around and talking to people in a very casual manner. One walk around the room could provide a great deal of information. Then came the era of the cubicle.
At the beginning the cubicles were used as a means for providing some privacy but as time went on became domains unto themselves with "no trespassing" signs posted. A real comfort zone from eight to five. As time went on, face-to-face communication reached a new low. No need to leave the cubicle, just send an e-mail. All of that interaction in the bullpen was lost. Cubicles tended to become isolation booths and thinking was directed to the activities in the cubicle. No need to find out what’s going on in those other cubicles.
Tom Peters recommended the idea of management by walking around (MBWA). MBWA was later also known as management by walking about, and management by wandering around. MBWA is more difficult when everyone is isolated in a cubicle. It’s very difficult for a manager to gain an appreciation for the spirit of a working group or to gain a sense of how people work together when everyone remains isolated in a cubicle. Fortunately some organizations are now beginning to develop working spaces based on project needs. This approach allows grouping people with common interests in one location—a small bullpen.
Dilbert has had much to say about cubicles. The prototypical Dilbert complained to his manager one day about the fact that his cubicle had been decreased in size by two inches. The manager responded: "We installed real-time status adjusters in the cubicle walls. Sensors monitor your work and adjust the cubicle size according to your value." In the last frame, Dilbert and his coworkers are encased in tiny boxes. "It’s amazing how fast you get used to it." Moving from the bullpen to the cubicles has restricted opportunities for people even within a single discipline to increase their breadth of knowledge and understanding.