The Joy of Silence: Cube Farm Designs That Cut Out Conversation

Alistair Cockburn

Alistair Cockburn

Office layout can have a tremendous impact on productivity. Every minute that developers spend talking is a minute they don't spend writing the documentation that drives development. An efficient office layout can reduce or sometimes eliminate conversation. This has been shown to produce productivity increases of 10-1 in the number of pages of documentation per team member. Drawing on lessons learned from studying Benedictine monks and others who take vows of silence, this session will tell you all you need to know to quietly shift your own team into high gear.

About Alistair Cockburn

Alistair Cockburn (pronounced "Jones") is the world's leading authority on "Silence Radiators." He is the inventor of the original Cone of Silence (see picture below), which allows two team members to converse while preventing their coworkers from hearing distracting conversations about important project details.

The Cone of Silence