I had a bit of a eureka moment recently. I was talking to someone whose agency was in the process of transitioning to an open office environment. She said that the new space was nice, but that people did not seem to know how to behave in such an environment. For example, people would talk so loudly...

Many people who telework do so only when they need to be home for a personal reason, such as a FedEx delivery or a sick child. The initial reaction managers and coworkers alike may have is skepticism. They’re thinking, with an eye roll, “Today sure won’t be Steve’s most productive day.” The...

It’s no secret that technology is transforming our daily lives. Phone booths have nearly vanished from urban landscapes (and with the rise in e-commerce, As a court planning consultant I have to wonder if shopping malls are far behind). With the tiny handheld units responsible for rendering phone...

It’s been front page news all week. “Global Cyberattack,” “Ransomware Attacks,” “Digital Insecurity Is the New Normal.” This week’s world-wide cyberattack by the Shadow Brokers infected computers in over 150 countries with ransomware. The message is, “We are out here and we want your data and...

With the rise in the popularity of trendy open offices, you may feel like you’re on the bleeding edge of the latest architectural style that will disappear as soon as another idea comes along. But the open office design isn’t a new concept at all. In fact, it’s been around for over a century.

It...