"Those who insist on developers being in open bullpen areas would do well to try to do their own work out in the same area for a month. "
Alas, the managers in one College I worked in were doing manager schedule stuff, so when they did the 'work out on the front desk' thing one day a week, they did fine...
one day per week isn't enough (as we both know). long term projects require long term concentration. From what I've seen, most good 'management' stuff is communication and collaborative, but somehow that earns a 100% door, but the people who need the quiet concentration are forced to sit next to people who eat at their desk and talk on the phone.
I'm not even meaning just developers here - I've known accountants/financial people who complained about ability to concentrate when sharing a cubicle with others.
Offices simply need to have a decent number of private office spaces that people can move in to when they need 'alone' time, open collaboration areas, and larger closed off meeting areas for small group meetings. People beyond software devs would benefit from this too, but it doesn't seem to be a high priority for office planners and managers. :/
Alas, the managers in one College I worked in were doing manager schedule stuff, so when they did the 'work out on the front desk' thing one day a week, they did fine...