I've just finished working in my fourth shared work space.

I am not a fan.

The endless hallways with all these little glassed in rooms where I can see everyone, and everyone can see me, are not my favorite places. I can see white boards with content that maybe I shouldn't be seeing. There are all these strangers. Don't get me started on the open, shared work environment where you're just sitting with a bunch of people at long tables.

Ugh!

All that said, I've been at these places for meetings with co-workers. Many of whom, due to the, let's say, interesting last couple of years, I have never met. Further, some of them had never met each other. Just getting to see the people I depend on at work, talk with them, look them in the eye as we talk (and really in the eye, not looking either at my camera or at their face, online meetings are not the same, no matter what you say), are marvelous experiences.

More than that, we get work done. Fast and efficient. Sure, the environment pings on my paranoid, introvert self in ways that are hard to describe. However, I can't deny that these shared work environments are essential tools in today's world. While I may not care for the concept, there's absolutely no denying the utility, at least from what I've seen so far.

Have you used these? What do you think of them?

Oh, I do like the fresh coffee that I don't have to make. That's very nice.