Elbow Room

Overcrowding brings on all sorts of socio- and physiological problems. Depression, stress, aggression, increased risk of infectious disease, etc.

Sounds a bit like the cafeterias and bathrooms on campus, no?

It is with mixed emotions that Microsoft's chronic lack of office space issue surfaced again today.

Reading MSW's hard-hitting interview with Chris Owens makes it clear that we've turned the corner and that the future will be so bright in my future office, I'll have to wear shades. Then you read stuff like this and wonder if it will be worthwhile to hang around to luxuriate in all that space.

While it will be nice to ease the overcrowding, how about also thinning out the management ranks to create even more space? Perhaps we could start with clearing out the ones that caused the problem in the first place by authorizing the hiring binge and then not doing the simple math (more hires = need for more space)?

If something so basic as space planning has gotten so fudged up over the past few years, what does that say about other issues and endeavors?

Me? I'm heading down to my local elbow room to ponder who or what team will be the one cut the Gordian Knot that is Microsoft.