Greater creativity

In her brilliant book Quiet: The Power of Introverts, American author Susan Cain argues that our modern-age obsession with teamwork has blinded us to the perks of solitude.

And one of these is having the space to retreat within, drawing on the power of inner thinking (rather than outer stimulation) to dream up big and brilliant ideas.

Time alone, says Cain, is the basis for some of the world’s finest work, from piano masterpieces by Chopin to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise, and the Apple computer engineered by Steve Wozniak.

The people behind these inventions are all introverts: but it’s not that quality per se that has created the brilliance of their work. Rather, because they are introverts, they’ve naturally sought out time alone. And that’s created the conditions for the intense concentration and mind-riffing needed to fuel their achievements.

Time alone in a private booth can give you the space you need to let your mind percolate your own big ideas, and grow them into masterpieces.

And we don’t need science to tell us (although it does) that we come up with better ideas alone. Social loafing (people not pulling their weight) and fear of judgement are both brainstorming barriers that you sidestep when you break free from the group.

Farewell, open-plan: why we should all have private booths at work