“There’s a natural rhythm to collaboration. People need to focus alone or in pairs to generate ideas or process information; then they come together as a group to build on those ideas or develop a shared point of view; and then they break apart again to take next steps. The more demanding the collaboration task is, the more individuals need punctuating moments of private time to think or recharge.”
Personally, I don't see how any meaningful knowledge work could get done without two things: time for deep, focused thinking, and time for reflection and letting the mind wander.