Feng Shui in Business

For years, a property management company enjoyed having a beautiful metal statue in their conference room. In fact, they frequently received compliments on it. But in trying to rearrange their office for functionality, they moved the statue to another area outside the conference room. About six months later, in a Feng Shui consultation, it was suggested that they needed the metal element inside the conference room to avoid money delays. When told this, the principals of the company were astonished. They thought back over the six months and realized that during that time without the statue in the conference room, money and clients were hard to come by. They quickly moved it back in. While metal is not always the correct solution, it was required in this case to minimize delays and create a warm and inviting area to greet clients. Feng Shui, properly applied, can greatly contribute to the growth of a business.

In one company, three offices were recommended as being ideal for storage, but harmful if used for offices. Not surprisingly, it was revealed to the Feng Shui practitioner that these offices consistently remained empty and the staff who had occupied them previously, had either quickly left the company after a short tenure or had developed serious illnesses. The hidden costs to a company of having undiscovered "critical" areas includes leaves of absence and increased sick time at work.

When utilizing space planning or considering an expansion, Feng Shui should be taken into account to minimize the negative effects of certain areas and to enhance other, more productive areas. Especially important are the entrances to the building and offices; the executive offices; the sales and marketing areas; and the conference rooms where important decisions and negotiations occur. Promoting good Chi in these areas can have a strong impact on the prosperity. Using Feng Shui principles in laying out office space, one can avoid common mistakes that lead to sales declines, unhappy employees and turnover. Some basic Feng Shui advice that business owners need be aware of is to:

1. Provide direct views to an entrance. - Don't face an employee with their back to the entrance of an office or cubicle.

2. Avoid placing an employee in the direct line of a door. - This lacks any sense of privacy and can create a feeling of always being watched. Additionally, it sets the employee directly in the rush of Chi. This can have negative effects on the health and productivity.

3. Lastly, utilize warm lighting (as opposed to glarish florescent lighting), if possible. - Lighting can change the entire atmosphere of a room. Keep it balanced though. Too bright and it can result in headaches and an irritated staff. To low and it can create a lull in the processing of work.

4. Maintain a pleasing environment to all the senses. - A consultation to a hospital revealed that the lobby had a foul odor. This resulted in people not wanting to utilize that hospital as their care provider. This may seem like common sense, but many times people are so used to their own environment, they miss how it effects their clients.

These simple environmental measures can have a direct results on sales, productivity and employee morale.

In addition to the environment, the balance of Chi (life energy) needs to be considered. Chi is specific to a building and orientation. A good example of this is when a successful restaurant moves and then goes out of business within a few months. Identifying a good Feng Shui location should be taken into account when relocating your business. A qualified practitioner can analyze the environment both inside and out and determine the orientation of the building. Using time proven calculations, the practitioner can make recommendations on whether the building would be supportive and if it is, how best to balance the Chi. When creating balanced Chi, traditional Feng Shui utilizes only the five natural elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water to create balanced environments.

Feng Shui can be fine tuned to the staff members. Key employees can be positioned in such a way that they are oriented to their most productive direction. Each person has an association with one of the eight directions. These directions can be either positive or less than favorable depending upon the individual. A qualified practitioner should be used to determine the advantageous direction for each person.

While strategy, keen business sense, strong goals, and excellent management can move a company forward, more and more businesses are utilizing Feng Shui to ensure that there are no roadblocks to creating the success that the company desires. Productive and harmonious environment can only support the employees and generate additional revenues from clients who, for reasons not readily apparent to them, enjoy returning to such a warm place of business.