IT@TT - Online

Harmonizing Your Workplace

Feng Shui, (pronounced "phong shway") is the ancient Chinese system of environmental placement. This system sees the world as completely alive with Chi, the living energy that flows through all things in the physical world. Everything, including buildings, streets and property are interconnected in a dynamic relationship that affects everything we experience. The growing popularity of Feng Shui is the direct result of its extraordinary effects on the people it touches.

Whether you want to transform your home into a personal paradise, your office into a powerhouse of creativity, Feng Shui can make the difference.

Our homes and offices, in line with Feng Shui philosophy, can be thought of as a metaphor for our lives. A cluttered work space is a cluttered mind. Get rid of the old and make room for the new! Start putting a few of these simple practices into effect in your own home and work environment. You'll find, as others have, that whether you believe wholeheartedly or not, these simple treatments of space and energy can make a difference in your life and work.

Do not have clutter in your office. Desks must be kept tidy and clutter free. This is so important, that no office in China would have paper trays on desks. Spend a few minutes assessing the clutter around your desk. Somewhere, buried beneath the knick-knacks, papers, staplers, thumb tacks, reference books, style manuals, and photographs of old friends, is a shiny desk just waiting to emerge and make you a more productive person. So sit up, take a deep breath, and throw away your first piece of paper.

Clear Your Desk.
Do you really need to have markers, tape, used paper and paper clips on the surface of your desk? Start utilising that long-forgotten drawer, after you clear that out as well of course. Start eliminating the excess by following this simple principle: If it is not necessary, get rid of it. If you find it difficult to part with your trinkets, freebies, and distractions, assign them to a box dated three months from now. If you don't look in that box for three months, adios.

Get rid of papers you do not need. Don't just file them away somewhere. It has been estimated that over 90 percent of all filed papers are never retrieved. If you must, apply the three-month rule again. Limit yourself to five objects on your desk at any given time. For example: computer, plant, light, pen, and notebook. Throw everything else away or put it in a drawer.

Put Life on Your Desk.
Brightly coloured flowers have excellent Chi (positive energy). If flowers are too frivolous for you, any green plant will do. However, be sure not to have any cactus or sharp looking plants in your office. The small sharp leaves are said to cause "shar chi" (inauspicious energy or "killing breath") in the office.

Feng Shui tips for your business and office.

1) Always sit with a solid wall behind your back to ensure that you have support in your life, never sit with a window behind you.

2) If your staff always fall sick in that area, then use a metal wind chime made of 6 or 7 metal rods about 1 foot long are the best as the sound of metal is the best Feng Shui cure.

3) In a managers office you should try not to chose a room with two doors, because the Chi will go into that room and out the other door.

4) Do not place the photocopy machine near to the main door. Heat near the main door is not preferred and causes the Chi to be dispersed easily.

5) In your office, never have the main door opening into your table as the Chi coming in will hit at your face causing more obstacles and problems. Reorganise your office.

Ramesh Kumar worked as a travel agent. He rented a beautiful, one-room space and converted it into his office. The entrance wall had a long, narrow window at each side of the door. The opposite wall had glass doors leading to a large balcony with a spectacular city view. He had chosen to leave the window clear and had placed his desk to left of the balcony door, so that he could enjoy the view while working. The sitting area was arranged off centre right to the door. However, ever since he moved into the new office, business had dropped. Though people checked prices and arrangements with him, they booked with other agents.

When a Feng Shui expert entered the office, a few problems were clearly visible. The back exit was visible from the front entrance, allowing money and energy to flow straight through her office. He was also seated with his back to the entrance.

The solution was simple. A screen was set up in the centre of the large room and it was covered in a bright print. The desk was placed in front of the screen, facing the entry so that he could greet his clients. The opposite space created by the screen provided a sitting area where clients could browse material and enjoy the beautiful view. A large mirror was placed in the corner to the right of the door so he could continue to enjoy the beautiful view.

Not only did he experience a large increase in business, but also found that he accomplished a lot more work with his desk in this position.

Interestingly, a new trend has emerged in Feng Shui. It's moved online. You now have Web site-based Feng Shui consultants who suggest Feng Shui changes to your Web site for better business and finances. They review your site taking into consideration the colours used, the flow of graphics and text to sell your services/products and also evaluate the level of your presentation to your customer.

According to Feng Shui, the common mistakes on most websites are the use of wrong colours on the site. The correct colour sells things faster. Bad flow from graphics to text or vice-versa will not hold the customer's interest. The site design should make it easy to buy from you. At a reasonable cost, the expert sends you an email report with suggestions for improvements.

Yagna Balaji
[email protected]

Top

Other Articles