| The Feng Shui of the Office |
|
In the U.S. one third of company losses related to employee absences are due to illness health caused by poor working conditions, according to a report by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
One way to alleviate this problem that has gained in popularity in the West over the last decade has come from the Chinese teaching of Feng Shui, a 3,000 year old practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment, based on Taoist principles.
Modern experts in the field say the use of Feng Shui could also greatly increase the comfort of a modern office, which as a result would boost the company’s work output and profits.
IT’S HIP TO BE SQUARE
According to Feng Shui’s modern interpretation, an office must be rectangular or square in shape, should not face any sharp, arrow-like objects, or be located in the shadow of an overhanging multi-storied building.
Marina Andreyeva, manager of a Feng Shui center in St. Petersburg, says it’s better for male directors to have their offices in the northwestern corner of a building, while the southwestern corner is more suitable for their female counterparts.
The best place for the sales, marketing, and advertisement departments is in the southwestern or southern part of the office, whereas accountants and economists, who frequently write reports, could work more efficiently in a southeastern corner of the office.
The director’s office, as the most important place in the building, needs to be carefully chosen so that it does not accumulate negative energy, says Natalya Pravdina, an expert in positive thinking and psychology, and an author of best-selling books on Feng Shui.
“The perfect placement for a top manager’s office is on the middle floor of a building, as far as possible from the entrance and not in the region of the toilet,” Pravdina said.
An office room should not have too many windows, unless they are covered with horizontal blinds. The best place for the director to sit would be behind a wall and not in front of the door, Pravdina said. A director’s office should have a large armchair and desk, both of which symbolize authority, power, and protection.
The stereotypical director from American movies, who sits in his penthouse with a row of skyscrapers seen through the windows behind his back, in fact lacks support and can easily lose not only his temper but the whole business, according to Pravdina’s interpretation of Feng Shui rules.
PICTURE THE MONEY
Pravdina says that Feng Shui, as a science, has its own laws; misused items, even those that are imbued with positive energy — but in the wrong place — could cause damage. For example, in a typical photo of mountains placed above a row of chairs would charge the atmosphere with extra energy.
On the other hand, a similarly placed picture of a waterfall would put a damper on business plans, although in Feng Shui water symbolizes metal and money. Nonetheless, Pravdina insists that a small fountain or an aquarium in the southeastern part of the office, alongside the figure of a turtle or a crystal on the director’s desk, are among company must-haves.
Applied Feng Shui principles read that every office desk must be clean and tidy, since any form of chaos accumulates negative energy that disables all working processes.
Although rooms without windows are hard places in which to work, more daylight lamps and nice plants can save the situation.
ERGONOMICALLY TERRIFIC
Besides the building layout, an ergonomically sound workspace is equally vital. Ergonomics, a science that integrates several different sciences such as anatomy, demographics, physiology, and human psychology in order to create an optimum school and working environment, has been widely used for offices all over the world, although it is not much applied in Russia.
“Unfortunately, many Russian employers consider their office workers’ health a private matter, unless it directly affects a working process,” says Dmitry Simkin, a specialist in treating diseases of the spine and an author of training programs on ergonomics in the office.
Such a negligent attitude on the part of employers is repaid in the form of losses in productivity and quality of work, said Simkin.
As a doctor of osteopathy, Simkin thinks that one of the main problems in modern offices is the way most employees sit at the computer. Low back pain, cervical stiffness, frozen shoulders, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other health problems, as well as loss of sight, could be easily prevented by using some uncomplicated ergonomic rules that “help to reduce the level of professional illnesses in between 20 percent and 80 of cases, and [can] increase labor productivity by more than 20 percent,” Simkin said.
Although managers often believe ergonomic furniture to be expensive, sometimes just a common orthopedic pillow is laid on a standard office chair, or a simple re-tuning of the computer screen can make a worker feel more comfortable.
Using back pillows and special footrests for tall people reduces muscle tension and facilitates the working process. “In such a pose a human body is as well balanced as a spaceman in the state of weightlessness,” Simkin said. It’s only the proper combination of tuning and orientation of all furniture and office equipment that enables a worker to maintain a rational posture throughout the day, he said.
The modern science of ergonomics and the Chinese teachings of Feng Shui may not have gained widespread professional popularity in Russia, but recruitment industry experts say the situation is changing.
“More applicants think that a comfortable office environment and well-equipped workspace are among the crucial factors they consider when choosing a job,” said Lidia Treivis, public relations manager for recruitment industry research company Begin Group.
Meanwhile, Feng Shui consultants say the popularity of the teaching is becoming popular for Russians looking to improve the arrangements of their house. Familiarity with such non-traditional principles could yet bring it closer to the office, although Simkin says the growing trend needs government support.
“The U.S. government started a special program in ergonomics development over six years ago, but no one knows when it will happen in Russia,” Simkin said. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| This article is brought to you by |
 |
The St. Petersburg Times
One of the most important aspects of The St. Petersburg Times is the philosophy behind it. Our strict ethical code forbids any journalist from accepting money from any informational source, company or politician. This means that there is no hidden advertising, just factual, independent and informative reporting.
Website: http://www.sptimes.ru |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
