Boss! The Feng Shui consultant is here!

The following is based on an article that first appeared in the 2006 Summer issue of The Empty Vessel magazine, see www.abodetao.com , as well as in the local Hamilton publication for free and progressive thinkers, Mayday Magazine, published by the SkyDragon Foundation, see either http://www.maydaymagazine.org/index.html or www.skydragon.org/html/about.html There is also an article in the business publication The Leading Edge from the Sage Portfolio Group.

Relax. There is nothing to fear. He is not a new age hatchet man. He is a catalyst for positive change! You may recall a week ago your boss asked you all those odd questions from a questionnaire? How well do we know our business neighbours? Is our goal in business to make money or make a difference? (or both!), Is there anywhere you do not feel comfortable at work? Who are we competing with? Other businesses or ourselves? Is there anyone working here who is very unhappy? A good Feng Shui consultant will want to know as much factual information about you, your staff, your business operations, and your business location before dropping by to consult and evaluate for your business. Hence the lengthy questionnaire.

What is a feng shui consultant anyway? Someone with experience and training in how to restore balance to places and people for the benefit of everyone involved. Is it some kind of religion? No, but given that to do the job you have to have a strong sense for the energies of locations and people, you could say it is a spiritual practice. Others just say they do "energy work." Whatever you call it, your feng shui consultant will do their best to address the concerns of everyone where you work. What kind of concerns? Since this is a business consultation, they will focus on helping your business do its best. Everyone's opinion counts. Feng shui is a holistic practice that looks at the business as a complete entity. You all have rolls to play and things work best when everyone acts with a common purpose, and feels nurtured and supported. Sound good so far?

Feng Shui consultants have been helping businesses be successful for millennia. They are keen observers, careful listeners, and sensitive to the positive and negative energies active in any location. Depending on the reasons for the consultation, they may interview just the CEO or everyone who works there. If you’re getting the works, expect recommendations for every part of the workplace, especially each person's office, the main entrance, the main meeting place, the kitchen/dining space, the building exterior and landscape, web page, corporate logo and motto, business cards and advertising. Each person involved will receive recommendations for their individual success in that business. Everything from the colours that support their individual goals to their power positions for meetings. There is nothing that Feng Shui does not take into account when it comes to promoting business health.

Your CEO sits with their back to the workplace and looks out a window at a beautiful park where they'd rather be? This is a business, right? That desk gets repositioned so the focus and energy from the top goes first and foremost into the business.

The accounting department experiences regular staff turnover and morale is terrible? The building's washrooms are located on the floor above and directly over the accounting department? Accounting is going to move and the old space will become storage.

Your pulp and paper business' sales have plateaued and coincidentally it started a month after the new "fire red" business cards were given to the sales staff? Fire consuming wood? Time to grow more sales with the right cards.

February 3rd 2011, the year of the Rabbit begins, and you are going launch a new Living the Good Life magazine? You've picked the right year, but which month would virtually guarantee success? Whether it is a new product or a corporate entity, they all have birth dates that speak to their future performance. Your consultant will make the calculations and give you their best recommendations.

While media portrayals of feng shui may lead one to believe the practice has no substance, serious practitioners get real results and you might be surprised at just who in the corporate world uses feng shui services regularly? Can you think of any major chains that have had makeovers (interiors or staff uniforms) and then risen out of their slumps? Is there a single bank in North America that didn't get a consult for the design and location of its last corporate headquarters? Just speculation.

Feng Shui isn't for everyone. Often the recommendations make no sense, yet clients regularly marvel at just how much better things feel and work after the changes are made. Think about the last professional who served you well. Were the results exactly as anticipated or surprising and wonderfully unpredictable? For feng shui to work best you need to commit to the recommendations for which you paid.

My only recommendation? Find a consultant with whom you feel comfortable and trust. Shop around. Get recommendations. Interview and follow your instincts. You're in business to win. You must have good instincts by now.

Christopher Cole HBa, MA, Ac

Businesses Consultations

The fees for commercial properties, such as restaurants, professional offices, spas, variety stores, as well as in-home businesses, are as follows:

Up to 20,000 square feet, $1.50 per square foot - the minimum charge is $1,000. Please enquire for spaces greater than 20,000 square feet.

Business consultations include everything covered by residential consultations, but additional time is given to business success and stability. Recommendations are provided for the working space as well as for the best business materials, including signage, business cards, brochures, web pages, product launches, advertising campaigns, incorporation dates, hiring new staff, and the selection, design, and development of new locations and buildings.

The layout of office space and the placement of people in specific offices are critical. Emphasis is placed on the position of the owner/manager and all employees to ensure the highest productivity, excellent communication, and positive behaviour among all staff, towards supervisors, clients, and the general public.

If you are concerned about keeping your prize chef, let me advise you on the kitchen that will keep them for as long as you wish. Experiencing a division wide sales slump? Let me investigate and get everyone positioned for maximum performance and job satisfaction (especially you!) Thinking about redecorating your head office. Let's support your goals and dreams with every change.

Please download my business questionaire (PDF 20KB)