Chi's the one
What do Trump, Branson and Gates see in feng shui?The office plants wither and die. George the office gerbil lasted only hours before taking his own life by leaping from a third storey window. Visitors report a ghostly chill settling upon them as they enter the reception area.
You suspect your office may have been built upon the site of a historic massacre. You might be right – but put down that shovel for a moment. There is one other possibility: feng shui.
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese aesthetic movement that stresses the flow of chi, or life-energy, through an environment. How you arrange your locale can influence your likelihood of being healthy, wealthy, or wise.
Life-energy? Get out of here with this nonsense, you might think.
But wait — feng shui has been around for longer than Christianity. There might be something in it after all, to have hung around this long. It even has successful adherents who swear by it, like Donald Trump.
Hmm. Well, you could also choose Bill Gates or Richard Branson. They seem pretty successful. What if the secret to their entrepreneurial success wasn’t business savvy or good timing, but in fact some strategically placed fountains and wall hangings?
What kind of design makes for good luck in your career, or makes you piles of cash?
Silver meddling
Turns out the more you look, the more spooky examples of businesses pulling a feng shui you find.
For example, John McFarlane, the chairman of Barclays recently decided to change all company cars from black to silver — silver being the feng shui colour of good fortune while travelling.
He is also known for keeping bamboo in his office, symbolising personal growth.
Your local branches of The Body Shop and Nando’s, the headquarters of British Airways — from colour schemes down to floorplans, they are fungshwayed to the gunnels.
What sort of things help to make your office have a positive flow of chi?
An open plan office with lots of plants, water and natural light apparently brings in energy. There is certainly evidence that people are happier and productive with some greenery to look at anyway.
If you’re looking to maximise your career potential, the recommendation is to have the colour black in the north of your office or room, and water. Some experts recommend a fountain, but we appreciate that might be a little difficult to explain to accounting.
No word on whether a chocolate fountain is an acceptable alternative.
Earthy colours bring stability, fire-y colours bring dynamism, and so on and so forth, although they must be arranged in the correct order that conforms to a’ ‘bagua map’ (above right).
What do you mean you think it looks like a Satanic pentacle? Don’t be ridiculous. Just don’t start using a bunch of red candles in your office, that’s all.
And don’t let the office goat in your room.
Five tips for your desk
Whether you buy into feng shui or not, it’s no secret that taking care over how your office space is arranged can have a big impact on your mental state.
Borrowing from wise feng shui masters, we have collated the top things to arranging your desk/office to maximise your chances for success:
- Place your desk where you can see the most amount of the room you are working in. Never have your back to the door.
- Clean your desk and your office. Clutter blocks the flow of energy.
- Just as the entire building has quadrants, you can subdivide your desk into the same quadrants for the effects in miniature. Although your desk may not be big enough to have nine sections, or have a water feature.
- Get some office plants. Greenery is good juju when it comes to productivity and mood.
- Here’s an easy to follow diagram to help you plan it out:
Good luck!
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