As an owner or director of a company looking for ideas on how to increase productivity in the front office, have you thought of exploring the benefits of feng shui? If you aren’t familiar with the ancient Chinese philosophy of placement known as feng shui, maybe it’s time to understand exactly what it is and how it can help you achieve a well-balanced work environment. If you are looking to build a new headquarters or seeking to renovate your current base of operations, don’t finalize a project until you get a few tips from the ancient masters.

Are You Crazy – Feng Shui in the Workplace?

While feng shui is often referred to as a philosophy, it’s so much more. Actually, it’s an art form as well that is centered on a belief that everything in the world has an energy of its own. It’s both the artistry of design as well as a philosophical belief that we take on the energy of everything, or conversely, are depleted of energy because some things steal ours! When designing your office space, the principles of feng shui can help improve mood, creativity and productivity if approached with the ancient principles in mind. It may sound like a lot of new age babble, but there is something to be said for achieving balance in the work place. Feng shui has been practiced for at least 3500 years that we know of, and it could even predate that! To understand how it fits in the workplace, let’s look at the five elements of the universe.

The Five Elements of Feng Shui

Architects such as Neumann Smith in New York and Detroit are well versed in designing corporate workspaces with the elements of feng shui. Bearing in mind that everything has energy, those five elements can easily be incorporated into your office space. They include:

• Earth
• Wood
• Metal
• Water
• Fire

Now, imagine an office that has pottery (clay earth), wood desks and chairs, metal file cabinets, a small water fountain or even a fish tank and perhaps a candle burning softly near the fountain. It might sound a bit bizarre, but bringing the energy of these five elements into the workplace can keep that balance you are trying to achieve. These five elements are said to balance negative energy and positive energy so that your staff can maintain a positive flow of energy throughout the day without succumbing to frustration and chaos.

It All Begins with Design

Although there is so much more involved, it really does all begin with design. Feng shui is so much more than incorporating those five elements into your work space, but also the placement of everything matters. As mentioned, successful architects like Neumann Smith can help you achieve both an attractive design and a space with a healthy balance of energy. Talk to your architect about what you are trying to accomplish and you might be surprised that they know more about the artform than you first thought.