Sunday, March 29, 2009

Face it! It’s not as fun to do it by yourself…..

What’s funny is the fact that some customers see no value in the expertise of quality space planning capabilities. If I had a nickel for every time I heard, “we won’t need that service….we will do it ourselves.” Well obviously some feel they can do their regular ‘day job’ and devote a token amount of time to planning the layout of an entire office.

Honestly, offices have changed so much in the last 20 years that these customers….the ones that see no value in professional help….will someday be left in the dust. Why? As I explain the process…perhaps the process itself will answer the question.
Develop an interior space “Masterplan”
Before space planning and design of an interior project, someone (or group) must decide the direction or vision of the final interior plan (even before site selection is made). This will aid in the effort of “what type of space are we looking for?” If you don’t know your interior needs…how do you know where to begin?

It is an essential preplanning tool on all projects that range from medium to large scales due to their complexity. The primary purpose of a “Masterplan” is to determine the space, type of furniture, equipment locations in proximity to workers, and special needs of a company for move-in.

This Masterplan acts as a guide during the study and the preparation of space layout and the “type” of commercial space you are looking for. It is also a communication tool between the commercial real estate broker, your senior staff or advisors, your designer, and equally important, your office furniture team.

During the development of the Masterplan program, the furniture “programmer” will solicit detail information from the client about the company’s history, organization, operations, policies, personnel, and group requirements that make-up the company. Much of the programming effort focuses on quantitative calculations using basic unit takeoff that derives from revision of existing space standards from the company or from industry standards. This is why you need a professional.

The final “program book” includes overall space summary for move- in, personnel, and space projections for future, building feasibility analysis, space distribution analysis and planning recommendations for the new space. Programmers can generate additional company space statistics by comparing the types and usage of spaces between the company’s organizational units that are meaningful to identify growth patterns and planning directions. The statistic aims to provide interior space planners with additional information that will influence space layout decisions.

The nature of work is changing rapidly, and the workplace must adapt to keep pace. Technology allows knowledge workers to work anywhere at any time, improving their productivity while enhancing mobility both within and outside the office. In the office, employees can be freed from a static, dedicated space, thanks to technologies such as Voice over IP, wireless phones, and wireless computer networks. This allows them to seamlessly move from workstations to team rooms to private offices to cafĂ© settings — wherever their work takes them within the office. In addition, these technologies allow employees to be productive when outside of the office setting as well, including at locations such as client sites, home, the local coffee shop, while traveling, etc.

Changes in the nature of work allow office environments to be managed as “on-demand” resources, with rooms and workstations allocated by reservation or on a first-come, first-served basis. The on-demand approach is often part of Workplace Strategy (WS) solutions.

If you are not concerned about the future of your knowledge workers, you soon will be. As baby boomers age out of the workplace there will be a shortage of high-end knowledge workers until the boomer’s echo generation develops the skills needed to replace them. If you are in a people-intensive business of innovating, building relationships or solving problems, the implications for your business are staggering.

What are you doing to improve employee retention?

Successful organizations realize employee retention and talent management are integral to sustaining their leadership and growth in the marketplace. Becoming an “Employer of Choice” by retaining high-caliber employees in today’s labor market should be the highest priority. An effective office environment can help.

…..next let’s discover the importance of Workplace Strategy and how that affects your Masterplan.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

What's so weird about it?

The fact that we actually put-up with this crappy weather is beyond me. The majority of the nation is dry and sunny…and yet we have the same drip….and ‘what color gray is this?’

The exciting thing is Spring is on it’s way with all the bulbs blooming. This is what it is all about. The ‘new beginning’ each year.

I know that if the economy cooperates…wait!! Let’s mention this “bad economy” for a moment….it took me time to find a parking spot at Costco as I passed the huge line waiting to get gas….as I stood in line for 20 minutes…..as the 12 people in front of me purchased flat screen TV’s and y2k-type food in their carts. The couple in front of me bought $600 worth of goods.

The economy will rebound! Americans ‘have to spend’ and people like to buy. Look around! Resturants are busy…Best Buy sales are up over 10%….STOP watching the news. The first 7 stories on the news tonight were ‘how bad’ the economy is…..as I listened to 6 straight commercials from drug companies….(the side affects out-weigh the reason to try the product)…..who runs this country anyway?

Friday, March 27, 2009

Welcome Aboard!

OK..I started a blog. “What is wrong with me?”…I said I would never do this…but I guess it’s cheaper than a shrink.You either like me…or you don’t.

I never apologize for being me. I drive the 2007 Boss302 Saleen Mustang, so please….if you are in the left lane in a Toyota Prius…please stop looking in your rear view mirror and move over!

I am an office environment expert. What? I am the person that you come to when you need help with your office….the way it looks…the way it is planned…the way it feels (and especially if it’s green). I sell real furniture (not glued and stapled). I will be here to help you through the process of moving your company, planning an environment, and making the correct choices for quality furnishings….I will help ….but you must know up-front, my job does NOT define who I am.

My experience has taught me to consult with a client and gather design criteria, information, and ideas about their future. I can show them how to use this information to encourage collaboration and innovation, support team interaction, build pride of workplace, and generally make employees feel more connected to the company’s primary business.

My focus is on relationships and on service. It is my belief that anyone can sell furniture, but not all can service the customer. I thrive in an integrated team approach that assures the client that their project will be completed successfully and on time and within budget. Services are a critical part of the ‘complete’ workplace solution. I am known in the industry for putting customers first and using innovative technologies to take the pain out of furniture planning, ordering, delivery, and life-cycle management.

I have the expertise and intellectual muscle to help a company create and maintain great, cost-efficient, talent-attracting, healthy, productive workplaces. I understand that attention to detail is what makes the difference in a successful project.

I love lookin' in the crystal ball...

Monday, March 23, 2009

'It's all about me!'

It's all about me….

I am a senior operating and management executive successful at building high-performance sales teams. My passion is to sell. I am a strategic visionary with a clear sense of purpose and urgency when faced with diverse situational challenges during periods of both declining sales and rapid growth.

I am skilled at establishing operational excellence, translating conceptual models into specific growth strategies, and planning/executing multi-faceted business campaigns designed to improve market share and gross revenue. With managers needing more from employees already working at full-tilt, achieving work-life balance is more important—and difficult—than ever. I recently made some work-life “balance” changes leaving senior sales management responsibilities to become a salesman. I work ‘my’ hours and ‘earn’ my commissions. Most people I talk to understand the change…and the others that don’t…well they are the ones that “live to work.”

(Things I love)…Vacationing on a hot sandy beach, Mexican beer, playing with my dog-Dillan, computer digitizing, dead-ball era baseball, new technology, gravy and biscuits, factory tours, mustangs (with over 400 horses), silver-age comics, 900 thread count, golf (only when I play well), cooking, old toys, traveling, old log cabins, old hand tools, digital photography, bird watching, mp3 music, old tube radios, science fiction, private jets, organized garages, baseball caps with worn brims, model railways, DVD movies, embroidery, swimming pools, rock music, maps.........

...iced tea, old box scores, ’sunny’ days, strategic planning, impact sprinklers, die cast cars (1/18), wall clocks, HDTV, ancient history, surf fishing, professional networking, model buildings, 3D drawing programs, digital renderings, gardening, afternoon naps, college football, xbox360, interior design, water features, teapots, people watching, pro football draft, hand-washing my Saleen, shade trees, charcoal drawings, having a full pantry, wool rugs, leather furniture, smell of wet concrete, 7 channel sound, newly-mowed lawns, believing in God, hardwood floors, bird feeders, wind chimes, smell of candles, afternoon sunlight, vine maples, rocking chairs, buying tires, bird baths, eggs Benedict, dogwood trees, Bluetooth, Broncos, Fringe, stepping on home plate, positive attitudes, patio furniture, hot fudge Sundays, yellow eyeglasses, Florida, all SEC football teams, Bose headphones, smell of a fireplace in Winter, sound of Dillan taking a drink...........

....fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies, payday!, falling back in the Fall, potato soup, going to breakfast early on Saturday mornings, smell of mock orange blooms, falling asleep in front of the TV, JoJo’s eyes, laughing so hard your face hurts, a hot shower, hot towels out of the dryer, bubble bath, running through sprinklers, laughing at an inside joke, going to a really good concert, watching the sunrise, road trips, surfing the Internet, my garage, having a brain that keeps memories, the hope for eternal life in heaven, the color ORANGE, pecan pie, sweet tea.......

..air conditioning, crickets, peanut butter, elephants, hot cinnamon buns, chilly mornings, slippers, vanilla scented candles, sipping hot chocolate, homemade soup simmering on the stove, BLU-RAY!!, extra blankets on the beds, morning coffee, I love my courage, recently rediscovering a passion for life, Detroit Lions.....

..watching JoJo get excited about planting a garden in the Spring, breaking-out the Christmas music for her to listen to each year, the cold side of the pillow, animals, stars on a clear night, bear hugs, action movies, cuddling on a snowy day, free stuff I might actually use someday, freshly washed blankets and sheets after a long, hard day, boxes that hold my secrets and past, inside jokes, soup on a snowy or cold day, a good back scratch, long, hot showers, a clean, immaculate car, paying off a credit card - and cutting it up, trivia, ocean breeze, buying a CD and loving every single track, roses, holding hands.....

....going through old pictures, road trips, loving someone so much that just hearing their voice makes me smile, watching TV, mouth-puckering sour lemonade, finding an ink pen that writes just perfectly, green lights all the way home from work after a horrible day, high-speed Internet , flip flops, traveling, getting perfect seats at the movie theater, going to the bookstore and spending hours there, flipping through magazines and catalogs, accents - British, Irish, and French, music, the sound of waves crashing on the shore, sleeping in, sitting on the couch all day in my pajamas watching movies, finishing a huge project, oatmeal, finishing my taxes in January…………

...visiting with my dad, helping a customer, keeping an open mind, staying positive, clean leather seats, no punch list, James Taylor, Elton John, taking pictures of old barns, wine-tasting tours, Sweetpeaz.....

...hitting a sales quota, smiling, voting for the correct candidate, getting the mail with Dillan, 1080p, Florida vs. Alabama, painting the garage, giant stones, pulling against the Ducks, rumble of a V8, a sense of humor, knowing I make a difference in someone’s life, laughing so hard you snort, crossing the finish line, cooking with JoJo, Haggard songs, falling asleep on the couch...

...BBQ on the deck when it's chilly outside, money with holes in the center, tractors, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, Black Keys, being witty, getting positive feedback, expressing myself, building a reputation, being successful, doing good quality work, being in the zone, being inspired, waking people up, being free, hearing people’s stories, turning my life into a lesson, being responsible, doing what’s right, feeling fulfilled, connecting with people I’ve never met...

...making a positive difference, changing people for the better, changing myself for the better, feeling connected, turning off my ego, turning my back on fear, expressing courage, enjoying the flow of fingers on the keyboard, hearing the clanking of the keys, typing fast with two fingers, brainstorming, finding the third alternative, doing something unique, writing something new, creating information out of thought, manifesting pure thought in physical form, putting nonlinear concepts into a linear structure, storytelling, coming up with good analogies, simplifying complicated ideas, being understood, being loved, being loving, allowing people to know me...

...sharing energy, being wrong (sometimes), accepting all outcomes, being detached from outcomes, letting people know I care about them, giving hope to people who’ve lost hope, encouraging people who are discouraged, learning from mistakes, being human, teaching people it’s OK to make mistakes, teaching people not to be so afraid, releasing my own fears, bringing light to darkness, seeing someone smile, deepening my connection, growing, changing, changing my mind, knowing I’m on the right path...

...sharing discoveries, making people laugh, making people cry, being discouraged and still being able to encourage someone else, listening to music while writing, smelling vanilla, losing track of time, being in a state of joy, being relaxed, writing on paper, the natural friendship that lies within a marriage, the unconditional love of a grandmother, the pure innocent and never wavering love of a pet, the solid trust that comes with true friendship, a warm bed on a cool day, especially when you know you don't have to leave it!, the heat of a summer sun on bare skin, an ice cold swimming pool on a hot day, a super hot bath, as hot as I can stand it.....

...walking into an air-conditioned building on a scorching hot day and feeling the cold air rushing into your face, crawling into a freshly made bed, feeling my wife snuggled up on one side and my dog snuggled up on the other when I wake up in the middle of the night, setting a goal and reaching it-no matter how unimportant it may be to the rest of the world, I love researching a great variety of topics-the rewards are those moments in which I find that bit of information I was seeking, one of my greatest joys is when I know I have helped someone else find a small amount of peace in their life, finally pulling the car into your driveway after a long road trip, coming home to a dog that has missed you, The companionship of friends and family, knowing you are exactly where you are supposed to be, discovering that peace comes from INSIDE, becoming part of the solution, an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, hard earned paradigm shift finally sinking in, embracing the difference between "want" and "need." ...the ability to dream. …

…discussing things with JoJo, soft chocolate chip cookies, library books, art supply stores, lightning bugs, lemons, mashed potatoes, crayons, glass jars, yard sales, plane tickets, farm stands, dictionaries, bubble gum, old gymnasiums, elevator buttons, photograph, old suitcases, chocolate cake, black pens, art museums, road trips, crazy quilts, sunlight, clawfoot tubs, swimming pools, college-ruled notebook paper, crushed ice, old school adidas, attic bedrooms, flashlights, paint chips, clover honey, bare feet, ocean waves, cornbread, moonlight, super heroes, aluminum foil, fortune cookies…

…doodling with black ink pens, shopping for a new magazines, stone and wood in a home, large fire places, vaulted ceilings, JoJo’s smile, researching travel, first bite of an apple, perfect jeans and flip flops, finding a real bargain, a new haircut, Hawaii, staying up late playing xbox, the length of my marriage, grocery store exploring, a good buzz and stopping there, shotguns, gladiator sandals, a great laugh, carpeted floors, softened water, warm weather, a “why not” lifestyle, sleeping in, people who state their mind, without being aggressive…

Dillan, the “Prince” (his friends call him Mr. B)

The boy’s name Dillan \d(il)-lan\, also used as girl’s name Dillan, is a variant of Dillon (Irish, Gaelic) and Dylan (Welsh), and the meaning of Dillan is “like a lion; loyal; son of the sea”. Meaning: Its source is a Welsh expression meaning “Son of the sea.”Dillan was (what we thought over 4 years ago) a dog.

Not just a normal dog…but a Maltipoo…a tiny little white dog. What we did not know at the time..is that this “Dillan” or “Dilly” "Dilly Billy" or “Dill-man”…was indeed a true Prince. Dillan understands english very, very well. However he has selective hearing. “What papa?”…”What did you say?”

Dilly and I have spent some great time together recently….what a joy to be around! Dillan ‘the Prince.’Popularity: The name Dillan ranked 689th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2007 Social Security Administration statistics.

Dillan thought his last name was "Billy" because he was called "Dilly Billy" so often...now that he is an adult...he prefers
"Mr. B"------Once upon a time many, many years ago…a mighty King had an only son whom he loved very much….But one day the Prince did a very silly thing and rebelled against his father, so the King banished his son from his palace and handed him over….to a cruel slave-people who dwelled in the depths of a valley in one of the countries of his kingdom and so said the King to them:“

See, I have placed my son in your hands to enslave him to do with him whatever you please until the day that I shall remember him….to return him from his exile and this shall be the sign to you: A burning torch I shall place in my window….overlooking your valley where it shall constantly burn….and when the day comes that my son lifts up his soul in regret and yearning toward my palace on the hilltop and attaches an imploring look to the glow in my window –on that day, the days of his enslavement shall come to an end and he shall be set free.”

The Prince was put in chains and taken down to the valley to the slave quarters and his enslavers said to each other: “Let us outwit the Prince, lest he lift his eyes and gaze upon the light of the palace and be redeemed.” So they oppressed him with their labors and made bitter his life –until the profusion of toil and shortness of spirit made him forget his father’s house….and the sign of his redemption, the enslavers of the Prince further plotted.

They contrived to build high walls and to plant a thick forest to interpose between the Prince and the window of his father’s palace….But no one knew that if the captive Prince would only raise one yearning look the walls would fall away, the forest would disappear, and the light of his redemption would be glowingly revealed…but the toil of his heart bowed the soul of the Prince to the dust and his eyes remained glued to the ground…when will the Prince muster the strength and lift up his gaze toward his ray of redemption?”

And the Prince said to the King, ” Papa…it’s time to get up” (As he kissed me awake from my sleep around 5 AM)……”I need to go, Papa!” “Wake up.”