Your business is your source of income, creativity and job satisfaction. Your goal is to make sure your office looks inviting, has the best equipment and supplies, and your staff is experienced and knowledgeable.
You want to communicate to your clients that your firm provides the best products and services available.
Thus, you’ve attended to your business’s needs with the utmost diligence: spent money in advertising, attended educational lectures and classes, and implemented the latest technology in your profession.
Yet, something is not quite right but you cannot put your finger on it. Your clients are happy – but you’re not attracting “quality” ones.
Maybe you are not attracting the “right ones.” Your staff seems content (for the moment) but internal workings are not flowing easily. You look around and wonder, what’s missing?
What is often missing is an understanding of how the environment – the decor, the architectural elements, the scents, the noise and the particular energy of these elements – affect the day-to-day operations of the office.
You can undertake a renovation, move or add more space. This is a great way to look fresh and updated. Nonetheless, analyzing the inherent energy of the space and its people according to ancient Feng Shui principles may make the difference between an effective office and a pretty space.
The latter temporarily masks the original problems. The design that incorporates Feng Shui principles yields an effective and beautiful space. Additionally, because the space becomes well balanced, it produces an environment that continuously promotes healing and harmony.
Feng Shui is a 6,000-year-old Oriental art and science geared to balancing people and the environment through the use of ancient principles of energy. Particular energies are present in every aspect of the business, including people. Feng Shui recognizes these energies as five elements represented by wood, fire, earth, metal and water that, when manipulated to produce the correct relationships, create harmony.
Thus, a Feng Shui analysis will yield an understanding of how the environment influences work flow and interpersonal relationships within the office, as well as the health and general feeling of the business. It will help uncover “what is missing.”
In reading the energies of the people who work in your office, one may inherently carry wood energy; the other may be an earth kind. These two individuals will have difficulty working together. Adding fire elements (purples, reds or diamonds) will introduce the bridge energy and help both workers coexist in harmony.
Similarly, a staff carrying wood energy will feel overworked, stressed and inefficient in an environment abounding with metal energy – whites, grays and round elements. They will tend to create clutter or feel that the space is crowded, even if it is not. Painting the walls in lavender tones and adding water features or soothing sounds, wavy elements and greenery will provide the nourishment they need to feel supported and productive.
It is well documented that living and working spaces have a profound effect on physical and mental health. An environment created to support the specific energies of its users can make a positive impact in all aspects of your business. Your clients will feel it and want to be a part of it.
The combination of excellent interior design, grounded in Feng Shui principles and the use of non-toxic and sustainable materials, creates a total healing environment.
Lidia Scher is an award-winning interior designer, an accomplished visual artist and Feng Shui master. She has been at the helm of L.A.S. Associates, an interior and architectural design firm based in Arlington, MA for the past 23 years. Her specialty is dental and medical environments where occupants love to be in work in and return to day after day. She is also a partner in Virtual dental Solutions, a web-based consulting company to the dental community.
Showing posts with label renovating dental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label renovating dental. Show all posts
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Power of Integrating Feng Shui Principles
The art & science of Feng Shui is a practical way to arrange a home and office that will enhance relationships, work flow, health and prosperity. The advantages of incorporating these ancient principles when considering a renovation, remodeling, repainting, and/or even prior to buying and selling property can greatly enhance the design/build team and give owners and their property a new lease on life. This is because a layout of a home or office provides hidden cues to the success of the business and of people’s life and career.
When we select a space to live and/or work in it, we do so based on our current thinking and feeling patterns. These patterns are a combination of our passion, attitude, goals and beliefs. You may have discovered that in order to succeed you need to come up with smarter goals and you are eager to implement them. Yet if your office or home environment has been arranged based on your former thinking patterns, your chances of succeeding are greatly dimished. Understanding how to tweak the space to support your new thinking may yield amazing results. Don’t under estimate the impact that your environment has on your life. There are no management systems, marketing efforts, or client-centered practices that can be sustained without a supportive environment. That is the power of using sound design practices that integrate Feng Shui principles!
Lidia Scher is an award-winning interior designer, an accomplished visual artist and Feng Shui master. She has been at the helm of L.A.S. Associates, an interior and architectural design firm based in
email: lidia@e-dds.com
Monday, May 4, 2009
Renovating or Building is a Matter of ROI - Assembling the Right Team
Can you picture a work environment where you feel very productive, energized, and creative? Is it possible that you can also get up every morning and look forward to going to work, because you really feel at your best, because you enjoy working with your co-workers, look forward to meeting your patients and feel a general sense of well-being just by using the space? Can you believe that patients look forward to a root canal in your office, that clients really trust your recommendations and that your action plans seem to move in a smoother fashion? And can you believe that this could happen after a construction or renovation project?
The need for renovating an office environment to refurbish, add more space, or move and build is anxiety ridden. The myriad of decisions required to carry out the project to conclusion is daunting. How business owners manage this process will determine if in the end, the office feels renovated or devastated. The best way to ensure a great project is to assign the best qualified people to manage it. This will in turn spawn not only financial, but emotional savings as well. If we look at the four most important steps involved in a construction project and its intended outcome at each level, we can identify who are the optimal individuals or groups best suited to help the business owner reach an informed decision. It is a question of ROI.
Step 1. Readiness
The root of the problem may be the need for additional space, outdated décor, staffing issues, or legal compliance. It may simply be a gut feeling originating from the doctor or staff. All these reasons have value, because they all reflect a need. How this need is fulfilled depends on the business’ readiness factor.
Readiness is based on a clear business vision and a coherent and fully articulated growth plan. It is the business owner who articulates the problem and the desired outcome, then engages and directs the appropriate staff to move through the project.
Step 2. Ownership
Ownership of the project establishes trust and cooperation and it is a crucial step in its overall success. It is important to acknowledge the need and reward staff members originating the concern by inviting staff representatives to become involved in the decision-making steps. If the business owner originates the need, the entire staff must be engaged through sharing the doctor’s readiness level and selecting a staff representative to participate in the renovation team. This is part of step 3, the human investment factor.
Step 3. Investments-Financial & Human
All space design projects must be considered investments, and as already discussed, they must be planned according to clear and realistic growth goals.
The accountant/financial consultant provide financial investment parameters. Attempts to renovate a space without a clear financial picture spell trouble. Whether the need for renovation is motivated by legal compliances or lack of space, knowing the financial limits is a must. Nobody can invest without knowing how long it will take to pay it and begin to collect dividends. A financial advisor must be part of the team.
Depending on the scope of the project, the business owner often initially considers whether to manage it within the office, or hire professionals. If a doctor and staff don’t have a clear understanding of what their target market wants, how to retain and attract the right employees and what makes an optimal office environment that will support those needs, they must seek expert advice. The initial team must be able to effectively answer these questions, because these factors affect the human investment.
Managing the project with existing personnel—the doctor or the office manager, may imply costs savings. Hiring professionals may imply access to innovative ideas, but increased costs. Yet, like a dentist is uniquely qualified to recommend whether a patient needs a root canal, a tooth removal or an implant, qualified experts ensure that both financial and human factors are effectively and efficiently addressed. In fact, the cost of not hiring qualified personnel begins to escalate even before the project starts. The in-house design renovation route does not really reflect the actual costs, because they are not disbursed as tangible expenses. There is no dollar sign allocated to a hygienist-turned untrained marketing researcher. No value identified in creating a floor plan by a doctor-turned part-time interior designer. Yet if quantified, these expenses may actually be higher as a return on the investment (ROI) than anticipated, not only in financial terms, but in human terms as well.
Step 4. Assembling the Right Team
A marketing consultant will assist in obtaining a clear understanding of the target market needs and wants; assess the value of existing marketing tools and suggest high powered substitutes.
A specialized interior designer will look at the best possibilities given the existing layout, review conditions and recommend an action plan, which may mean adding team members such as architects, engineers, real estate agents and dental equipment specialists to arrive at the best solution that can then be presented for bids to contractors. The right individual is an invaluable team member who collects all information gathered through the previous steps and assists the team in successfully creating an optimal office environment. A smart business owner will add a marketing consultant and a specialized interior designer to the team.
Assembling the right team will provide a high ROI. The doctor and the designated staff representative, furnished with accurate financial information are the initial quality “seeds” for the project. Marketing and design experts provide the best nourishing for the original seeds so that the “plant” will grow healthy and beautiful. Once the right people are in place, it is important to trust their recommendations. Their decisions are based on their area of expertise.
Next time we will discuss who qualifies for the title of specialized interior designer and how to create the optimal office environment where everyone feels productive, energized and creative, all look forward to working there day after day and patients love to come, trust treatment plans and are happy to pay for the services provided.
Lidia Scher is an interior designer, Feng Shui master and visual artist with 23 years of experience in designing successful office environments.
email - lidia@e-dds.com
The need for renovating an office environment to refurbish, add more space, or move and build is anxiety ridden. The myriad of decisions required to carry out the project to conclusion is daunting. How business owners manage this process will determine if in the end, the office feels renovated or devastated. The best way to ensure a great project is to assign the best qualified people to manage it. This will in turn spawn not only financial, but emotional savings as well. If we look at the four most important steps involved in a construction project and its intended outcome at each level, we can identify who are the optimal individuals or groups best suited to help the business owner reach an informed decision. It is a question of ROI.
Step 1. Readiness
The root of the problem may be the need for additional space, outdated décor, staffing issues, or legal compliance. It may simply be a gut feeling originating from the doctor or staff. All these reasons have value, because they all reflect a need. How this need is fulfilled depends on the business’ readiness factor.
Readiness is based on a clear business vision and a coherent and fully articulated growth plan. It is the business owner who articulates the problem and the desired outcome, then engages and directs the appropriate staff to move through the project.
Step 2. Ownership
Ownership of the project establishes trust and cooperation and it is a crucial step in its overall success. It is important to acknowledge the need and reward staff members originating the concern by inviting staff representatives to become involved in the decision-making steps. If the business owner originates the need, the entire staff must be engaged through sharing the doctor’s readiness level and selecting a staff representative to participate in the renovation team. This is part of step 3, the human investment factor.
Step 3. Investments-Financial & Human
All space design projects must be considered investments, and as already discussed, they must be planned according to clear and realistic growth goals.
The accountant/financial consultant provide financial investment parameters. Attempts to renovate a space without a clear financial picture spell trouble. Whether the need for renovation is motivated by legal compliances or lack of space, knowing the financial limits is a must. Nobody can invest without knowing how long it will take to pay it and begin to collect dividends. A financial advisor must be part of the team.
Depending on the scope of the project, the business owner often initially considers whether to manage it within the office, or hire professionals. If a doctor and staff don’t have a clear understanding of what their target market wants, how to retain and attract the right employees and what makes an optimal office environment that will support those needs, they must seek expert advice. The initial team must be able to effectively answer these questions, because these factors affect the human investment.
Managing the project with existing personnel—the doctor or the office manager, may imply costs savings. Hiring professionals may imply access to innovative ideas, but increased costs. Yet, like a dentist is uniquely qualified to recommend whether a patient needs a root canal, a tooth removal or an implant, qualified experts ensure that both financial and human factors are effectively and efficiently addressed. In fact, the cost of not hiring qualified personnel begins to escalate even before the project starts. The in-house design renovation route does not really reflect the actual costs, because they are not disbursed as tangible expenses. There is no dollar sign allocated to a hygienist-turned untrained marketing researcher. No value identified in creating a floor plan by a doctor-turned part-time interior designer. Yet if quantified, these expenses may actually be higher as a return on the investment (ROI) than anticipated, not only in financial terms, but in human terms as well.
Step 4. Assembling the Right Team
A marketing consultant will assist in obtaining a clear understanding of the target market needs and wants; assess the value of existing marketing tools and suggest high powered substitutes.
A specialized interior designer will look at the best possibilities given the existing layout, review conditions and recommend an action plan, which may mean adding team members such as architects, engineers, real estate agents and dental equipment specialists to arrive at the best solution that can then be presented for bids to contractors. The right individual is an invaluable team member who collects all information gathered through the previous steps and assists the team in successfully creating an optimal office environment. A smart business owner will add a marketing consultant and a specialized interior designer to the team.
Assembling the right team will provide a high ROI. The doctor and the designated staff representative, furnished with accurate financial information are the initial quality “seeds” for the project. Marketing and design experts provide the best nourishing for the original seeds so that the “plant” will grow healthy and beautiful. Once the right people are in place, it is important to trust their recommendations. Their decisions are based on their area of expertise.
Next time we will discuss who qualifies for the title of specialized interior designer and how to create the optimal office environment where everyone feels productive, energized and creative, all look forward to working there day after day and patients love to come, trust treatment plans and are happy to pay for the services provided.
Lidia Scher is an interior designer, Feng Shui master and visual artist with 23 years of experience in designing successful office environments.
email - lidia@e-dds.com
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