Feng shui (pronounced "fung shway") principles can be applied to any area of a person's life, or to organisations and businesses. According to an old Chinese saying, man and his environment are one. This is the basic theory behind feng shui.
Literally translated, feng shui means "wind and water", referring to the movement of these two elements as being balanced or channelled. To apply the principles of feng shui to the business environment, is to invite prosperity not only in financial terms but in the overall happiness of the workforce and everything around them.
The main ingredient in feng shui is the life force, or chi. The main aim is to not impede the natural flow of chi, but to enable its course to run as smoothly as possible. Imagine sitting by a clear stream, and the feeling of calm that the sounds, sight and perhaps the feel of the water caressing your toes can give. Now imagine that same water, but in a stagnant pool, with no movement, an unpleasant odor and unable to sustain life beyond mosquito larvae. It is the stream that good feng shui aims to recreate with the chi energy which is present in and around all things.
Using feng shui in an existing workplace may be more difficult than looking for a new location with good chi flow. However there are some ways to encourage the flow of chi to move more easily, thus increasing the energy in the building. Each building, in feng shui teachings, is surrounded by the 4 heavenly guardians. The rear by the tortoise, the front by the phoenix, the left side by the dragon and the right side by the tiger.
By drawing a square grid divided into 9 equal sections (called a bagua and like a sudoku grid), you can identify the 9 areas that make up the body of the dragon. You can then lay this grid over the building plan and see where each section of the building relates to the bagua grid. The front of the building or the entrance, should be aligned with the bottom of the bagua grid. Then from top to bottom and left to right, mark the squares thus: Wealth, Fame, Partnership, (middle row) Family, Tai Chi, Children, (bottom row) Knowledge, Career, Helpful people.
Knowing the sections of the bagua can help you to plan where in the building to locate specific departments or offices. For example, the top left square relates to wealth, so this would be an ideal location for the finance department. The middle right square relates to children, so this could be the section you use for creche facilities. The centre square, Tai Chi, represents the health and well being of the building and the company; this area should be open and welcoming, light and comfortable, an excellent place for a cafeteria of staff room.
The front of the building or plot should, wherever possible, have open access. Building a high wall in front of your office impedes the flow of good chi into your building. Using railings will allow the chi to flow through. Equally, the rear of the building should be secure and safe with good lighting.
Once your building structure has been aligned with fung shui principles as far as possible, you need to look at the inside of the building. Remember, chi is the energy that is the life force and needs to be as obstructed as little as possible. Chi does not like harsh angles; soft curves are better to encourage a smoother chi path.
The modern office construction of open plan but filled with lots of partitions with walkways in between is often set out on a grid plan, and this is not good for chi - too many right angles! Consider grouping the workstations in circular ways, or in curved sections, or in any way to avoid the constant left, right turns needed to move across the office.
You can reduce the bagua grid to overlay the work space instead of the entire building, and identify the parts of the open plan office that relate to wealth, career or knowledge. If possible, construct a meeting room in part of the wealth square, where business deals are likely to be negotiated.
Feng shui also uses the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These have associations with the bagua squares, and you can increase the chi flow in a square by introducing aspects of its associated element.
The wealth square is associated with the element of wood, supported by water but inhibited by metal. For this area of the office, consider using columns and pillars as these mimic the tree's stature, and decorate in greens and light blues. Keep metal accessories to a minimum, perhaps installing any electrical equipment behind wooden screens or panels. Bring in large plants in preference to small ferns or pot plants, and even pictures on the walls of woodland scenes will help to attract the chi.
By making subtle changes to the location and dcor of different departments within an office building, you can encourage a harmonious chi that will benefit not only your employees and visitors, but the business as a whole.