Feng Shui for Cynics

Believe it or not, this ancient Chinese art is practical for business

Whether people believe feng shui actually influences events or is superstitious nonsense, even cynics cannot deny its real benefits in the office, especially if you have Asian staff or clients who visit.

After all, Donald Trump, the property developer, consults masters of the traditional Chinese practice to make major structural and design decisions—if only for potential tenants and valuable Asian business.

Feng shui is too complex to explain in full detail here, but I wanted to share with you a recent consultation I gave during a visit to Custom Media, publishers of BCCJ ACUMEN. My first impression was that it looked and felt good. Located on a quiet road, the redbrick building with gold-coloured letters suggested solid and successful.

The tall and wide ground floor windows were filled with green trees from the sprawling grounds of Akasaka Palace opposite and the office glowed in warm natural light. Inside, the soothing view and gentle flow of energy fully compensated for the irregular shape of the office—feng shui followers prefer square or oblong—which creates practical and pleasing spaces for different departments such as editorial, design, business, reception and boardroom, etc.

But there was a nasty corner: the 45-degree edge of a wall jutting towards a desk was soon fixed by moving a pot plant a few inches. I also suggested for this relatively remote spot more light and an aquarium or other water feature, and maybe some music to boost energy flow.

After learning the birthdate of the desk’s occupant, I consulted my compass and moved his computer slightly to face the large window at south-west, rather than a dull corner with a cupboard facing his unlucky east. This meant slightly moving his chair and a few things on his desk, but he soon saw the light. The occupier later revealed he was born in the south-west of his country. Coincidence? You decide.

From BCCJ ACUMEN Magazine

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