Month: December 2016

Understanding Executive Leadership

Published: Dec 16, 2016

Tags: Enterpreneurship, Leadership Style, Office Culture, Team Building, Workplace Ethics

Every team needs a leader that understands how to channel the energies of each team member and balance the motivation. But is it more important to be able to admit mistakes?

Does true success lie in the ability to change? Much too often, bosses find themselves surrounded by talent they cannot immediately handle. True leadership lies in admitting the facts and adapting to them instead of trying too hard for the wrong thing or giving up.

Here are some expert insights from RyannLofchie

Admit you suck

Lucas Mezzenga is the CEO of RBI Corporation, a distributor of outdoor equipment parts. He came into this role confident — he was sure he could shift the company’s culture mindset from a ship safe in the harbor to a ship out at sea. After all, he had a focused team, driven to grow the business despite navigating an industry rife with consolidation.

Three years in as CEO, he was stumped. The leadership team was seeing growth, but the overall culture was dark and unsustainable. As Lucas began trying to figure out the root cause, he came across an article that asked a simple, but hard, question: What is the source of your culture’s illness?

At that moment, he chillingly realized it was his own incompetence.

While Lucas pushed for growth across his team, he was doing so in a way that left little room for error. Screwing up and being vulnerable — those were signs of weakness not meant for the workplace. But, boy was he wrong. By setting unrealistic expectations, he was crushing the culture of his company.

That realization hit Lucas square in the jaw, and he finally had to admit he sucked.

What followed changed his perspective not only on leadership, it changed his way of thinking. He declared his incompetence to his team and in turn gave them permission to “suck” at their jobs, too. He began embracing mistakes; hell, he even celebrated them.

In doing so, he inspired his team to recognize the importance of contrast — that they could not truly know success without first knowing failure. This opened up a conversation amongst the team about their individual strengths, weaknesses, motivations, fears, and goals for personal growth. Suddenly, they were dealing with a newfound reality, recognizing each other as humans who were vulnerable. The conversations became more pointed and constructive, allowing the team to start supporting — and respecting — one another. This new level of response helped to create a foundation where feedback was welcome and wanted.

Admitting that we suck or are incompetent (especially as a leader) is a scary thing to do, but it’s undoubtedly the right one, and Lucas has proven it.

“There’s a powerful transformation when we consciously admit that we’re not good at something,” he said. “And adopting a mindset of embracing mistakes frees the mind from concern and fear and opens the door to curiosity and creativity. This is where great work and great fun comes from.”

Let go

As CEO of one of the most successful Midas franchises in the country, Mark Smith is taking another approach to defying the leadership myth.

Focused on growing his franchises, he fell into the all-too-common entrepreneurial rat race of scaling quickly, adding more and more people to his team to keep up. Soon, he found himself surround by a lot of talent, but no time to actually think or fully delegate appropriate tasks.

He did this for almost 15 years before he realized this wasn’t the best recipe for success. So, he took a step back and spent a considerable amount of time and energy assessing his business strategy, the talents of the people on this team, and future growth opportunities, narrowing the seemingly endless list of things he knew he needed to fix himself to what he calls “The Five”: people, customer acquisition, customer experience, community, and operations. Everything else? He coached his leadership team to handle.

He’s now had three years to think and reflect more about that time in his company’s story and how it’s affected his leadership style.

“The first few months were a struggle,” Mark said, “as old habits die hard. But now everyone on my team has a better grasp of roles and responsibilities and who owns specific outcomes.”

Since that transformational experience, his franchise’s top line has grown 23 percent and the bottom line 35 percent. His stores have the largest per unit volumes of any in the Midas system, and one of his stores is the top-grossing Midas store in the world.

It’s not just business success — Mark has made a mark (ha ha) as a CEO who cares about the community in which he lives, partnering with a local nonprofit to help feed the city’s most vulnerable populations.

He has evolved into a visionary leader, with a sky-is-the-limit attitude and a tremendous heart, and he was able to unleash this potential by not only admitting he couldn’t do it all, but by focusing on what he was uniquely qualified to do then coaching his team to step up and take the rest. Together, they’ve risen to the challenge and built an unstoppable company.

Understand the potential of a true team

The last story is mine. I had one of those humbling learning moments several years ago at a conference for CEOs, where one of the keynote speakers said something to the effect of: “You need every single person on your team to get the work done, and if you think you’re more important than any one of those people, then you are sorely mistaken.”

I knew then I was making a mistake. In my defense, my company has always been a relatively flat organization, and I’ve always greatly appreciated the contributions of all my employees. But similar to Mark’s story, I had found myself reaching a point where I believed I was the one holding it all together. I mean, they needed me to hold it all together. Right?

That keynote forced me to realize how deeply dependent we all were on the entire team, not just me. What a jerk I had been, feeling I was so important. I wasn’t. What I needed to do was get out of the way and let the amazing people I had hired do their work and shine.

By reframing the perception I had of my team and viewing them as equals — in it together and fighting for one another — we’ve not only succeeded but have soared. I, like most CEOs, very clearly do not have all the answers. In fact, there is more that goes on in my business that I don’t know about than I do. And that feels great. My team is amazing and I trust them as much as I trust myself to do an awesome job. They feel it. And together we continue to build.

Outdated executive stereotypes hold leaders back. They stifle growth, learning, vision, and teamwork — all the elements we know we need to grow amazing companies, solid teams, and enviable workplace cultures. What moves leaders forward? Confidence — not certainty — that you’re an able leader.

So, here’s your opportunity: how will you redefine leadership to get the best results for your organization? Read full post

Visit Vision Office Interiors for more on work culture and office designs. Take a look at our collection of new and used office furniture for every office layout.

Shop now and take advantage of our special holiday offer – get 10% off on all pre-owned furniture! Call 321 203 2759 for further information

After Collaborative Workspaces: Taking the Next Step in Office Design

Published: Dec 15, 2016

Author: voi__admin

Categories: Workspace

Tags: New Office Furniture, Office design, Office Furniture, Used Office Furniture, Workspace Furniture

Workplaces are evolving fast. For long, open office layouts have dominated new and old businesses. But just like the high-walled cubicles of the 1980s, this trend too will have to evolve or be replaced.

There is no doubt that open offices promote collaboration and closely-knit work cultures;learning and development is in abundance and there is no isolation. This can, however, backfire if not executed well.

There’s a certain music to productivity. You may need interaction when coming up with new ideas or yearn for some privacy when tasks get more demanding. Therefore, every workplace must strive to strike a perfect balance between what employees need socially and what gets the work done.

Matthew Cooper of Woodhouse Workspace has some insights into the matter. Read on to learn more.

In a recent study, Office Genie asked 2,000 UK-based workers about their working environment. Respondents reported that the design of their workspace had by far the greatest impact on their well-being, with a well-designed office reportedly boosting feelings of happiness by 33 percent, compared to 12 percent for flexible working opportunities.

If it doesn’t come down to funky color schemes and the latest tech, then what does make an inspiring workplace which will boost productivity?

Work with your office culture

The key is to remember that a great office culture starts from the inside. A well-designed space should be created to reflect the ethos of the company as a whole, not to act as a Band-Aid to fix an ailing office culture. When your company’s values are strong, and your people are aligned with their work, then the right workspace can help make a good organization exceptional. But without clear direction and a purpose-driven design, it can fall flat on its face. It’s vital as a company that you find the right balance between your culture and creative workspaces.

Those quirky features and layouts, which might work well in the creative or tech industries, could be disastrous if installed in a company with more traditional values or even a warehouse environment. That’s not to say that modern design concepts shouldn’t be implemented, but they need to chime with your brand and your people.

So, with all this in mind, what steps should you take to turn a space into an exceptional workplace?

Creating a smarter workplace strategy

The first step in any workspace design should be to analyze how your business actually operates, and to hone in on the culture of the company. By speaking directly to employees and delving into aspects of the work day such as time spent at desks, the number and size of meetings, as well as core business objectives, it’s possible to engineer a workspace that boosts productivity, collaboration, innovation, and more.

By involving your people in the design process from the start, you stand to create a sense of ownership and belonging, which will in turn boost morale and engagement with the business as a whole. You’ll begin to create spaces which work with the needs and personality of your business, inspire your workforce, and help you retain the best people.

Ensure your space actually meets the needs of your employees

With the rise of open plan offices, increasingly the tide is turning and people are asking for access to quieter areas where they can focus. Creating a space which encourages your employees to engage with the business as a whole is a balancing act. The needs of the end user need to be at the fore throughout the process, too. For many, the solution is to remove the ‘80s-style cubicles, and to introduce different areas to meet the different needs of employees throughout the working week. At Fast Company, for example, they have introduced an open plan office, but with library style partitions between certain areas to give the sense of privacy too.

With all of this in mind, it’s important to remember that as your business grows, your workspace will need to grow, too. It’s vital you work from the outset to ensure your culture remains uncompromised and that you constantly ask the question: “What is the end goal?”

When a workspace grows in a way that is aligned with your company, bridging the gap between architecture, interior design, and employee engagement, it will become a truly exceptional workspace. Read full post

Learn more about office layouts and furniture at www.vision-oi.com/blog. Don’t forget to check out the latest additions to our used and new office furniture collections at Vision-Oi.

For further information, call 321 203 2759

Office Decoration Ideas for the Holidays

Published: Dec 6, 2016

Author: voi__admin

Categories: Office Furniture

Tags: Holiday Season, Office Decoration, Office Furniture, Used Office Furniture

Your office is the one place other than your home that you spend most of day. Don’t let it look bland this holiday season. Here are some ideas on how to decorate your office for the holidays, courtesy of Building Interiors

Top Office Christmas Trees

There’s nothing more festive than a Christmas tree. Traditional or unconventional, a tree’s a tree, so we’ve brought to you three different trees you create for your office this year.

1) The Balloon Christmas Tree – An interesting, cheap & cheerful design which caught our eye, created using a series of green balloons, with smaller red and blue balloons as decorations. This would make a great addition to an office, so if you’ve forgotten your tree this year then why not try the balloon Christmas tree.

2) The Snowman Christmas Tree – This is the ideal desk sized Christmas tree, and the combination of the snowman instead of a traditional angel really took our fancy. This pre-decorated tree is a quality item and will really bring the festive spirit to the office.

3) The Wrapping Paper Roll Christmas Tree – The third of our last minute Christmas tree creations is this crafty design. It uses the end of your wrapping paper rolls, cut down to size to make the traditional tree shape with a handmade star and button to crown it, a perfect way of recycling the rolls of those who like to get their Christmas shopping out of the way before December the 1st.

Top Office Door Decorations

A simple way to spread some Christmas cheer and create a welcoming space in your workplace is simply through adding some decorations to your doors.

1) The Snowman – This snowman decoration is the pic of the bunch. A three tier design complete with a scarf, top hat and a pipe, set on a wintery background. This door decoration won the office competition for best decorated door of 2013, and the effort put into this shows why!

2) The Polar Express – A unique take on the polar express, this iconic train is a work of art. The artistry that has gone into this decoration is of the highest calibre and really brings the film to life. If you’ve got the time, and artistic skills, this will certainly blow your colleagues away.

3) Santa & the Fireplace – A quirky design which depicts Santa Clause trying to escape up the chimney before been found by the family. This design was used in a school over the festive period to welcome the children on a cold morning, but it would definitely put a smile on your staff’s faces!

Top Christmas Designs for Office Cubicles

Office cubicles are made for Christmas. There are so many creative ways you can sprinkle some Christmas magic over and transform the way they look!

1) The Decorated House – A simple but clever design using netting and fake snow to turn this cubicle into a grotto. The decorations outside and on the white canvas improve the overall look of the design and is one of the best we have seen this Christmas.

2) Traditional Log Cabin – This traditional log cabin look is created using painted card meaning it’s cheap but the amount of time to paint the card was extensive, which is why this makes it into our top 3. The added extras of the window and tree outside really make this office cubicle stand out.

3) Gingerbread House – The gingerbread house is a classic office cubicle design but with the added sweets and festively decorated Mr & Mrs Gingerbread outside take it to another level which is why it makes up our top 3 office cubicle Christmas designs.

Top Christmas Designs for Windows

If you aren’t decorating your windows or glass partitions this December, then you’re really missing out, mainly because of how easy they are to spice up!

1) Christmas Window Stencils – Adding some stickers to your office windows can create a stunning display and they’re super simple to apply. This Santa and his reindeer was one of our favourites, but snowflakes, stars and snowmen can have an equally striking effect.

2) Hanging Christmas Presents– For a more sophisticated window display, we came across these parcels, tied up with string. All you need is a few empty boxes, ribbon, paper of your choice and string. Try hanging them at different heights to make a bigger impact.

3) Starry Fairy Lights – These fairy lights add a warm glow to your windows, inviting guests in from the cold. They are easy to find, and even easier to hang making them an obvious choice for your office decorations!

Top Christmas Designs for Office Spaces

Don’t miss out on any opportunity to decorate your office, from the ceiling to the floor, you can put on a cracking Christmas display.

1) A Christmas Chalkboard Wall– Why not turn your office chalkboard wall into a Christmas extravaganza? You already have all the tools you need, a chalkboard pen and a mind full of ideas. It’s a great way to transform a space into something festive, but don’t worry if you don’t have a chalkboard wall, a white board would work just the same!

2) Festive Plants– Office plants have proven to boost morale and increase staff productivity, so make the most of your greenery by sprucing them up. Dangle some baubles off the branches to create a sophisticated look, or go the extra mile with some twinkling fair lights.

3) Ceiling Decorations – The design ticks all the boxes for utilising office space. All you need are some Christmas decorations of your choice and some ribbon. These are guaranteed to put a smile on guests’ faces, although make sure you plan where you hang them to avoid any accidents!

Top Christmas Designs for Desks

The littlest of changes can have a positive impact on your employees, so if you don’t want to go all out, try adding some seasonal touches to their desks!

1) A Desk Fireplace – Create a cosy desk place without getting the fire marshals involved! Made out of cardboard and paper, with a fire desktop background, you can create that country feel and decorate to your fancy.

2) Wrapping Paper Drawers – The effectiveness of this decoration caught our eye straight away. It can be personalised to individual staff members with particular wrapping paper designs, and is 100% recyclable. You can even mix it up and have a different design on each drawer.

3) A Snowy Scene– If Santa’s chimney doesn’t take your fancy then this one might! This design is the simplest out of the three, so there’s no excuse for not getting in the festive spirit. All you need to do is cover your desk in fake snow, and you have yourself a winter wonderland. See full post here

Check out more workspace improvement ideas at the Vision-oi blog. Visit Vision Office Interiors for best prices on new and preloved office furniture. Call 321 203 2759 for more details.