As a business manager, the twin pillars of design – form and function— may not be at the top of your priority list, but design has a profound influence on everything you do, from your business space to your computer screen to your office or warehouse storage. Good...
“Nice guys finish last,” or so we’ve always been told. In the rough-and-tumble of business competition, there seems to be no pay-off for altruistic behavior. Yet we see it over and over again: Businesses large and small sharing resources of expertise, products, and...
What does a climate change of 200,000 years ago have to do with managing your business today? Plenty, as it turns out. Early Homo sapiens was quick and clever, unlike his slow and clumsy predecessors. When rapid climate change created drought and famine, it was our...
Facilities management departments do a lot of planning. Maintenance schedules, office moves, seasonal tasks – the list is endless. Planning for FM personnel succession is often low on the priority list, but a change in a key position can disrupt all the other...
Today’s workplace designs emphasize collaborative spaces – flexible, reconfigurable work areas where staffers come together as a team to address specific tasks. Leading a collaborative team takes some special skills; without them, the best results are hard to achieve,...
Most of us want better work-life balance, and most of us feel we are failing miserably. Time management is key to work-life balance, and office organization is a big part of the “work” side of the work-life equation. Royale Scuderi, writing in Lifehack.org, gives tips...
We were delighted to host the IFMA Capital Chapter "Collabor8: Critical Technology Advances in Asset Tracking" seminar! NOS hosted its first event in their new Beltsville office with IFMA Capital Chapter. Guests heard real world stories from Sgt. Brian Lott of...
“Shark Tank” uber-shark Kevin O’Leary said it: “So much of life is a negotiation.” Perhaps you chose a career in facilities management because you’re more comfortable dealing with buildings than with people. But buildings house people, and sooner or later, any...
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but it may not be the healthiest way to go. Australian insurance company Medibank constructed an office building that is, in many ways, spatially inefficient – all for the good of its employees. Medibank and...
Business owners and facilities managers are embracing the benefits of new flexible workspaces – maximized space utilization, minimized build-out costs – but for many workers, changing the old office environment may be an unwelcome update. Without an enthusiastic...
Want Engaged Employees? Try a Little DEI
DEI Changes: Are Microaggressions Affecting Your Business’s Profits?
Unconscious Bias: Overcoming Barriers to DEI in the Workplace
How to Maintain DEI Habits in the Hybrid Workplace