My Journey to NeoCon: Part 1

As a professional completely new to the office furniture industry, the first time I heard the word “NeoCon” mentioned by a colleague of mine, I assumed it had something to do with the once-wildly popular internet game Neopets. “Finally! Someone who shares my middle-school obsession with digital animals!” is what I said to myself. As the conversation continued, I soon learned that NeoCon® was in fact a large trade show of sorts, where office furniture manufacturers come together to show off their latest and greatest products. This year’s event is being held June 10-12^th at the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago and I have the great fortune of being able to attend.

HON’s theme for NeoCon 2013 is “Unrivaled Solutions”, which emphasizes our continued commitment to producing a premier product offering and solving the needs of our customers. We’re excited to show off our newest products and our legacy lines.

To add some extra excitement to these year’s NeoCon, we will be hosting a “Find Your Purpose” contest. To participate, join us in Suite #1130 during the first day of NeoCon (Monday June 10, 2013) and break open a special HON green fortune cookie! Inside your fortune will be revealed. Three lucky individuals will win a new HON Purpose™ chair instantly! If you aren’t one of our instant winners, you still have a chance to get your very own Purpose! Simply Tweet or Instagram a photo of you sitting in a Purpose chair at NeoCon with the hashtag #HONFYP and we will choose a winner at random! You can find the complete rules for the contest here.

Make sure to stop by the HON Resource Center to see if you are among the fortunate to win a new HON Purpose chair! I’m looking forward to my very first NeoCon experience, and hope to see you all there!

From Smashed Fingers to SmartLink: The Evolution of Classroom Furniture

Do you remember what kind of desk you sat in when you were in grade school or middle school? Chances are it wasn’t anything like the desks we see in our classrooms today.  The style and design of the school desk has changed greatly over the past few decades.   The desks used twenty to thirty years ago were constructed of all wood or a combination of wood and bulky metal, making them very heavy and almost impossible for an elementary school student move around. The older slanted opening top desks (shown below) did not allow for much workspace and the only thing they were good for was smashing your fingers.  With most desks having the chair attached, there was little to no flexibility to accommodate a larger student, wide or tall.  It was as though one assumed all students were the same exact size and shape.

When I was in middle school, it seemed like every couple months my teacher was coming up with new seating arrangement. I remember pushing my heavy desk full of books and supplies with all my might across the room to my new home. It was only a few days later that we would be temporarily reconfiguring our desks yet again to form a circle to discuss the latest edition of Weekly Reader. Because of the design of the older desks, these temporary reconfigurations did not allow for much flexibility while working in groups.

It was only recently that office manufacturers began to address a desk design that allows for teachers and students to quickly and conveniently reconfigure a classroom. HON’s education series, SmartLink^®, is lightweight and streamlined, and students are able to move and reconfigure with little or no effort.  With the increase in the use of technology, the desks not only need to accommodate laptops and tablets, but also still allow ample workspace for the student.  In the modern classroom, collaborative work between several students is becoming the norm.  SmartLink is so versatile and can be used in group pods or lined up in traditional rows. Below are the most popular classroom layouts using SmartLink.

For more ideas on products that can be collaborated with SmartLink student desks, be sure to check the entire SmartLink collection as well as Motivate^® and Huddle training tables.

The Power of an Internship

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend a college friend’s wedding.  During that adventure there were many stories shared among friends about the good old days and what has happened to all of us since graduation.  Babies, kids, new jobs, new homes – it is always interesting to see where everyone ends up in life and how some choices we make can have such a huge impact on our future.   Maybe it is my recruiting background tinting my lens a bit, but to me, one thing is for sure.  If you get a good education and a good foundation, you are setting yourself up for success.  What you do with that opportunity is up to you from there.

Every week, I have the good fortune of being able to interview individuals for opportunities with our company.  It is always interesting to hear what different candidates have to bring to the table in terms of skills, abilities, knowledge, and experience.  Seasoned career professionals generally have no problem sharing with you how their robust background aligns with what you are looking for.  Sometimes the hardest decision in those cases is figuring out who has the best skill set.  Early career professionals, on the other hand, often struggle to bring much relevant experience to the table.  They may have a little business experience here and there but overall lack substantial hands-on exposure to daily work and tasks that they can effectively articulate into a well framed response.  This is where the importance and power of an internship comes in.

I liken finding the right internship to finding the key to opportunity.  With the right one you can have countless options in the future.  You may be reading this thinking – but I’m done with school, this doesn’t apply to me.  But wait – it may.  Do you have kids, friends with kids, neighbors, or acquaintances who will be heading off to college sometime?  Then read on for some advice to share.

Internships come in all shapes and sizes.  They can be paid or unpaid, full or part time, in your major or arbitrary, challenging or not.  So what does the right internship look like?  There are no wrong internships, but there are some that are definitely better than others in terms of setting you up for success.  When deciding on an internship there are many things to consider.  What tasks will you do?  Who will you work with?  Are there opportunities for employment with the company post-graduation?  Will you be paid?

Internships can give you a window into the world of work.  They should provide you with a good foundational knowledge of a company, a strong picture of what a future job in that line of work would be like, and some great hands-on experience to build on in the future.  They may include a series of projects or work experiences that build in complexity over the weeks in the role.  You might gain experience in presenting to leaders of the company.  You may be diving into day to day tasks which are similar to those of your full-time peers.  All in all you should walk away from it feeling like you really grew and were able to relate what you learned in school to what you were tasked with.  You should also come away with a great network of connections in the business community that you can look to for guidance and support for years to come.

I always find it disappointing to hear from students about past internships where they spent their time fetching coffee and making copies.  Although a fancy title and the company name on your resume may look great, these types of opportunities will not prove to be as valuable of an experience.  So before you sign on the dotted line make sure you do your homework.

• Research the company and their website
• Ask questions of the interviewers about what you will be doing
• Inquire on the corporate culture
• Ask questions about future opportunities
• Understand what the role is currently and what may or may not be different about it if you were hired post-graduation

You should be interviewing the company for a fit just like they are interviewing you.  All of these things are critical to finding the proverbial key to opportunity. What door you unlock with that key and where you go from there is up to you.

Decision Fatigue: Frog Figurine? Yes, Please

Almost eight years ago my now husband and I were completing the domestic ritual of registering for wedding gifts.  We were coming up on four hours when the very helpful sales woman asked if we wanted to add an extraordinarily expensive blown glass frog to our registry for a “touch of personality”.  Now, I should tell you that neither my fiancé nor I had a particular affinity for glass amphibians.  So, why then did I say yes?  What I remember most distinctly is the feeling of mental exhaustion I was experiencing.  It had been a jam-packed afternoon of endless decisions.  8-or 12-piece dining set?  Basic or deluxe stand mixer? 400- or 600-thread count sheets? Napkins in eggshell or ecru?

I have joked about this instance of poor decision making in the years since but it was not until recently that I began to wonder if I might be guilty of similar actions in my professional life.  I attempted to actively recognize thoughts such as these as they came up:

• I’m too tired to think.  Can we talk about the next steps of this               project in the morning?

• I don’t know what I was thinking yesterday afternoon.  Why               would I have given that direction?

• I know it is just about where we go to lunch but I have no energy               to decide.

If you can relate then you may also be experiencing a condition called decision fatigue.  Decision fatigue explains how a person’s quality of decision making can deteriorate over time.  It is based on the idea that all decisions, no matter how small, diminish your capacity and the quality of subsequent decisions.   Rather than regarding decision making ability as an absolute quality, instead consider that it may more closely resemble a continuum – and one that you can influence.

Current Office Design Trends

When I was thinking about writing this blog post, I wanted to talk about something that relates to my position here at HON.  I work in the Integrated Design Solutions team and we work on specifying furniture and creating layouts for our dealers.  With that being said, I wanted to hit on the top office design trends we are seeing on a day to day basis and how HON is a key player.

A lot of the changes we are seeing today started in that last year or two and have made a huge impact on the office furniture industry.  Recently, HON has come out with many new products such as Voi^®, Motivate^®, Height Adjustable Tables, Flock™ and Accelerate™ which capitalize on these trends.

Open Workspaces. Being closed in is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to productivity and creativity.  It is believed that people work better when they can engage with others.  Open spaces can make people feel more comfortable and not so “boxed-in”, fostering productivity and efficiency.  Keep in mind, some jobs may require more privacy, but there are always methods to creating privacy without being trapped between four walls and a ceiling.  Below are some typicals our group has drawn that work well in an open office setting.

Accelerate™ Open Plan

Voi^® Open Plan

14 Creative Uses for Post-it Notes

The working world as we know it would cease to exist without the use of these 3 x 3 yellow squares of magic. I know I’m not alone when I say that my desk and computer monitor are oftentimes completely covered in cheery little Post-it reminders (more often than not to-do’s that I am dreading or putting off until 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon!) However, Post-its can and do have a life outside of the office — below are some of its more creative uses.

1. Living Room

2. To-do List

5 Social Media Tips & Tricks for Businesses

1)      LinkedIn Employee Search

Recruiting for a new position? Trying to find qualified candidates? Take a moment to browse through LinkedIn. This professional networking site makes it easy to search keywords like “social media professional” or “CPA” to find the right candidate in your area. LinkedIn profiles are often times a verbatim electronic version of someone’s resume. Take a moment to evaluate their experience, skills and talents. Don’t be afraid to connect  or shoot them a message describing your open position! Make sure to stay personable in your message, otherwise you may come across as spam and inauthentic.

2)      Twitter Searches

Twitter’s search function is an incredible tool that many people simply overlook as a basic website feature. Businesses can search important keywords to their market and find potential customers instantaneously. For example, if an office furniture dealer searched the terms “need office chair” they could find the following leads:

A simple personal reply back to these potential customers could lead to great new business!

3)      Pinterest Sources

Wondering who is pinning pictures of your products? Use the URL http://www.pinterest.com/source/yourcompany.com to find images on Pinterest that were taken from your site. This is a quick way to find potential clients or people that are already interested in what your company has to offer!

4)      Divide and Conquer

Social media dashboards like HootSuite are crucial to organizing and keeping track of your social media profiles. Creating feeds on your HootSuite dashboard for Facebook Wall Posts, Twitter Feeds and Twitter Searches allow you to make sure you don’t miss anything important on social media! HootSuite also allows you to schedule posts, so that important ‘Happy Holidays’ tweet doesn’t go out a week too late! Additional Tip: Organize your Twitter followers into lists (i.e. Potential Customers, Industry Leaders, Community Stakeholders) and import those into your HootSuite dashboard to keep tabs on important social influencers for your business!

5)      Ask Questions

It’s proven that followers on your social media pages are more likely to interact with your company if you ask questions! Don’t post high-level, ACT type questions, though. Simple, fun and engaging questions will spur conversation and buzz on your social media page.

In what ways does your business stay engaged on social media?

Inside the HON Oak Laminate Plant

When I first moved to Iowa, I was surprised to see how much this region was influenced by manufacturing.  The entire manufacturing process is something that has always intrigued me. I think it is fascinating how raw materials can quickly become items we use every day. Working at HON, I have the unique opportunity to experience this phenomenon of manufacturing literally just across the street.

Root Root Root for the HON Team!

The snow is melting, days are getting longer and the birds are returning home from their hiatus down south. As the birds head north, all 30 Major League Baseball teams head south to begin spring training. With the warm up of this American pastime, it is only appropriate to give those non-baseball lovers an analogy between baseball and office furniture to help them understand what they’ve missed and what to expect in the coming years. So sit back and relax, (no pun intended) while enjoying our comparison between baseball and office furniture, HON style.

Where to start? How about “The Sultan of Swat,” “The Colossus of Clout,” “The Great Bambino,” Mr. Babe Ruth!  The only chair that has stood the test of time and is still famous like Babe Ruth is the Pillow-Soft® Executive High-back chair. It doesn’t matter that today’s ‘players’ are slimmer and lower profile, this big comfy model is still a top seller! As a wise man once said, “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”

From the big and soft to the best money can buy, we jump right to the top! Ceres is the top of the line for The HON Company. If you want comfort, style and functionality then you want Ceres. In baseball we call Ceres® the New York Yankees. You may need to spend a little more to get the best, but you will not regret it!

What if you don’t have the extra cash to spend? Then you need to get the most value for your buck. Please welcome in the most transactional line of furniture HON has to offer, basyx® by HON! Reminiscent of the Oakland Athletics this line of furniture can compete with any and all competitors. At times this line will fly under the radar but when the game is on the line and it is getting close to the last out, you know it will be in the hunt for the win!

Hate the Way Your Office Looks? Take Action!

So, you hate going to the office. Not because of the work, of course, but because you hate your workspace. Is your office boring? Are you tired of the décor? Looking to make a change, but have no idea where to start? You’re not alone. Taking the first step to changing your office space is always the hardest, but putting it off is only going to make you hate your  office more. Try to take your office redo one easy step at a time.

1. Get inspired

When I need a little design inspiration, I turn to everyone’s favorite online bulletin board: Pinterest. Pinterest has  hundreds of gorgeous office looks, DIY projects and wishlists to look at in order to build your dream office. I post on
here daily so I can always have inspiring spaces a few clicks away. I’d suggest creating a separate board just for your office redo in order to motivate and inspire you, as well as track all of your ideas.

Image via The Welch Adobe Office Makeover

2. Be realistic

If you have limited space or a limited budget, you have to be realistic on how to change your workspace. If you’re renting an office space, you’re obviously not going to be able to knock out walls for that loft feel you love. I don’t think you need to do construction in order to have an awesome workspace/office, so think outside of “permanent” changes. If you have a small space for just a desk at home, you won’t be redoing an entire room. You can still have a great space no
matter how big, so keep that in mind.

Image via Icreatables

3. Take it one piece at a time

Whatever it is that bothers you so much about your office, be it your walls, your carpet, or your furniture, try redoing a piece at a time. Start by changing the walls with a new paint job or temporary wallpaper or decorative panels. Get a
new desk or a new chair and see how you feel. Making these changes one at a time, instead of all at once, will be less overwhelming and more enjoyable. Most importantly, keep a list of all the changes you want to make otherwise you won’t know what to do or where to go!

Image via AP

4. Rearrange things (Even the President does it!)
If you can’t find anything wrong with the decor itself, maybe it’s the position of everything that’s bothering you. Recently, I moved my workspace from my office’s main room and into an enclosed office and I feel SO much better. Try
moving your desk to the opposite wall or shifting things around in your cubicle, even the most subtle of changes can help you love your space a little more.

What are some quick solutions to solving the lack of love of your workspace?

Sayeh, The Office Stylist, is a guest contributor to the HON Forward Blog. Check out her bio on our Meet The Team page!