One of the most common mistakes you can  make in your business when starting out is underestimating the power of atmosphere. The philosophy that “any space will do” and that any sort of work environment is sufficient is just asking for trouble. Without going into the whole feng shui thing, there’s certainly some truth to that fact that the way an indoor environment is set up can either be vital or detrimental to the on goings therein. When it comes to work, this is not only the truth, but a truth that any business owner must be wholly aware of.

Chances are your team members will never come to you with complaints about how inefficient an office floor plan is, or how bogged down they get from being in a room with no natural lighting. That’s because A) most people aren’t aware of how much such environmental factors can influence their job performance, and B) most people that are employed these days are thankful for that and aren’t about to complain about where their desk sits relative to their co-workers. They’re just happy they have a desk.

So it’s your job to figure out the most efficient formula for office space use.

• For starters, you must establish in your head exactly what kind of work will be happening in the office. It’s the only way you’ll be able to create a worthy inventory of necessary furniture. Are your workers going to be exclusively on computers? Then standard rectangle desks will suffice, but the chairs must be a worthwhile investment. If instead they’re going to be doing more hands on activities, such as building models or putting together mechanics, then go with a work bench series and stick with high chairs or stools that discourage slouching and encourage focus.

But there’s more to it than just making sure the furnishings you choose are practical.

• You must make sure they’re aligned properly. Not in accordance with an ancient method of spatial organizing, but by practicality. If workers are expected to operate as a team, then their desks need to face each other and be close enough for open communication. If instead workers are encouraged to work independently, then their work stations need to be relatively removed from one another and facing directions that lead to minimal distractions.

With that said, never subject your workers to a depressing work environment. Not everyone can have a corner office or be facing the window over the park, but if the only way an office space will work is if a few workers stare at a wall all day under poor lighting, skip it. The loss in productivity and potential risk for turnaround is just too high no matter the bargain.

Organizing office space isn’t easy but it isn’t something that takes a lot of time to master. You just have to keep your priorities straight and think ahead. It’s not always about the best rate, biggest amount of space, and cheapest furnishings. It’s about ensuring that your company will remain predictably productive as you begin to grow.

There’s no excuse for the rampant unemployment rate currently being experienced by college graduates under the age of 25. Their chances of finding fulfilling full-time employment are slim to none. The worst thing about the situation is that their inability to find work is no indicator of their lack of talent. It’s instead an unfortunate combination of bad economy and limited space. However, the limited space seems to be simply a matter of forgoing recently graduated youth in favor of those with more accumulated work experience.

Here are four reasons why that’s a backward way of deciding whether or not someone is employable. Not only are recent college grads good candidates for your ideal workforce, they can also help you sustain your business into the future.

#1 Dedication Level is Oftentimes Higher

When you give someone their first “adult” job, especially in tough economic times, chances are they’re going to behave like they owe you something more besides hard work. They don’t, but that doesn’t mean you won’t reap the benefits from their self-bound obligations to perform far above their station. College graduates aren’t as jaded by former professional experiences as seasoned professionals. While they take longer to train, college graduates are willing to approach the work day positively and with a goal to do the most good.

#2 Starting Salary Can be Lower

When hiring someone with previous professional experience, you’re expected to provide a bigger salary from the start than you otherwise would for someone without experience. Therefore, recent college graduates can be offered a lower starting salary. While good work and proven responsibility call for a raise, those first six months to a year can see significant savings if your company can avoid paying someone $10K more by giving the job to a college graduate.

#3 Young People Dominate Technology

Maybe your company is offering half a dozen chemical engineering jobs, or perhaps it’s nearly forty electrical engineering jobs. Either way, for responsibilities as serious as what these jobs entail, it’s instinctive to seek someone older for the position. But when it comes to science and technology, young brains work well. Not only are young people naturally more inclined to embrace the latest technology, they’ve had it incorporated into their lives for years. Those specifically geared toward science and technology recently out of college are poised to have the mental agility and the physical prowess to handle specialized industrial workloads.

#4 Ambition Benefits Everyone

Most college graduates are eager to succeed. Chances are, the intro position you’re offering isn’t their idea of “success.” College grads are typically determined to climb the ladder as fast and furiously as possible in their quest for achievement. You don’t want a worker who is excessively ambitious, but someone who is determined to rise up, is someone who can be counted on to take care of their responsibilities independently.

Don’t pass up the nearly bottomless pile of recent graduate resumes. Within them you may find exactly who you’re looking for. College graduates are eager to please and will work hard to make you proud, even for a starting salary. Provide one or two with an opportunity to succeed during these tough times and they’re sure to never forget it.

1. Get out of your office

2. Make your office a welcome place

I am the leader of a political group on a town council. We are the majority group, by a margin of one, which makes me the leader of the council. One of our number is the Mayor and therefore the chairman of the Council.

Initially he stood against me for the leadership of the group and when he failed to get elected by the group, he then put himself forward for nomination as mayor and was duly elected as such. I should add that his wife and daughter are also members of the group.

He is clearly resentful about not being made the group leader and is using his position as mayor to disrupt the cohesion of the group under my leadership. He is withholding information and excluding councillors from civic functions and events. He is also carrying out trivial acts to annoy and upset the opposition, which leads to endless political niggle that upsets my group. Attempts to address this issue with him are stonewalled.

This problem is probably akin to having a disruptive member of a board, who is supported by two other people whose loyalties are conflicted.

What should one do about this?

The Team Doc Says…

I would rarely call a political council a team. There are too many competing priorities with each of these people. And sadly one of those issues is typically ego. Way too many politicians have forgotten that they are in place to serve the public — and end up serving themselves.

It sounds to me like you and the Mayor need to have a heart to heart. Obviously you are both passionate about your town and you probably have some common interests and goals.

Rather than assuming he is doing things to undermine your leadership, call him on it. But first do it in private.

And, as with any conflict, you want to make sure and keep emotion out of the conversation (I know that’s really hard) and just deal with observable behaviors.

It would probably be a good idea for your council to hire a facilitator to help you develop some joint goals and objectives that are focused on your town and its people. That would go a long way to helping you and the Mayor become more collaborative and less competitive.