West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

Building a Successful Work Team

Putting together a successful work team for your business is an art. Whether it is a team of two people or hundreds of employees which must be hired for a corporation, consider an ancient formula to help with finding the right combination. It takes many Elements to build a solid structure; why not apply these same principles when building a dream team! Feng Shui offers knowledge of these qualities, through the constructive or destructive cycles. There are five Elements which reflect and contain energies or Chi. The first is Wood, followed by Fire, Earth, Metal and last Water. All nature is made from these qualities as the human species contains water, minerals and other vital essences needed to form a body. Although life is very complex with the physical and spiritual working in tandem, there is not one human being with the exact same blueprint except for a clone, and even clones have different birth dates and times.

There are seasons, each with a different essence, Elements and time factors. The theories are all very complicated and complex, but one simple truth is the Sun and Moon have very different effects on the weather, growing seasons and personalities. Feng Shui encompasses more than the act of moving a couch or bed to unblock life situations. The Art of Placement contains universal knowledge from conception to death, and its relationship within the environment. Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine take into consideration this sacred partnership of the Elements when diagnosing patients. Are you suffering from a damp or dry condition, is the blood in a Yang Fire condition, dried and dark or a Yin mucus Water state?

In the Chinese Zodiac each year is given an animal or personality, and an Element. Every twelve years the Element changes with the animal. Each person is born with many qualities, but some are more prevalent, so our personalities take on the actions of these Elements. For example, when you find your birth year and the Element for that year, you can determine a lot about yourself and others.

WOOD. . . .Bamboo describes the perfect balanced Wood person, strong but flexible. They can bend in the wind but they are strong when needed. This person can be a groundbreaker, has infectious optimism, and is very creative and motivated, unless the Wood becomes rigid, unyielding and may have a lack of focus and follow-through problems. Anger can set in when they don’t get their way due to fear of change.

FIRE. . . . . .Action is this person’s middle name. Fire gets people going, helps the Wood person to burn away the fear and to transform ideas. This happy worker has little fear but can become very hot tempered when ideas are considered silly. This person is skilled at networking and casting light on the subject while using intuition. The flip side of this motivator is they are likely to burn out and need support. But a Fire person is an absolute must for taking chances and finding a way to make it work, but will probably turn the project over to another Element to finish, as new ideas are popping in their heads before the deal is over

EARTH. . .Serving others and grounding all the wild people in the team, this dependable team builder maintains and provides harmony for the group. Whether baking and bringing food to co-workers, the Earth person makes everyone feel comfy and is skilled as an anchoring the whole of the company. Don’t forget to acknowledge their contributions or you will lose a good friend. Fire creates Earth and so these two personalities can work together. They can be stuck in the mud and stubborn when taken advantage of.

METAL. . .Earth makes Metal is the constructive cycle, and this person is the strategist and achiever. “Metal makes money” and has a business mind. Focused, action oriented on accomplishment and high values are Metal’s essence. Order and control gets the job done. This is an effective leader who can lead the company to success. Coins are made of Metal and Metal condensates which turns into money, plus Water or condensation forms money as it cycles. They can be perceived as insensitive, critical, cold and arrogant when out of balance.

WATER. . .Water provides communication and insight for the group. They are gifted philosophers and give the project meaning through skilled evaluation. As Water is needed to make anything grow, this Element is as necessary as the air we breathe. The well-balanced Water individual is humorous, invigorating, calms the crowd and gives steam to the work when necessary. Out-of-balance, emotional needs seem to surface and the “poor-me” syndrome sets in, when not given credit where credit is due. Water when flowing steadily and smoothly brings a steady flow of money to the company.

Using the year of a person’s birth date to help find their main Element can help the employer choose a well-rounded “dream team.” Too much of any Element can cause the destructive cycle to manifest. When doing a consultation for small or large business, workers are what make or break the success of the business. It doesn’t mean you have to fire anyone, as adjustments can be made in the environment, such as adding live vital plants and green decor to the space when you have too many Fire employees. This gives the Fire people the comfort of “having some Wood to burn.” Or you can hire an Earth person to work with a Water personality, as Earth “soaks up” Water. It is all about balancing. If this seems too confusing give me a call! I just finished applying this solution for a large company in China.

Caroline is a Feng Shui consultant, artist, herbalist, newspaper columnist, businesswoman, author and teacher. She has conducted over 3500 Feng Shui consultations. She has taught art for over 35 years. Her weekly column West Meets East can be viewed on her website moongateschool.com. Caroline’s advice is only considered suggestions and she is not responsible for any problems relating from her suggestions. Please consult a physician for any diagnostic evaluations concerning your health.

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