More Than a Chair

Can We Find Work-Life Fulfillment Post-Covid?

Work-life fulfillment and the path to engage employees in a meaningful way post-Covid.  Guests, Dr. Tracy Brower, a work environment sociologist and principal with the applied research and consulting group at Steelcase weighs in. She's also the author of "Bring Work to Life by Bringing Life to Work: A guide for leaders and organizations to focus on work-life fulfillment.  Also with us, Mary Beth Oakes, CEO and Owner of Business Furniture + Choreo.  Join us as we search for work-life balance in a new world of work and how change management leaders can help guide the process to find fulfillment again. 

Is Company Culture a Lost Destination?

What is the future of the workplace? What is the potential impact on workplace culture as employees continue to work remotely? How do you make the connection between remote employees and employees in the office as seamless as possible? To get the answers, we have Susan Juvet, Strategy Director and Senior Associate at Gensler and Mary Beth Oakes, CEO at Business Furniture + Choreo. 

Re-Routing Your Directions to a Safe Workplace

Sometimes we have to take an alternate route to get to where we're going.  A new approach to the workplace is required – one that is compelling and safe for employees and smart for the business. Our guests, Business Furniture + Choreo Interior Designer, Heidi Dellekamp and Steelcase Business Development Manager, Whitney Fuchs have both been boots on the ground, helping clients re-work and re-design their spaces for resilience.  

How Do We Know When the Timing is Right to Return to Work?

Employee focused research is more important than ever. First, it's essential to pinpoint your location on the roadmap to resilience and that means asking your employees questions about what’s working well while working from home, and what needs to happen for them to feel safe and confident about returning to work.     Gensler Strategist, David Craig and Principal and Founding Partner at Axis Architecture + Interiors, Drew White, weigh in on how meaningful data can help drive good decisions, plus how we take what we learn and make the workplace better and more flexible. 

The Roadmap to Resilience: Getting Back to Work Safely

Resilience is the ability to recover from difficult experiences and setbacks, to adapt and move forward. At Business Furniture + Choreo we know we’re all working to get on the ROAD TO RESILIENCE. Business Furniture + Choreo CEO, Mary Beth Oakes and Choreo President, Patty Clark sit down to explain the step by step guide to create a roadmap to resilience and help employees get back to work safely and confidently. 

The Choreo Story: Celebrating 13 years of Change Management

Change can be scary. Especially when it’s happening at work, it’s why CHOREO was born with a vision to make the workplace evolution a strategic people and business tool. Since Choreo’s birth in 2008, the certificated woman owned business has worked with dozens of companies in helping minimize the disruption associated with major moves and renovations--- all while lessening the burden and maximizing the success of work-place change. The masterminds behind CHOREO tell us how it all started. Join CEO of Business Furniture + Choreo- Mary Beth Oakes and CHOREO President Patty Clark for the Choreo story. 

Covid 19: The Impacts on Construction

Construction and engineering projects around the world have been impacted by COVID-19. Experts predict we will see some long-term ramification for many aspects of the U.S. Construction industry but what does that mean for us here in the Midwest? On THE MORE THAN A CHAIR PODCAST by Business Furniture + Choreo we have Vice President of Business Development at Meyer Najem Construction, Dan Lawson is here with us today to give us insight on what the long-term effects of Covid could be when talking construction. Also, Dainen Tolman, Director of K-12 Education Business Development at Business Furniture + Choreo to help us understand how schools are managing their projects and how the future could look. 

Curing the Culture Crisis: We’re Going to Have to Own Our 50.

Covid-19 will change the way we work in offices-perhaps indefinitely but what does this mean for office culture? According to a recent CNBC survey, 54% of workers say their jobs have become more difficult due to the pandemic. Managers will need to learn new ways to connect with their teams and continue to engage and create a culture where people WANT to work and feel safe. Today, on The More Than a Chair Podcast we have guest, Amy Woodall- Executive Vice President at Sandler Training Trustpointe- where she focuses on helping companies grow their people, profit and effectiveness in sales, service and leadership. Plus- Business Furniture + Choreo CEO, Mary Beth Oakes to help examine the new office culture and why it has to remain a priority. 

Can We Create Boundaries Without Compromising Design?

Social distancing, six-feet apart, screens, and masks, The world can feel very cold, sterile and separate right now as we navigate our workspaces post-pandemic. How can we give the safety of space and personal boundaries without compromising design? On this episode of the More Than a Chair podcast, we have with us expert guest Gale Moutrey, Vice President of Communications for Steelcase, the global leader in the office furniture industry and Mary Beth Oakes, CEO and Owner of Business Furniture + Choreo.  Can boundaries exist without compromising on design?

Talk Clean to Me

Sanitizer, Bleach, Clorox Wipes… Right now we’re all cleaning machines trying to stay healthy and create work environments where people feel safe. But what works? What’s over kill? And What should we be cleaning around the office? On this episode of “The More Than a Chair Podcast” we have Business Furniture + Choreo’s Hannah Freiherr, Director of Audience Development and Caryl Sugden, sales representative for Designtex, the leading company in the design and manufacturing of applied materials for the built environment. Together, we're finding the balance of a clean office without being sterile.