Time for the latest update on great posts from our sister site, Work+Place. This week’s “best of” includes:
- Interruptions! Susan explores how we are are own worst interruptors (case in point: number of times I have flipped to another screen during the writing of this post – at this point, three – and that’s not including switching sites to copy hyperlinks).
- Is Being an Expert a Bad Thing? Expert interior designer Mike shares about Knoll’s experiment with using non-experts (really experts in other fields) to design their new Antenna Workspaces.
- Innovation! Leigh shares a Wharton study about innovative thinking - and how collaborative settings are not always the best way to get
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As many of you know, our own Leigh Stringer has been hitting the talk circuit pretty hard to promote sustainability in the office (and her book, The Green Workplace). Last Wednesday, Leigh had the opportunity to speak to the U.S. Green Building Council’s National Capital Region chapter.
Following an introduction and update on the chapter’s activities by Executive Director Tom Mawson, and a thoughtful introduction by Laura Schonfeld (Secretary of the Board of Directors), Leigh took to the stage.
Her presentation discussed the context for the book, AHA! moments she had while writing it, and an analysis of what is coming down the pipeline …
Recently, CoreNet Global, the world’s leading corporate real estate and workplace executives professional association in the world, recognized their Top Rated Faculty for 2009. This award is given to specific individuals who have participated in developing and instructing CoreNet courses. Recipients of this elite award also must receive a 6.4 or higher rating on a 7 point scale on the course evaluation sheet based on their course knowledge, crowd interaction and presentation skills.
HOK Advance Strategies is fortunate to have three Top Rated Faculty recognized for their dedication to teaching and advancing the profession. …
HOUSTON, TEXAS – The Green Workplace Booksigning Tour made its long awaited stop in the Lone Star State, after multiple stops in St. Louis, NY, WDC and Chicago. HOK along with Hines and Knoll sponsored the one night booksigning event which proved to be a lively yet intimate green evening. The event took place Wednesday, February 17, 2010, in the KNOLL showroom and in the lobby of the recently certified LEED Gold Williams Tower.
Leigh Stringer from Advance Strategies Washington DC, was the special guest to present findings and sign her book, The Green Workplace: Sustainable Strategies that Benefit Employees, the Environment and …
Yesterday, HOK New York had the pleasure of hosting its signature January Retrospective: A Talk + Book-Signing with Leigh Stringer. I am pleased to report that the event was a huge success and our team has received fantastic reviews from guests and HOK leaders alike. The HOK New York marketing team organized the effort under the leadership of Chris Laul. Sharon Paculor, Liz Royzman, Alex Robb and I were happy to see the fruits of our labor so elegantly harvested at the end of Leigh’s fabulous evening, hosted at the AIA Center for Architecture.
I must thank all of the HOK staff who played a role in …
Jodi Williams is another member of the DC Advance Strategies crew. She has been working with Leigh in that office for four years, during which time she has made quite a name for herself. She has a mixed background of sociology and urban planning that always gives her a different take on clients’ needs. Her questions quickly reveal her love for solving complex problems, kicking some butt on the soccer field, and snuggling with her pets. Along with this interview, she was highlighted in a podcast when this blog turned one year old – so be sure to have a listen for more information!
Q: You play a lot …
Leigh Stringer. Green Workplace Maven. HOK Board of Directors Member. Loving Wife and Mother. All Around Great Person. If you don’t know Leigh Stringer, you are missing out. A rising star in HOK’s Advance Strategies practice, Leigh has focused her career on green design and workplace behavior in facility planning projects all over the world. She is author and creator of the The Green Workplace blog and she has also recently published a book of the same name. Even more impressive is that between clients, book signings and star-studded weddings in NYC, she still made time to answer my 5 questions so all of you could get to know her too….
Lately we’ve all been reading about the state of working women in the 21st century. The Shriver Report was recently released, validating the fact that, for the first time in our history, half of all US workers are women. Time Magazine also broached the topic, revisiting their story from 1972 in which they studied the state of the women in “the throes of women’s lib.” These, and many other confirming reports, are bringing the issues of the modern-day working woman to the forefront.
We’ve decided to add to this cultural discussion by introducing several of the Inspiring Women of HOK. We hope to bring forth some dialog as to these women’s …
In just a tiny fragment of my career at HOK, spanning from September 25th to October 26th, 2009, I have witnessed some of this firm’s best and brightest stars do a whole variety of noteworthy, if not amazing things. I would like to use this bloggertunity to recognize the HOK awesomeness that I’ve personally experienced over the last four weeks…
September 25th: Life at HOK (hoklife.com) is featured in the St. Louis Business Journal. The article, authored by Cynthia Vespereny is entitled, “HOK builds own ‘network’ through company’s blog” and it features many of our corporate communications all-stars as well as a brief mention of one of my …
Not to be outdone by Chicago, HOK WDC hosted a book-launch party for our own Leigh Stringer and her fabulous book The Green Workplace on Tuesday, October 6.
The event was held on the green roof of 700 Sixth Street, one of DC’s first LEED C&S Platinum buildings (designed by HOK, of course). The building’s developer, Akridge, gracefully allowed HOK to use the roof deck (and downstairs lobby when the fall wind and a few sprinkles picked up), as well as providing tours of the space on the fourth floor (currently tracking LEED CI Gold!). Food was …
Our very own HOK author extraordinaire, Leigh Stringer, was in Chicago yesterday for a book-signing. Festivities were held in the HOK-designed Allsteel-Gunlocke showroom. It was a great event with a wonderful turnout. Books flew off the shelf! Check out the photos here.
Leigh Stringer interviews Tom Kriger, Provost and VP for Academics for the National Labor College on why the NLC is creating a new Green Workplace Representative Certificate program on The Green Workplace Radio.
The National Labor College is in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the only accredited college devoted exclusively to training and educating union members, leaders, activists and staff. Turns out… labor is really pro-green, especially when it comes to re-tooling the workforce to be competitive and supporting local …
Tom Polucci, Clay Pendergrast, Rick Focke, Harry Lassiter, Sabine Bartzke, Sharon Paculor and I are hanging out in a conference room in NY with Contract Magazine, specifically, Editor Jennifer Busch and Art Director Steven Betts. HOK is helping to create and coordinate all of the content for Contract’s July issue this year, and our theme is COLLABORATION. We’ve got a mock up of all of the articles up on a wall and are looking at broad themes. Summary of discussion so far…
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We all knew that Life@HOK was the gateway to greatness, fame, and fortune, but who knew it would happen so quickly?! Today the Executive Committee announced HOK’s newest board members…and, believe it or not, two of our very own were selected.
Send your congratulations to Tom Polucci and Leigh Stringer – two fun, fabulous, smart, talented leaders and the brains behind Life@HOK. And kudos to HOK leadership for picking some of the firm’s most brilliant minds!
One of the things I like best about working at HOK is the firm’s committment to professional (and personal) development. While we see this dedication throughout the year through various learning events (both in house and external), it’s never more apparent than at review time.
Each HOK business unit does the review process slightly differently. Advance Strategies uses an online tool called the “Personal Development Plan,” or PDP for short. The PDP is a great way to formalize short- and long-term goals (honestly, I need someone to force me to think about it sometimes), gauge how you’re doing against your official position description, and measure your achievements for the year. It also …
