This Taco John's is a Great Good Place

When you think of fast food restaurants have you ever used the words welcoming, comfortable, and accommodating to describe the space?  Not likely!  That is until you walk into Taco Johns in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  This is not your ordinary fast food franchise!  This space invites you to linger (yes, you heard me correctly -LINGER – the word fast food places do NOT want their customers to engage at any level).  This Taco John’s could easily be a ‘third place’ – a place to meet others, enjoy spending time together while lingering over food and conversation.

I was so impressed with this space that I took notes and sent a letter to their corporate office!  Here is what stood out to me:  

·        The exterior appearance is delightfully pleasing – especially the lighting which adds interest as well as safety at night

·        The layout of the dining space is inviting, varied, and has good flow

·        Brown wooden chairs (wonderfully moveable to accommodate

customer needs) add warmth and a sense of home comfort

·        Restrooms are clean and very roomy – Please note that extra space in restrooms is always appreciated by women!

·        Brown tin ceiling tiles bring interest to the center space and make it unique from the rest of the room

·        Warmth and texture are added by the stone fireplace

·        The TV, located over the fireplace, is visible but does not intrude or invade the entire dining space 

·        Varied seating provides support and accommodation to many uses and needs for single diners, just for two, families, and groups by its high bistro tables, small café tables, booths, a large circular table for conferencing, and a curved booth that is open on one side for easy access

·        The first impression is CLEAN and ORDERLY

·        A sense of quality is evident in the attention to each detail

George Ritzer, author of The McDonalization of Society, has argued that the fast food industry has valued efficiency over other human values.  A restaurant consultant once shared with me that the lingo used in the industry is to create ‘an experience’ for the dining customer. 

 

Certainly this franchise, owned by Kevin Vance, has given considerable thought to the importance of the space in adding to a customer’s comfort and experience. This Taco John’s provides a welcoming, comfortable, and accommodating place for a lonely traveler, a tired single parent, a celebration, a staff meeting, and a first date.  It is my hope that many more fast food places will give thought to their spaces!  Thank you, Kevin Vance, for this great good space! 

To read more about how our spaces impact our behaviors visit www.spatialimpact.com.

Finding a Great Good Place

          When I first moved to Madison I was lonely. In finding my way in this new community, I often landed at Barnes and Noble.  I began to realize that by simply walking through its doors, I no longer felt like a new person in town in need of friends. The smell of coffee, the invitation to learn and enjoy life in each book, the overstuffed chairs to snuggle into for an hour or more, and other people doing the very same thing felt good. Here I was among total strangers, but  I felt welcomed - not pressured or asked to quickly purchase and move on; but invited to linger, be among others, to join this ‘community’.  Here I felt included, creative, productive, and at peace.  It was in those overstuffed chairs that I shaped and formed my business, Spatial Impact.

What makes a public gathering place feel so good? This was the key question that a sociologist by the name of Ray Oldenburg sought to answer in his book, THE GREAT GOOD PLACE.  As he says in his preface, “My interest was in those happy gathering places that a community may contain, those ‘homes away from home’ where unrelated people relate.”  What drew people in?   Why did it feel like home?  What happened that made it different from other public places? 

Oldenburg named them ‘third places’ and defined them “after home-first, and workplace –second, these are the informal public gathering places that serve community because they are inclusive and local.”  His research discovered several qualities that seemed to be present in every ‘third place’.  If you remember the TV show, Cheers, you begin to have a good understanding of what Oldenburg discovered. A ‘third place’ becomes such both by the space given to that purpose and the atmosphere created by those who gather there.

Here is a checklist of some of those ‘third place’ qualities:

ü Serves as entry points for newcomers.  A remedy for stress, loneliness, and alienation.

ü Business is often conducted here, networking happens.  (How many coffee shops can you name as ‘third places’?)

ü The entertainment is provided by the people being themselves. The main activity is conversation!  Third places are where people talk about their problems – listen to each other in a caring way.

ü A place for all ages to gather. They provide a means for retired people to remain in contact with those still working and allows the oldest generation to associate with the youngest generation. (Have you walked into a McDonald’s lately?  You’ll see the retired business men gathering for fellowship and moms in conversation while their children play.)

ü Inclusive of differing thoughts, ages, sexes, and vocations.  Accessible to general public with no membership or exclusion.

ü Allows people to come and go. Third places that render the best and fullest service are those to which one may go alone at almost any time of the day or evening with assurance that others will be there.

ü Access to them must be easy if they are to survive and serve. Location needs to be within walking distance or easy parking and open long hours.

ü Typically a non-pretentious décor which encourages the abandonment of social pretense.  Regulars of third places do not go home and dress up.  They come as they are.

ü The persistent mood of a third place is playful, cheerful, upbeat. One goes there to feel better and usually leaves in a good spirit.

ü The regulars make a third place come alive.  This defines the character of the place – providing an infectious and contagious style of interaction.  Cheers style!

The back cover of Oldenburg’s book says . . . “Third places or great good places are the many public places where people can gather, put aside the concerns of home and work (their first and second places), and hang out simply for the pleasures of good company and lively conversation.  They are the heart of a community’s social vitality and the grassroots of democracy.  .  . This is a compelling argument for these settings of informal public life as essential for the health both of our communities and ourselves.”

What’s your favorite Third Place?   Would love to know what makes it a Great Good Place for you!

What WOMEN Want

Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of Envirosell, Inc., has a new book  called

WHAT WOMEN WANT- THE GLOBAL MARKET TURNS FEMALE FRIENDLY.   In this book he takes us on a tour of the world’s marketplace for what makes a package, product, space, or service ‘female friendly’.   He also cautions all men to pay close attention and start making changes.

 I was particularly aware of his insights regarding women and spaces.  In his introduction he quickly puts it on the line . . . “If your store, restaurant, bank, hotel lobby, mall, or other public space or amenity doesn’t acknowledge the female factor, if it doesn’t invite women in and make them feel at home, at ease, safe, hygienic, respected, and in control, if it doesn’t take into account what women want and expect (which is a whole lot different from what men want and expect), well, then, it’s bad business.”

He names the top four qualities women want in the spaces they enter.

CLEANLINESS . . .   “Am I in a clean environment? is an intuition, a vibe that women pick up about every room they enter.”

CONTROL . . . Not only women, but most particularly women, want to have control of their spaces.  This allows them to create the space to suit their needs. Movable seating, temperature and noise controls are important to women.

SAFETY . . . This is a most important factor to women as they engage their environments. Hotel windows that don’t lock, bulbs that are burned out in the parking lot, lighting levels in the lobby all make women feel vulnerable and unsure of their personal safety.

CONSIDERATENESS . . . While politeness is certainly a character that is valued, Mr. Underhill is speaking about signage that addresses the questions women have regarding specific next steps.  This would include a sign that mentions assistance is available to load a heavy purchase into the car or that tipping is not accepted.   This signage calms the anxiety of what comes next and allows women to confidently navigate their spaces.

Let me summarize using my three key questions we ask of a space:  1) Am I safe?  2) Am I welcome?  3) Now that I am here, what is expected of me?  Now really, guys, isn’t all this important to you, too?   It’s very difficult for us to SEE our own spaces because they are so familiar to us - we already know that we are safe, welcome, and what is expected of us.  This is where I can be helpful to your business.

Take advantage of my FIRST IMPRESSIONS service. I come to your place of business, observe and then share a checklist of my findings that assist you in better understanding how your space is experienced by your clients. You will hear the positives and the challenges of your space as well as several suggestions for improvement.  And because I am a woman, you will be immediately updated with all the Paco Underhill criteria.  What a deal!! 

Read more about the impact of spaces on our behaviors and consulting services available at www.spatialimpact.com.

A Place or A Space?

Where is ‘place’ within the spaces we live and see?  Walls, streets, buildings give us place.  Sky, fields, and open water offer vastness of space.  Are ‘space’ and ‘place’ the same? I think not.   Space is vague, inclusive, and universal.  Place is named, determined, recognized.  Space holds dreams.  Place holds memories. 

Space allows breath and breathing.  It awakens the imagination and creativity.  It invites the deepest part of us to trust and explore.  It begs for nothing.  It is the absence of ‘what might be’ that gives it freedom.  It has no demands.  Space is uncommitted, unnamed, without story and specific memory. 

Place is very different.  Place offers suggestions by its very nature.  Place defines as it becomes a sounding board for the many memories it may invoke.  Places hold and invite stories.  While a place may be silent, the story that is recalled will be full of sound and movement, color and dynamic. Places remember a relationship, moods and feelings.

Not too long ago I invited my Facebook friends to share familiar phrases with the word ‘place’.  Listen for the clarity in direction and purpose. Hear the stories they hold. What memories come to mind?

Your place or mine?

A place for everything and everything in its place

Are you in the right place?

Between a rock and a hard place

What’s taking place?

A place at the table

Peyton Place

Place your bets

Placeholder

Place of worship

It's not your place.

No-place; Some-place

There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us. - West Side Story

Right-place; Wrong-place

We’ve got to get out of this place!

Put the placemats on the table near the fireplace.

I can't quite place the face.

Place your hands on your head and step away from the car.

What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?

Ah, but that was in another place and time." 

Placesetting of silverware

She put me in my place!

A place in the sun

A place of my own

Place-based training

They'll never place me at the scene of the crime!

I landed in 1^st place.

No place like home

I'll go in your place

 I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. - Abraham Lincoln

And now . . .  what PLACE phrase comes to your mind?   This is the PLACE to post it!

Making a House a Home

Several times a year I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity by offering a workshop called MAKING A HOUSE A HOME for their new homeowners before they move in.  The style of the workshop is conversational and  I usually begin our time together by asking for a definition of ‘home’.  As they snuggle into the reflective nature of this workshop, I find that they also snuggle into their hopes and dreams for what this new space will gift their lives. 

Defining home seems to remind us all that a home is a special and important place. Phillip Moffitt, former editor of Esquire magazine, said  A house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the soul.  Writer, Victoria Moran speaks of home this way. A home is a signature - distinct and recognizable.  Home is where you go to refuel - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Here are some of the frequent responses from the Habitat for Humanity families: 

·        home is about being able to be who you really are

·        a home provides privacy

·        home means having a sense of freedom

·        home is a place to call your own

·        it’s where family gatherings happen

·        a home creates a cozy feeling

·        a home brings peace and comfort into our lives

·        a home is a safe haven 

Then we go through every room of the house, identifying how life will be fully lived in that space.

·        How will you enter your home?  

·        What activities will be happening in the living room, kitchen, etc?  

·        What special furniture, art, or memorabilia will enhance your spaces? 

·        How will you live in the outside spaces?  

·        What colors are you eager to paint the walls and have around you?

·        What personality do you wish each room to express?  

·         What room do you think will be your favorite and why?

In some ways this process is asking What is it that you need from this house to be the best and happiest you? How do you want ‘home’ to feel when you walk into each and every room?

In addition to naming what will be packed to take to the new home, it is equally important to decide what will NOT be moving.  Stories of a readiness to ‘let go’ and ‘start fresh’ begin to be shared. Laughter and wild gestures accompany the telling of what will not be coming with them and why. The sorting of life memories and daily habits seems to happen naturally, just as the decisions of what does and does not go into the new home – the new life.

I once heard these words . . . “Your home is sacred space – a sacred space with your address.”  Each of these families has a new address, a new place, a sacred space to live a wonderful life! Welcome Home!!

Featuring TOTAL CARE DENTAL

A patient of Total Care Dental on Odana Road in Madison, WI called me to say, “You need to see this place. What a great reception area!”  I made an appointment to visit and hear the story of how it came into being.

TCD moved to a new location and in doing so had the opportunity to make their space really work for them. Knowing that many people are fearful of going to the dentist, they wanted their reception space to calm those fears. The use of warm browns, beiges and taupe, accents of wood, and colorful wall artwork complement each other beautifully and speak of the natural world. ‘Cozy’ became the key quality they wanted their reception area to express. Even the table lamps enhance a cozy light that makes the room more welcoming. And what could be cozier than a fireplace? Rather than placing the fireplace in a corner where only a few could enjoy it, they positioned it to allow three sections of the reception area to have direct access to its warmth and ambience.

Cozy was also implemented by creating several spaces for seating - like small living rooms.  A variety of seating options and the way they are configured is instrumental in offering places for personal space.  From simple upholstered chairs with arms to open benches and angled seating, patients can find a ‘fit’ to their body shape and privacy needs.

Care for the patient is also accommodated in other ways. In thinking of the patient’s needs, it was important to create comfort, ease, and personal space.  A partitioned room designed for children is stocked with books, games, and TV - including a cocktail table arcade game. Just outside is an upholstered bench for a waiting parent to be mindful of her child without having to be in that space.  I was told that this bench, located closer to the entrance and the reception desk, is also a favorite ‘sit’ for the elderly as they wait for their appointments. All in all – the entrance, the children’s area, and this bench are able to be easily monitored by the staff at the front desk.

Patient care is exhibited in available WIFI and a separate desk computer for use.  Both magazines and beverages are easily accessible and uncomplicated to acquire.  A large wall screen shares about Total Care Dental, its staff, and educates around good dental hygiene.  Visible, but without sound, this opportunity’ to learn’ is non-invasive to the reception room activity.

Two of my favorite spaces in this reception area are its entrance and the reception desk.  As a patient comes in from the outside, he comes into an inviting second entrance.  Here the beautiful Total Care Dental logo is etched into the window, a welcome sign instructs patients to check in at the front desk, and the door into the reception space is positioned at an angle – adding interest and uniqueness. This is a simple space with a powerful impact.  

The design of the reception desk space is extraordinary. Care has been taken to not have patients see and hear the work done behind the scenes.  The curvature of the wall keeps the office area from sight, yet very accessible to those who are working.  

This reception area has accomplished ‘cozy’ in a way that cares for patient needs.  And the bonus – it inspires beautiful smiles to happen!

Special Note:  Furniture and Photographs by Lerdahl Business Interiors

Clutter, Clutter, Clutter

I recently presented a seminar on The Psychology of Clutter for the State Department of Health Services staff.  Everyone was amazed at the record breaking attendance, but it speaks to the hold that clutter has on our lives.  It touches our homes, cars, and work spaces. It affects us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  

What happens to our bodies when we enter a cluttered space? We feel that we cannot breathe - in fact - our breathing indeed changes in cluttered spaces.  We breathe with tighter and shallower breaths.  When clutter surrounds us we have trouble focusing.  We are distracted.  It impacts our vision and our thinking.  Sometimes all we know is that we ‘need to get out of here’.  The space has not offered room for us to enter with all that we hold in our minds, bodies, and spirits.  The space has been filled for us and we often leave in frustration.

Karen Kingston is a consultant who works with clearing clutter from homes and businesses. She offers four categories of clutter:

1) Things you do not use or love

2) Things untidy or disorganized

3) Too many things in too small a space

4) Anything unfinished.

Are you thinking what you would put in each of those categories?

Let’s see . . . 1) a collection of salt and pepper shakers that I inherited, 2) the storage room in the basement 3) my closet 4) the remote that doesn’t work

Are things beginning to come to mind?

For some, the issue of clutter seems simple - just toss things out or give stuff away.  However, the issue of clutter has deep emotional holds on us.  It has a power in our lives that can cause harm.

In Karen’s book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, she has an impressive list of the ways that clutter affects us.  Think with me through this list.  What is true about you and your clutter, your spaces? 

          1.   Having Clutter can make you feel tired and lethargic

          2.   Having Clutter can keep you in the past

          3.   Having Clutter can congest your body

          4.   Having Clutter can affect your body weight

          5.   Having Clutter can confuse you

          6.   Having Clutter can affect the way people treat you

          7.   Having Clutter can make you procrastinate

          8.   Having Clutter can cause disharmony in relationships

          9.   Having Clutter can make you feel ashamed

          10.  Having Clutter can put your life on hold

          11.  Having Clutter can depress you

          12.  Having Clutter can create excess baggage

          13.  Having Clutter can dull your sensitivity and enjoyment of life

          14.  Having Clutter can cause extra cleaning

          15.  Having Clutter can make you disorganized

          16.  Having Clutter can be a health or fire hazard

          17.  Having Clutter can cost you financially

          18.  Having Clutter can distract you from important things

          19.  Having Clutter can create undesirable symbology

Nineteen ways ‘of being’ we can purposefully avoid in our lives if we deal with our clutter! Amazing!!

          If we were to re-write the above list by saying ‘Eliminating Clutter Can . . . give me energy, prepare me for the future, help me lose weight’ wouldn’t this be a wonderful life?  Who is willing to give this a try?   Count me in!!

          Visit www.spatialimpact.com to learn more about our spaces and behaviors.