Telecommuting, coworking, and live-work spaces are changing the dynamics of the traditional office space.

The image that comes to mind when the word “office” is uttered: lines of grey cubicles, thin tiled carpet with a muted geometric pattern, air conditioning humming and drying out your skin, and fluorescent lighting flickering above your head. It’s almost a dirty word: “office,” much like the dreaded “w” word: “work.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average employed American spends over 1,600 hours a year working and commuting to their job. Without even trying to comprehend that number, we know that collectively we spend a lot of time driving to and working in an office and employees are finally demanding more than drab and dreary.

We can almost hear our parents/grandparents getting on our case, “Work is work. It’s not supposed to be enjoyable.” As long as employers have been trying to maximize efficiency, employees have attempted to make work more bearable.

Recent research has indicated that managers who cut corners on employee satisfaction to maximize profits may actually be hurting their bottom line. In fact, unhappy employees cost the U.S. economy $450 to $500 billion a year in lost productivity, according to the University of Southern California. That’s why companies and independent contractors are saying goodbye to the monotonous cubicle or office buildings all-together. Through co-working, creative technomad innovations, and updated live-work spaces, working has never looked better.

Rather than jumping through the hoops of creating a Google equivalent environment (we’re talking mountain views, in-house massages, basketball courts, and cozy egg-shaped work pods), more businesses are allowing all or some of their employees to work from home. This change of pace not only increases employee productivity by allowing them to work in a comfortable space, it also decreases overhead costs for the company. The same is true for independent contractors, freelancers, and other self-employed individuals. Nationwide, telecommuting has increased 115% in the last ten years, according to the State of Telecommuting Report.

Researchers from Stanford University studied the effectiveness of remote working by splitting the workers of a Shanghai company in half. For two years they examined the workers’ performances while half worked from home and half remained in the office. The remote workers had, on average, a 13% improvement in performance over the traditional workers.

Remote working isn’t perfect, however. It simply does not work for all personality types or corporate dynamics. Many major companies (IBM, Yahoo, Best Buy) have reverted their work from home policies in the last few years as productivity has become stale. Instead, they are taking a page from Google and Apple and making their corporate offices more creative and relaxing. Perhaps, it is just a change in pace that people crave to get them motivated.

Currently, Boulder is leading the United States in the remote working charge, with 8.5% of the total workforce telecommuting. Denver is not far behind with 5.1% of their workforce telecommuting. Some have called Boulder the Athens of the west; a new, exciting Mecca for today’s thought-leaders. It could be that the types of people attracted to BOCO also have the demeanor to work successfully under less supervision.

The exciting element of remote work is the possibility of where you could be if you’re not in a corporate office. Technomads—a term originally coined by Steven K. Roberts, author of Computing Across America—are people who are able to travel nationally and internationally while still fully connected to their jobs and the rest of the world.

Experienced technomads are sharing their stories and creating resources to get the rest of America on a plane or in a car, working and living. The Mobile Internet Handbook was written by Cherie Ve Ard and Chris Dunphy who have spent ten years traveling and working in various rigs (including cars, RVs, and boats). Now the duo has a whole team who help them test new mobile internet gadgets and hookups to help their audiences stay connected while on the move. They’ve even tested their connection in the most remote parts of Colorado, so it is possible to keep working while exploring your own backyard.

The “Workationing” podcast (convenient to listen to while traveling) is another resource that delves into the details of transitioning your life to working on the road. The hosts, Kari DePhillips and Kelly Chase, also give helpful advice about other on-the-road hiccups unrelated to work, such as staying healthy and maintaining relationships while traveling. The point is to foster a healthy work-life balance.

If you’re looking for a less mobile workspace that is a bit more predictable but more catered than a home office, coworking could be for you. Coworking spaces are popping up all over the Boulder County area to serve that need. The spaces charge a membership or drop-in fee to use their luxury office spaces. Many of them come with other perks—unlimited free coffee, a free bus pass, peer mentorship, book exchanges, printing and office supplies, etc. Most also have scholarship programs for individuals just getting started in their business or craft and need a bit of help.

Todd Eichorn, the steward of Experience Longmont, designed his coworking facility with three crucial questions in mind, “How do I support their business? How do I support their personal life? How do I support the community?” Just like all these changes being made to the workplace, creating a holistic work-life balance is key.

The beautiful buildings are designed to increase productivity in members utilizing the space. Boulder’s Niche is a repurposed horse equipment foundry that now boosts spirits with its ample natural sunlight, exposed brick walls, vintage rafters, and polished concrete. Another example is Highland City Club, a BOCO social club that offers a business membership and coworking space, and has more of an elegant, Victorian feel.

I asked all the coworking spaces that I spoke with why people should cowork, rather than utilize a home office. Their answers rang similar: “People cowork because they want to be around other people, first and foremost. It makes such a big difference if you go into a workplace—especially if you’re working by yourself—and just be around other people,” said Jesse Day, Community Manager at Niche. “We’re here to build community,” said Sina Simantob, the founder of Highland City Club. “We’re not solitary creatures. We really need to be around people to feel the energy. Collaboration and ideas and inspiration are all going to be difficult to get in your house,” said Eichorn.

You might be surprised by the types of jobs utilizing coworking. Real estate agents, graphic designers, consultants, accountants, lawyers, life coaches, marketing analysts, investment lenders, a man who designs board games and escape rooms, another who creates horoscopes, were among the members that the three aforementioned businesses support.

Other coworking offices make traveling easy, so you could combine the nomadic lifestyle if you wanted. Impact Hub has over 100 locations worldwide that their members can utilize. Locations include Boulder, Dubai, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Singapore, London, and more.

Live-work spaces are yet another option for today’s stir-crazy workers. The concept of living above the very office where you work is not new. It was actually fairly common up until the industrial revolution. There was a resurgence of the concept in the 1970s, but after push back from city planners, the trend slowly died down again.

The modern era of this trend, however, is dubbed “live-work-play” as all aspects of our lives converge in one location. These creative communities are popping up everywhere. S’PARK, a new sustainable community, was designed with the motivation of bringing back live-work spaces to the Boulder area. As their website says, “It’s all built on the notion that retail, office, and residential spaces work best when they can coexist and collaborate.” The concept has very similar benefits to a home office—no commuting, autonomy over space, proximity to your living space—but is still separate enough from the home that distractions are fewer. Live-work homes are also easier to prove as deductions on taxes than a home office.

If you think you are stuck at the same gray desk you’ve been sitting at, in the same daily traffic, ending the day emotionally drained, you are not. Thinking creatively about how we make money is dramatically changing lives in BOCO and beyond. Change is good for the soul.

We are now living in a society where workers have choices. Gone are the days where you are bound to a cubicle and a 40-hour week. Employees are demanding a better work-life balance and employers are recognizing that they receive a higher quality of work in return. And if employers won’t wiggle on creating a better work environment, they run the risk of losing valuable employees to the expanding world of employee-centered choices.

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A City On The Brink
A lot has been said recently about Lafayette’s “friendliness” to some of the big box retailers. (See Lowe’s, Super Wal-Mart.) The city desperately needs to pump up its retail sales tax base, but it can’t do so at the expense of its charm, one of the primary reasons for living there. That being said, the city has jumped on board a regional sales tax sharing revenue study, but the new council will need to go a step further. Old Town Lafayette is in need of a facelift. Major blight potential at South Boulder Road and South Public Road needs to be addressed sooner than later. And officials must take a hard look at a budget that could turn into a gorilla of a problem if not addressed now.

City Council Seats (pick four)
Kerry Bensman, Frank Phillips, Alex Schatz and Jay Ruggeri over Brian Herzfeld, Stacia Lupberger, Robert Brown, Melinda Medrick-Nye* and Laura Oster

Usually you keep an incumbent in office because the city is running smoothly and everybody seems happy about direction. We’re telling you to re-elect Kerry Bensman because he knows how to ruffle feathers and can get a city staff member to roll his or her eyes in seconds. And it’s not because Bensman goes over the top with outlandish ideas; it’s because he has well-thought arguments that sometimes don’t mesh with popular opinion, and he is never afraid to speak up. With a background that includes an MIT and Harvard education, Bensman will be a leader in helping the city fix serious budget problems it’s expected to face in coming years and will continue to be the watchdog that keeps the rest of council honest. He also gets bonus points for sticking up for the small business owners devastated by Wal-Mart’s move from South Public Road to Highway 287.

With everyone touting redevelopment with a side of transportation, Frank Phillips is making sure open space policy doesn’t get lost in the mix. As a sitting council member he continues his work in saving the “chicken barns” on Highway 7 and sees open space as one of the great ways to keep Lafayette a small town that thrives off its mountainous setting. This is not to say Phillips is a one-issue candidate. Far from it. The incumbent expects the city to become a leader in energy conservation, clean energy and building affordable housing for seniors. He’s concerned with business in Old Town, and would like to encourage small business to move in via incentives and increase foot traffic on South Public Road with more community events. As far as redeveloping the Old Town entrance vacated by the Wal-Mart move, he prioritizes the South Boulder Road extension so it becomes thruway instead of an afterthought on travel to 287. He says that road project will be a shot in the arm to Old Town—and he’s correct.

Two years ago, Jay Ruggeri garnered the fourth most votes in the council election, meaning he was granted a two-year, mini-term in office. He’s taken his trial period and run with it, working extensively in breaking down barriers many city residents face. He helped change building codes so all new home construction is built with proper sizing so disabled owners can easily retrofit the houses without adding ugly ramps or tearing down walls. He was instrumental in helping the Latino Advisory Board become a reality, giving area Hispanics a voice. The same goes for a youth advisory board that has given the area’s youngest residents an avenue to talk to city representatives. He championed for the city’s new comprehensive recycling service, and now wants to tackle building codes to truly make green building a viable option. One interesting idea of his is to close West Chester Street in Old Town and turn it into a park to help lure residents to stay downtown. He expects it’ll cost a worthwhile $100,000, which could be recouped in the sales tax generated by the additional traffic flow.

Alex Schatz is strong-willed, much like incumbent Kerry Bensman. He was upset with how city officials handled the moving of Wal-Mart, when the city gave the retail giant incentives to set up shop down the road, leaving a gaping, blighted shopping center at the foot of Old Town. He realizes transforming this site quickly is a key to pumping up South Public Road and stabilizing the city’s lagging tax base. Punching South Boulder Road through to the Northwest Parkway is key in making the commercial strip a viable development option, he says. Schatz, whose resume includes being an analyst on the joint budget committee of the Colorado General Assembly, will be a great voice in trying to fix some major budgeting problems the city will face in the coming years. Schatz has also been active in Lafayette government, serving on the planning commission and open space advisory committee, to name a few. With a law degree from CU and a landscape architecture degree from the University of Wisconsin, he brings a unique skill set to help Lafayette grow into one of the top North Metro communities.

Yes on ballot issues 2A & 2B
Road and rec center improvements
By going forward with both these issues, Lafayette could pay for street, traffic and parking improvements (2A), as well as upgrades to the recreation center (2B). This gives the city the authority to sell bonds to pay for such improvements ($6.25 million for 2A and $660,000 for 2B) without raising taxes.

Yes on question 2A
Residential growth management
Lafayette’s plan to limit residential growth to 200 homes per year was a great start to ensuring smart development in the city. Now voters are asked to renew the limits, and considering the city hasn’t reached that number of homes being built in recent years, it makes sense to continue the restriction. If the economy turns up, Lafayette will be protected from mass developments that may not be in the best interest of the community.

Yes on questions 2B and 2C
Council actions and procedures
The first stipulates that council only act by ordinance, resolution or motion, and defines when these actions should be used, the later clarifies language relating to how council members assume office following elections. Basically, it’ll streamline processes.

Yes on ballot question 2D
Penalties
The books are a bit messy when it comes to fines and sentences for crimes that reach the municipal court. This will clarify the role of council and give it control over sentence structure within state statutes.

Yes on ballot question 2E
Ethics
This measure will reduce redundancy in city charter in regards to its ethics policy. Basic house cleaning, really.?

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It’s always tricky endorsing candidates, especially when we’re talking about wannabe elected officials on the local level. We don’t like hurting feelings, and the 80-plus people running for various offices in the North Metro area have gone out of their way to spend countless hours campaigning to get picked to carry out an often thankless job. We commend everyone for running, even those we didn’t select.

But we had to pick someone in each of these races, and after spending hours speaking with everyone running, this is who we liked and why in every race from Longmont down to Northglenn.

(Note: Incumbents names are italicized and * denotes candidates who did not return calls seeking to arrange endorsement interviews.)

Boulder County Issues

Broomfield Races

Dacono Races

Lafayette Races

Longmont Races

Louisville Races

Niwot Races

Northglenn Races

Thornton Races

Westminster Races

The post Drum Roll Please… appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The Yellow Scene’s statement (Letters, October) about the state legislature trying to pass a “meaningless resolution” opposing the Iraq war was the most misinformed comment I’ve ever read in The Yellow Scene.

My how things have changed.

Last month, to the chagrin of more than a few who don’t accept that the world’s environment is eroding before our eyes, Gore was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to raise awareness regarding global warming with his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Shortly after being bestowed with the prestigious honor, his growing cadre of supporters continued their plea for Gore to run for president once more. It seems his foray into filmmaking has garnered him more respect than his days working as Bill Clinton’s veep.

Here’s a message to Mr. Gore: Please don’t run for president.

This plea isn’t a denial of global warming. To the contrary, in fact. Global warming is very real, and Gore’s work has won him well-deserved accolades.
But one thing has become apparent since Gore started his one-man, eco-crusade: It appears he can accomplish more outside of office than from within.

When “An Inconvenient Truth” became the topic of mainstream conversation, the general public finally took notice that what’s happening at this moment in history is the makings of a true horror story—one that we can avoid.

The political climate has also since changed, with more high-level elected officials taking the environment a whole lot more seriously. Look locally to see its effect. Within days of getting voted into office this year, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter had pushed through an impressive environmental package that doubled the state’s commitment to renewable energy.

Or look at Rep. Mark Udall, who drives the geek-chic Toyota Prius with 50-plus miles to the gallon. And he’ll testify that more than a few Republicans can be spotted cruising D.C.’s Capitol Hill in hybrids.

On the national scale, check out California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s efforts. He has gone over President Bush’s head and worked out cooperative environmental efforts with Great Britain. The mayor of New York City made a humongous attempt that would have tolled every vehicle entering Manhattan in an effort to curb emissions. It was KO’d by state legislatures but was still a great step in making the Big Apple the Green Apple.

The list goes on, and on, and on.

That’s not to say all this wouldn’t have happened if Gore hadn’t released his Academy Award-winning film. But he has expedited the process.

Let’s hope he’s content in knowing that the eco-impact he’s made as a one-issue man is far greater than what was accomplished while serving as a politician.

So, Mr. Gore, please accept the Nobel Peace Prize and know that you’d never have traveled this far in public office.

Over the next four to eight years, we know you’ll continue to lead us in the fight to save the planet—so long as we’re not calling you “Mr. President.”

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