Our bodies have a way of letting us know when they’re feeling uncomfortable. Stiff shoulders, sore neck, back pain, and eyestrain are all messages telling us that we’re are not working right.

Technology can be the culprit, forcing us into unhealthy postures. Laptops are wonderful; we’re untethered and free to work from anywhere. But that laptop screen is likely too low for everyday use. Before you know it, your neck is craning and your shoulders are hunched; you’ve become what Cynthia Roe Purvis, Ergonomics R&D Director at HP, calls the “Turtle.” You might even be sitting like a turtle right now and not even know it.

The key to comfort is listening to our bodies. Don’t stay in one posture for too long: sit, stand, and stretch, move around throughout the day. Combined with an ergonomic support tool like a Lapjack to lift your laptop’s screen to the proper height and an external keyboard, and in no time you’ll be feeling better. Your body will thank you for it.

Visit our Thrive Portfolio of ergonomic solutions to learn more.

Both trends—miniaturization and dematerialization—are likely to continue and speed up. As Ryan Anderson, our director of furniture technology, notes in the article, designers used to have time to anticipate where technology was headed and plan for it. But with the speed of technology change today, the furniture, and the space it occupies, have to adapt almost instantly.

The sheer number of products on the show floor that support office ergonomics is astounding. I am humbled by all the good products that are out there.

As I type this blog on an Envelop desk, sitting in a SAYL chair, looking at Flo and our other ergonomic components that when put together truly do make a holistic view of a great environment, I feel very proud to be part of Herman Miller and the Thrive team.

For the past five years, Herman Miller has been working in partnership with Fulton Innovation, the creators of this marvelous technology that transmits charges to devices using inductive coupling, eliminating the need for device-specific power adaptors.

eCoupled transmitters can be built into practically anything from desktops to kitchen countertops to car consoles, so you don’t even see it. You just lay your enabled device on the surface, and viola, it charges automatically.

Last month, a global interoperability standard, Qi 1.0 (pronounced “chee”), was launched for smaller “low power” devices. That means electronics manufacturers can now make their products compatible with eCoupled wireless charging transmitters. And that paves the way to putting those transmitters in things like work surfaces, shelving, and desk tops for charging small devices such as cell phones and iPods.

Standards for “medium power” devices, such as laptops, have not been issued yet, but hopefully that will happen within the next year.

Enter Herman Miller’s Space Utilization Service. Space Utilization Service makes it a lot simpler to gather accurate occupancy data and create the workplace you visualize.

Before Space Utilization Service, the typical method of gathering data was to walk around with a clipboard and count heads. Then you multiply the number of heads by some standard allocation of square feet per person, and voila, you get an estimate of space needs. But that’s exactly the problem. You only get estimates.

With Space Utilization Service, you get accuracy. A small, wireless motion sensor is attached to your work chairs to detect occupancy. The sensors transmit data continuously for six weeks so you can measure, track, and study occupancy and get a precise picture of your space usage. You can analyze on any level you want—entire buildings, conference rooms, common areas, individual workstations.

Using this information, Herman Miller can help you rationalize your real estate and tailor it to fit your people and how they actually work. These days, for example, that often means more support for collaboration and touchdown work, smaller workstations, and less floor space allocated to individual work.

Whatever the case, your real estate will work harder and your people will be more productive. Even better: use Herman Miller’s Energy Manager, too, and reduce your energy costs.

Those Gen X, Y, and Z whippersnappers may be all about mobility and working-wherever-you-are, but we boomers can be adaptable, too, as Robin noted in a previous Discover blog post.

Darn right.

I recently traded my Aeron chair for a campground bench and my home office for a 14-foot trailer and am about to test the limits of all this mobile technology ballyhoo. I’ve only gotten as far as northern Michigan, but so far I’ve learned:

1. I can’t work outside. All that natural light that office workers covet overpowers even the brightest computer monitor and strains my aging eyes. So I’m forced into my cubicle-sized and non-ergonomic office that also is my living space.

2. Wi-Fi is ubiquitous wherever there are people. However, no people; no Wi-Fi. There is, apparently, technology that brings Wi-Fi to your computer via satellite signals, so theoretically I could get it even where cell phones fail. My friend says the device works “like magic,” but I’m testing the limits of my budget before I bite on the added monthly charge.

3. So far, cell phone coverage isn’t bad. Even in the middle of the forest, I can often pick up two bars, which is enough for a semi-dependable conversation—or a call to 911.

4. I can recharge my computer with an inverter attached to my truck battery, but the adapter gets really, really hot.

I haven’t crossed national boundaries yet, or tried, like my Gen-Y daughter, to send photos from Peru, nor have I sampled the smart phone gadgetry beloved by my kids, but so far technology has been reasonably mobile. The biggest adjustment has been losing instant and continuous Internet access, but I’d say the view is worth it.

You might think that my idea of an office is different than my parents’ idea. Not so. It turns out that they, like a lot of Baby Boomers, are really good at adapting to what’s becoming more common for all of us—working anywhere. That can mean working from home, a coffee shop, or a “campsite” at headquarters. Mobile work is becoming a reality for many people and businesses.

Here I am working in the coffee bar at Herman Miller. (Got my portable mouse and separate keyboard, got my laptop support so I can elevate the display and get it to a good viewing angle.) Studies show that the simple addition of a portable mouse and separate keyboard dramatically increases comfort for mobile workers.

Ask anyone—like me—who’s really into mobile working, and she’ll tell you that portable technology is a must, and the fewer things to carry, the better. While mobile working may be the preferred work style for many now and most of us in the future, it doesn’t mean we can ignore our health while we do it. If I’ve learned anything from working anywhere it’s that being on the move feels better when I bring some good ergonomic support along with me.

A research summary published by Herman Miller ranks the option to position a computer in a suitable location as one of the most important attributes of a comfortable workspace.

I saw this need addressed during a recent visit to a trading floor located in New York’s World Financial Center. The Herman Miller company Colebrook Bosson Saunders supplied this particular floor with Wishbone monitor arms and posts that can support up to four monitors. Most people on a trading floor work with at least two screens, although many work from four and sometimes six.

The Wishbone monitor arm fits well in this environment because anyone can reconfigure it to support a variety of needs. In fact, the monitor arms on this trading floor are reconfigured up to three times a week.

Monitor arms also carry ergonomic benefits. They allow the technology to move with the user, while contributing to an ergonomic posture and reducing eyestrain.

Unfortunately, from 2008-2009, an estimated 9.3 million working days were lost to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Having proper ergonomic support, however, creates safer, healthier environments that help to prevent these disorders.

Whether you work on a trading floor or in an office like mine, the appropriate technology support, such as a monitor arm, is a smart investment.

Holland, Michigan, where our Design Yard facility is located, is one of the communities vying to be chosen. From now until March 26, residents can nominate the city and make the case for why it should be chosen. All you need is a Gmail account. Here’s hoping that Holland will be chosen (and that you’ll help by nominating the city).

“So why is trying to get some actual work done at a meeting suddenly a bad thing?”

These comments, posted in response to an article on the technology blog “ReadWriteWeb,” highlight the real issue behind the latest generational gap at work: manners.

When LexisNexis released the results of a new study that examined technology use in the workplace, blogs across the internet lit up with cross-generational crossfire. Interestingly, most of the controversy about technology in the office wasn’t about how it should be used. It was all about when.

The Technology Gap Survey found that all levels and age groups in the white collar workforce use and appreciate new technology and software applications. One hundred percent of the professionals surveyed use a computer and email and calendar programs at work; 88 percent believe that devices like laptops, PDAs, and cellular phones help them and their colleagues to be more productive.

But while over two-thirds of Baby Boom respondents find the use of a laptop or PDA during face-to-face meetings “distracting,” less than half of Gen Y respondents agree. There is also a large gap between the two generations regarding the efficiency of using these devices during in-person meetings, with more Boomers looking askance at younger coworkers who insist they can check Twitter or Facebook during conferences without losing a beat.

Not surprisingly, then, while the majority of oldsters agree that iPhones and Blackberries are contributing to “a decline in proper workplace etiquette,” most Gen Y workers don’t think so. As one thoughtful commenter in the blog wars put it: “This gap is much bigger than a technological gap. This is a gap in how we interact with each other.”

By Deb Wierenga

Tell what the e-mail message is about. This sounds obvious, but it requires knowing what the e-mail is about and why you’re sending it. Remember all those topic sentences you wrote in school? Good subject lines are a lot like those.

Be specific—boring, even. Clarity trumps cleverness every time. If you work on a project team, set up a protocol that the team can follow. The protocol might be the team name followed by request, notification, or status update. Include the date when pertinent, e.g., Branding Refresh: Meeting Minutes 4/30/09. Good subject lines make it easy for the reader to file and retrieve the information.

Be concise. Remember many people now read e-mail on their Blackberries. If possible, include all the information in the subject line: Branding Refresh: Meeting changed to 5/15 at 3:00 EOM (end of message). Yes, it takes more time to be brief—as Cicero noted, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”

Choose the best words in the best order. Good subject lines help the reader skimming through her inbox. This is particularly important when networking. “John Farrell recommended I contact you” is more likely to get a response than an e-mail with that critical information in the body of the message.

Improve on others’ subject lines. It’s allowed! When your receive an e-mail titled “Here you go” containing feedback on a draft of a presentation about Widget #303, change the subject line to something meaningful before forwarding the e-mail to others. Every time you do, it brings us a step closer to that better world.

By Christine MacLean

Not many college students make it to graduation without pulling at least one all-nighter. The fact that burning the midnight oil these days means long hours on the computer poses a growing health risk on campus.

Researchers report increasing numbers of university students with computer-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, shoulder, arm, and hand. Surveys at two American colleges found that 40-50 percent of undergraduates suffer from upper extremity pain due to computer use.

Recent studies suggest that “binge computing”—working at the computer for four or more consecutive hours without a break—significantly increases a student’s risk of developing severe musculoskeletal symptoms. One study found that “engaging in any binge computing behavior during the semester” had a significant impact on “student role functioning” —a measurement of how well individuals are able to meet the demands of academic life given their current health.

Of course, finishing up long-procrastinated projects is not the only activity that keeps college students riveted to their computer monitors for long uninterrupted stretches of time. Computer games and internet socializing are also a growing component of campus life. The National College Health Assessment lists “internet use/games” as one of the Top 10 Impediments to Academic Performance. The number of students reporting computer use as a “mental or physical health problem” that affected their academic performance over the past year doubled between 2001 and 2006.

According to another study, prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms only increases as students progress from freshmen to seniors. Exposure to risk factors like “time spent at the computer without breaks, duration of mouse use, and poor workstation ergonomics” was significantly higher among fourth-year students.

Ergonomic experts emphasize the importance of educating students to develop computer use patterns that include regular breaks and to be aware of proper posture and workstation setup. As one researcher noted, most colleges don’t provide dormitory furniture that is ergonomically adjustable, “they build it to be indestructible.”

By Debra Wierenga

Sources:

American College Health Association – National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) Web Summary. Updated August 2007.

“Regular and Binge Computing and College Student Health: Preliminary Findings.”

“Musculoskeletal Disorders Among University Student Computer Users.” Med Lav 2009 Jan-Feb; 100(1): 29-34.

What do I know about the Web? Does it connect me and my office at home to anything meaningful? Does it weigh a package so that I don’t have to schlep down to the post office for the right postage? Does it ask me how I’m feeling and wish me a good day? Does it explain a sunrise or keep me in touch with my brothers hundreds of miles away? Well, yes and no.

I’m a writer and editor for Herman Miller, Inc. Two decades ago, as a kind of pioneer, I became a “remote user.” When they began calling me that, I wondered if I would work like my television remote. Nothing’s that simple. Then I became a “home office worker,” which means I pay for heat, electricity, and water during the day. There’s nobody here to joke with, except the dog. And I wondered if I could keep connected to my company. Now people tell me I have an “alternative work style.” And they say that’s perfectly acceptable.

You’d think by now I would be used to connecting myself to my colleagues 140 or so miles away. But that really doesn’t tell me how they feel, what they are wearing, how their faces change when they laugh or get mad.
But connections are two-way streets, or should I say two-way data and communication links. Connections, true connections, let you discover more than what’s on the surface of the page or the screen. I wonder about all the electronic connections these days and whether they give me more than the superficial. When I send this essay in to my editor attached to an email, I won’t be able to see her grimace at the subject or frown at my mistakes.

In a charming little piece about connections that he wrote years ago, design lecturer Ralph Caplan observed, “Sometimes it seems that connection is a human impulse almost as deep as love and fear, and freighted with the same urgency.” As he often does, Ralph hit the nail on the head. We do feel the need to be connected, even if it’s only under the auspices of AT&T or Comcast. My need for connection lies behind my patience with technology and its discontents. My desire for connection forces me to keep trying, to keep reaching out without touching anyone at all. Some connection is better than none.

On the other hand, solitude has its advantages. I don’t have to smile politely at stupid jokes. I can wear pretty much what I like, though I have to dress for the FedEx delivery person. I have plenty of peace and quiet, which is good for writing and editing. Yes, there are times when I appreciate being unconnected.

Several years ago, I worked on a project that explored ways of helping older people stay in their own homes rather than moving in with relatives or moving to a nursing home. The Miami Jewish Home was then in the middle of an experiment to link older people via computers with other older people and with service organizations–shopping, medical information, home repairs, and so on. And they were loving it. They perched their computers on kitchen counters and dining room tables and keyboarded away. They told each other about their children and grandchildren, kept up with information about their medications, gave and got tips about how to manage at home. All electronically. These were connections that worked.

Yet at the same time, many of these people loved to go to the grocery store and avoided automated teller machines like the plague. Why? Because they liked the human connections in the produce section and at a bank window. It’s the temptation to forego the human connections that worries me about cyberlinks. The cyberworld of William Gibson is full of technowizardry but somehow lacking the human, emotional depth of the relationships people yearn for.

At this moment, our ten-year-old son Russell is writing a book report ten feet from me on the Mac. He doesn’t seem to care that I’m in the room. Connected to another being? Who cares, unless that other human will tell him how to spell a word (something his spell-check won’t always do). I like having him here. It makes me feel that I’m part of a group. I’ll do my homework, and he can do his. And somehow I feel like we’ve gone beyond the words and the screens; just maybe our computer-enhanced writing will display a bit of the human connection we have established.

By Clark Malcolm