This is Going to Be Uncomfortable.
A couple of things about me. I'm Type A. I used to have a friend who would mock me by repeating, "I just like things to be a certain way," because apparently, I said it. A lot. The dishwasher? I don't care so much. My workspace? I care. A lot. So, all the opportunities in a new office are going to invite a whole lot of caring on my part.
As mentioned in earlier versions of my musings, WindsorTurner is moving. This time, into our very own space. The experience isn't entirely new to me, having been involved with other businesses that have moved. So, I should have been prepared for the discomfort that comes when everything can't be lined up in a perfectly linear fashion (see what I did there?). What has had me crawling out of my skin these past few weeks? Glad you asked.
Tenant Improvements
The space we selected needed only modest changes, otherwise known as “tenant improvements,” in the commercial real estate world. But those changes needed to happen ASAP, STAT, or whatever gets us out of our home offices fastest. HUNT was doing a great job moving things along until I took another look at that kitchenette flooring. You know, the white linoleum I thought I could live with? Turns out, I could not.
Cue the change order.
For the non-real estate folks, a change order is a formal request to modify the agreed-upon improvements, including who pays for them. Spoiler alert: At this stage, it's usually the tenant. The negotiating days are over once you've signed the lease and filled out the change-of-address form. And what else does a change order mean? You've just pushed back your move-in date. At least I could do more laundry while working.
Furniture Selection
Since this is our first foray into our own space, we needed everything. And by everything, I mean desks, chairs, rugs, printers, staplers, hangers, and boot mats (because Buffalo snow). Furniture shopping is fun. Furniture shopping on a small business budget, while trying to avoid the cheapest options that take three days to assemble and end up in a landfill within three years? Less fun. For anyone facing a similar adventure, M&T Corporate Reuse is a true treasure. We found a sofa that's higher quality than the one in my living room. (The four-legged family members would explain that.)
The catch? You get what they have, when they have it. Then you must figure out how to make everything coordinate. And then there are the deliveries. More on that below. Luckily, I was the only one with particularly strong opinions about most of our selections. I think we landed on just the right vibe: professional enough to say, "We know what we're doing here," with a little eclectic flair that says, "We're actual humans with interests outside of work."
So. Many. Deliveries.
Tip your delivery people. And tip them well. Unless you want to navigate street-only parking while wedging a sofa into a freight elevator built back when sofas were apparently smaller, delivery drivers are true miracle workers. I ought to know. We've had a lot of them. Office supplies, technology supplies, coffee supplies and cleaning supplies all have their own delivery person and date and often come in multiple forms. Some would send an alert that a delivery was on its way, only to reschedule around 6 p.m., after I'd spent the entire day waiting. (AI chatbots, I hate you.) And once things finally arrived? Sometimes we had wrong things, broken things, and plenty of "Is that really what I ordered?" things. Patience, patience, patience.
Analysis Paralysis
I absolutely love a good HomeGoods visit. The sights, the smells, the decorative pillows, and the oh-so-pretty file folders (I don't care that we're supposedly a paperless society), all in one place. You never know what you'll discover. Until, of course, you need to discover something very specific. I needed six matching coffee mugs. Six. This somehow required 45 minutes of selecting and reselecting to find just the right mug feel. The rug? Another 45 minutes to make sure it coordinated but wasn’t too matchy-matchy. And the storage? How much storage could a 100-square-foot kitchenette possibly need? Another 45 minutes later, the answer was none.
So, for the past few weeks I have been getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Once I finally settle in at my just right desk, with my perfect mug of coffee, it will all be in the rearview mirror.