Missing your favorite Spin class to meet a major project deadline might bum you out a little, but you won’t experience any major health detriments (assuming your “deadline” is not just a frequent excuse for missing out on your sweat sessions).  Occasionally you might have to trade Happy Hour for some presentation prep, but you can always catch it next week (or tomorrow).  But what happens when your daycare provider suddenly gets food poisoning and your significant other is out of town? 

I might not have any children myself, but I can still appreciate a workplace that fully supports those who do.  And according to this article from the Harvard Business Review, it’s kind of a rare thing in the US.

Family-workplace balance is an area where Atalasoft truly shines.  But rather than having me, a single and childless 20-something tell you why, I’m going to let a few of my coworkers speak for themselves…

“From being a constantly-puking pregnant person to working from home with a feverish baby, Atalasoft has given me the flexibility to maintain a realistic work-life balance and truly enjoy my life as a working mom.” – Christina Gay, HR Director

Clara V. Gay

• Likes: Pretending to burp, eggplant, drinking bathwater
• Dislikes: When the cat runs away from her Godzilla-like advances (ME CLARA! ME LOVE KITTEH!), having her face wiped, when you say “we’re going for a ride in the car” and then you don’t (WTF MOM!)

“The trust that Atalasoft has placed in me means that I can schedule my work time flexibly, allowing me to take care of my daughter when needed.  Because I get to spend more time with her, I end up performing with a higher quality to show my appreciation.” – Elaine Gorham, Training & Support Manager

Camille G.

• Favorite songs: “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon, “So What” by P!nk, and the childhood classic “Baa Baa Black Sheep”
• Fun Fact: Camille took her first steps on her first birthday – IN THE ATALASOFT OFFICE!

“My kids have loved the social events that Atalasoft has had for families, and [Atalasoft] has been tolerant of the times I’ve had them in the office.” – Steve Hawley, Chief Architect

Alice & Stuart

• Fun Facts: Alice has danced in 3 ballets!  And Steve is worried that Stuart may someday rule the universe…
• Link of appreciation: Check out how Steve’s family was supported by a fellow Atalasoft-er

Getting to meet the families of my coworkers and hear outstanding testimonials such as these make me feel SO lucky to work here.  I truly believe that Atalasoft’s mission to keep its employees close with their families helps all of us in the office feel a little bit closer, too.

Atalasoft is currently undergoing an “Office Beautification” process (not that it wasn’t beautiful before – we just want to make it even MORE beautiful!).  Of course, me being the psych nerd that I am, I decided to do some research on the types of consequences we might see with our improved workspace.

I stumbled across this article published by Wolters Kluwer and sponsored by the European Society of Cardiology.  The study, performed by Thayer et al. in 2009, focused on a group of 60 employees working in the same government building.  The building was in the middle of being renovated, which allowed for the splitting of the study group into 2 subgroups according to environment.  The first subgroup was located in the older part of the building (the “traditional” work environment, characterized by separate offices and old-looking cubicles), and the second subgroup in the newly renovated part (composed of new cubicles with improved views and lighting).

This is the already-beautified part.  No improvement needed here!

Researchers looked at two physiological measures of stress response: 1. Circadian variations in vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV; basically, differences in heartbeat intervals during the day versus at night) and 2. Morning levels of salivary cortisol.  Observations were made with the understanding that healthy individuals have prominent variation in HRV (with more variation occurring during the day and a significant decrease in variation at night) and relatively low and stable cortisol levels, especially upon waking.

What the scientists found was that the “traditional” office environment yielded less circadian variation in HRV (meaning that the workers’ nighttime HRV closely resembled their daytime HRV) and a larger rise of cortisol upon waking as compared to the more modern office environment.  So basically, the “traditional” environment stressed out its workers!

Not gonna lie… Domo and his OJ stress me out a little bit.

This isn’t exactly a revolutionary conclusion; you could probably draw a similar one based on your own personal experience.  But it is pretty exciting to finally get some scientific evidence of work environment influence, as few studies have been performed up until this point.

I mean, it really just helps to build the case for a nicer office.  Past studies have shown that stress at work can lead to increased absenteeism and worker turnover, as well as decreased job satisfaction and productivity.  Even worse: stress has been linked to cardiovascular disease.  No company wants sick (or dead) workers!

While software engineering, sales, and support can be pretty stressful jobs, I’d say Atalasoft does its best to buffer the physiological impact with its superior work environment.  We’ve got a spacious and well-lit suite with brightly painted walls and a fantastic view of Mount Tom.  Our offices and cubicles are arranged in a way that allows for socialization and collaboration, but also quiet individual work when necessary.  We have a fully-stocked supply of snacks and coffee (with over 20 flavors in the cabinet), and a number of gaming systems available to blow off steam.  And dude.  We even have a Super Mario mural on our wall.

If you’re looking to improve your own work space, there are a few lessons you can learn from Atalasoft:

• The brighter (paint colors AND lighting), the better

• Every space counts – including storage closets and bathrooms

Our bathroom is getting ready for a paint job

• Make the office interesting!  Decorate your personal work space with action figures from your favorite movies (i.e. an 18” Eward Scissorhands collective figurine with sound and motion capability), random toys (like an Airzooka or a singing Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog), or items from a personal collection (it’s okay to be a Mickey Mouse fanatic at work!).  In common spaces, display old print marketing campaigns in frames, show off the company chocolate fountain, or set up a 5-gallon fish tank.  Your goal should be to create a space that encourages individuality, creativity, and passion.

I would suggest you don’t get on Joann’s bad side – she’s got some heavy artillery!

And it can’t hurt to make sure the office temperature is above 70 degrees at all times!  (Or maybe that’s just my personal preference…)

Earlier in the week I was asked to help organize a special meeting for our Engineering/Development department.  The discussion was to be about development obstacles that were met in Fiscal Year 2012, and it was to be conducted using the Six Thinking Hats method.

Um…what?

The scholar in me ravenous for information, I immediately began researching the technique.  What I found was like nothing I had encountered before.

Six Thinking Hats was developed by Edward de Bono in 1985 as a tool for helping groups to think more collaboratively and effectively about a problem.  The group is encouraged to put on six different “thinking hats”, each having its own color, in order to address the problem from multiple angles.  The idea is to get people out of their usual thinking patterns (no more Positive Pollys and Negative Nancys!) and to create a more defined segregation of thinking directions.

So what are these “hats” I speak of?

THE BLUE HAT

The blue hat is the facilitator.  Its role is to set the agenda for the discussion, as well as to focus and refocus the group.  It tells the group when to switch hats, and informs as to any next steps or important decisions.

THE WHITE HAT

The white hat is all about the facts.  It wants to know what information is readily available about the problem at hand, and any proof to back it up.  It also looks for what information is missing, and what the group would like to know and needs to know.

THE GREEN HAT

The green hat is creative and innovative.  It proposes solutions and means of overcoming difficult situations.  It is also always looking for alternative methods of getting things done.

THE YELLOW HAT

The yellow hat is primarily optimistic and positive.  It asks “What are the benefits of solving this problem?”  It seeks to identify the attractive qualities of the ideas being discussed, and hopes to encompass the group’s values.

THE BLACK HAT

The black hat is the conservative one of the bunch.  It wants to point out the potential problems with the proposed solutions, and elaborate on areas of caution and risk.  It is mostly logical, but at times just plain negative.

THE RED HAT

The red hat needs no justification.  It is purely emotional.  It explores the group’s current feelings and gut reactions, and relies only on intuition.

I’m not gonna lie.  When I started reading about this method, my first thought was: “What the heck is this loony new-age crap?!”  But the more I read, the more it all started to make sense.  And I began to believe Hey – this de Bono guy might actually be onto something!

As the official whiteboard note-taker of today’s meeting, I can say this with conviction: BOY is my arm tired!  Engineering brainstormed like nobody’s business, and for TWO STRAIGHT HOURS!  Not only did the team identify a number of creative solutions to the FY12 problems, but they also developed a pretty comprehensive and realistic game plan for the upcoming year.

My favorite part of the meeting today, though: EVERYONE participated.  Even the n00bz.  Not a single person was silenced by another who was dominating the conversation.  This was seriously the most productive, effective, and inclusive discussion I have ever witnessed.

And we got donuts!

Usually this phrase is applied to young bachelors and bachelorettes in pursuit of a relationship.  But as the daughter of a realtor, I’ve heard it used a number of times in reference to homes and commercial buildings.  Amongst my favorite real estate euphemisms:  “This home is simply charming!” and “This building has so much potential.”  Basically, these phrases are used in place of “This place could be really cool…but it’s not.”

Welcome to our humble abode: Eastworks

One thing that immediately impressed me when walking into my first interview was Atalsoft’s physical work environment.  I’m not just talking about the office itself, but rather our habitat in the Eastworks building.  I mean, our office is pretty awesome and stuff (and I’ll most likely take you on a virtual tour at some point – after I complete my current Office Beautification project).  But we’re also part of an eclectic collection of small businesses housed inside this unique and historic space.  Eastworks has it all: funky-cool local businesses on the inside, retro-modern awesome looks on the outside.

Some of our first floor residents (Easthampton has a thing for bears…)

3 months in and still fascinated by my workspace, I decided to do some research.

*****Cue Sepia-toned flashback sequence*****

The West Boylston Textile Company

The Eastworks building was established on the banks of Lower Mill Pond in 1899 as the West Boylston Textile Company.  Its founding was merely a small piece of the much larger Industrial Revolution, which began sweeping the nation in the 1820s and hit Easthampton in 1847 in the form of the Williston-Knight Button Company.  The two factories, in addition to another cloth mill called The Hampton Company, played an important role in the urbanization of the once strictly agricultural town.  Their success beefed up the population, largely due to the influx of Polish and Canadian immigrant workers, and sparked the development of several schools and churches.  Simultaneously, the mill environment encouraged the growth of smaller business and community-based services (like the library, town hall, and a national bank).

Frank Stanley Beveridge and his cornerstone

In 1931, Frank Stanley Beveridge and wife Catherine O’Brien took over the factory complex with their business, Stanley Home Products.  The first floor of the building housed their production lines; laboratory testing took place on the third floor, and freight delivery was in the basement (the use of the second floor is still a mystery to me!).  The company produced high-quality cleaning products, such as cleaning solutions, brushes, and mops, and went on to become pioneers in home party demonstrations (you know, like Tupperware parties).  Stanley Home Products is still around today, but obviously not here in the Eastworks building – their headquarters are now in Agawam.

A little bit of Then and Now…

The first floor (a little more colorful now…hah!)

The third floor (check out our shiny new floor!)

The old StanHome building was purchased in 1997 by private developer Will Bundy, who had the intention of converting the factory into a mixed-use community building.  And that’s exactly what he produced!

*****End of historical montage*****

Eastworks is now home to over 85 individual businesses in industries ranging from food and entertainment, to the arts, healthcare, non-profit, and more. You can go to the 1st floor to get yo hair did at The Lift, then grab a burger from Riff’s Joint or a quesadilla from Apollo Grill, work off those calories at Renew Pilates Studio on the 2nd floor, buy some sweet SDKs from us on the 3rd floor, and then go take an afternoon nap in your cozy-chic loft apartment on the 4th floor. (Check out the full business directory here.)

Two of Eastworks’ artsier tenants, The Invisible Fountain and Pioneer Valley Ballet

This building literally has everything you could possibly need.  When the Zombie Apocalypse inevitably occurs, just go down to the basement to borrow some metal from the blacksmith or various sculptors, use it to board up all the windows, and you’ll be set for weeks!

Kinda like this!

But seriously.  This is the coolest building ever.  I love that I can point it out while driving by with family and friends and go “Yeah.  I work there.”  BOOYAH!

He deserves a picture on here, at least.  I mean, look at him!  He’s practically a professional model!

But then something really important happened around lunchtime.  Two days ago, we launched a top-secret project involving our latest product, Wingscan.  After many hours of diligent teamwork and impeccable organization, we finished our highly-anticipated masterpiece.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…

Project: WINGSCANNED!!!

Yes, this is an actual scan of Honey BBQ wings.

Stay tuned for a post about our next masterpiece-in-the-making, Project: Office Beautification!

June 28th (last Thursday) was my birthday, so, naturally, I wanted to play a little.  The previous week Christina had sent me an inspirational photo she found on Fuzz Production’s facebook page, along with a link to a similar one on a website called Office Cubicle Pranks.  The topic came up at lunch on Wednesday the 27th, and I decided that as my one request for my birthday, I wanted to pull this prank on someone.  And that someone was my cube neighbor, Kevin Hanks.

Now Kevin Hanks is a bit of a jokester himself.  Just a week or two ago, he admitted to hiding our old doorbell in Eric Deutchman’s (Marketing Manager) office for about a month and pressing the ringer button from his desk a discreet 10-20 times per day.  Antics such as this have prompted the nickname Kevin PRANKS (which I actually made up, like, yesterday… but it’s totally gonna catch on!).

So Wednesday afternoon, right after Kevin left for the day, we decided to give him a dose of his own medicine.  Christina and I (with a little help from Eric) covered Kevin’s desk in 150 square feet of tinfoil.

Of course we went for big things, like his monitors and desk chair, but the beauty was all in the details: a paper clip, a box of tissues (I definitely wrapped an actual tissue and stuck it in the box), even a bag of Ruffles chips sitting next to his phone.  It was so shiny…so pretty…so…perfect…

I got in the office a little early on Thursday so that I could see Kevin’s reaction.  I didn’t even go into the kitchen to get breakfast, for fear that I would miss the big moment.  And it was absolutely worth the tummy grumbles because I caught the whole thing on film!

In the end, Kevin handled it well.  In fact, he even liked it.  Look how happy he is in his new Cubicle from the Future:

I’m sure he’ll get me back some day.  I’ll be ready for it.  I’ve got my big girl pants on.  Until then, this is Amy Crawford, Professional Prankster – signing out.

Check out the rest of the photos here on our facebook page!

Why, hello there!

My name is Amy, and I’m your new Atalasoft Office blogger.  I was hired in March, two months before I even graduated from Smith College, as an office administrator (well, the office administrator, as I am the one and only).  I have spent the last few months making the absolute easiest transition from the world of academia to the world of the 40-hour-work-week.  And why?  BECAUSE I WORK IN THE COOLEST OFFICE EVER.

Gee-whiz, Amy, you’re probably thinking, that’s a pretty bold statement to make!  This is true.  But I’m hoping that my blog will give you some idea of why I feel comfortable making that assertion.  I’ll be posting pictures, videos, and little text tidbits of all the latest office going-ons so that you can learn more about Atalasoft and the intelligent, hilarious, passionate, and quirky individuals who make up this company.

And I don’t mess around.  I’m starting out with a doozie.

BACON WEEK, JUNE 2012

As you may or may not know, Atalasoft has a thing for bacon.  And by thing I mean a burning passion of a thousand fiery suns.  Traditionally, we celebrate this love on Bacon Day.  We order some gourmet cuts of bacon and fry them up on the griddle, along with a few side dishes (English muffins fried in bacon grease, scrambled eggs fried in bacon grease, coffee cake/potatoes/sticky buns fried in bacon grease if possible, etc.), and have a big breakfast for everyone in the office.  And then we get back to work with bacon-y goodness in our bellies and a greasy grin on our faces.

Yeah, I made those.  Peanut butter bacon cupcakes.  Mmm.

Part of my job is event planning, and with this being my first encounter with any sort of bacon celebration, I wanted to plan something extra special.  So Christina (Director of Human Resources/Director, Ministry of Culture) and I came up with the idea for BACON WEEK.  Each day, we had volunteers bring in a bacon-y treat for all to share in anticipation of our Big Bacon Breakfast Fiesta on Friday.  I also ordered some novelty bacon items to raffle off as prizes, and we gave away the new company t-shirt (also featuring bacon) to everybody at the end of the week.

The event was a great success!  Christina and I were a little nervous about the timing due to the looming year-end deadlines, but I think the bacon ended up nurturing productivity by keeping spirits high during this time of stress.

Personally, Bacon Week left me feeling inspired.  I don’t mean by the bacon itself (although, being in the presence of the Best Meat Product Known to Mankind can be pretty inspiring…).  Rather, I was inspired by the atmosphere it created – an atmosphere of creativity, excitement, teamwork, and good humor; an atmosphere you can’t wait to be a part of once again the next day, and the next, and the next.  And I am so grateful that I am in a position to help create that sort of environment, because making other people happy is what really tickles my fancy/fuels my fire/floats my boat/rocks my socks/makes me want to speak in clichés.

I can honestly say that I ate more bacon last week than I had for the entire last two years of my life.  And I can’t wait to do it again.

Check out our Bacon Week album here on our facebook page.

And I shall leave you with this:
 

…Jealous yet?

1. Nothing.  Because you’re super lame.
2. Show up to work 2 minutes late and leave 2 minutes early, out of spite.  WHOA!  LIVIN’ ON THE EDGE!
3. Go to Hawaii, too.

These were all thoughts that crossed my mind last week while our General Manager and 2 members of our sales team sipped tropical drinks, climbed sleeping volcanoes, napped on powder-soft beaches, and flew in helicopters over the serene blues of the Hawaiian waters.  I work hard.  I deserve a trip to the islands.  Right?  RIGHT?!

But alas, I was not in Hawaii.  And my options weren’t looking good.  I would not get lazy with my work, because that is unethical (and frankly, not how I roll).  I could not afford a trip to Hawaii, and I would most likely be fired if my boss unzipped his suitcase to find me folded up inside.  And I wasn’t going to do nothing, because I am certainly NOT a lame-o.

So…what to do?

Why, bring Hawaii to Atalasoft!  (Duh.)

Thursday evening on a whim, I decided to go pick up some leis:

Look how happy Spike and Dave are with their bright pink leis!

Some tropical tchotchkes:

Well, at least the ceiling spinners aren’t blurry.

Some plastic Margarita cups for Piña Coladas at Beer:30:

Who would turn down a chance to break out Mr. Tipsy the Margarita Machine?

And then on Friday, I ordered some Hawaiian pizza, threw together a tropical fruit salad, and slapped on some Beach Boys for a lunchtime getaway:

Hawaiian pizza is obviously a native cuisine.

So maybe it wasn’t a siesta on a perfect 75-degrees-and-sunny afternoon, or a swim session with dolphins and stingrays, or a feast of grilled spam and pineapples, or a beautiful Hawaiian lady dancing around in a grass skirt.  It was just me showing my coworkers that I love them.

And if an act of genuine love doesn’t take you away to a magical place, I don’t know what will.

Things have been pretty hectic around here lately.  Between traveling to multiple trade shows, wrapping up the quarter, and releasing our brand new Java SDK, JoltImage, it has taken every bit of energy and cooperation for us to keep moving forward.

Luckily, we are are a bunch of Rock Star Ninjas.  We punched every obstacle right in the face and rocked it.

As a reward for our hard work and innate awesomeness, Christina hired Frosted Swirl Cupcakes to bring us delicious treats in their sweet decked-out cupcake truck!

With over 20 different flavors to choose from, we took a poll and ordered our top 4 picks: Classic Chocolate, The Java, Carrot Cake, and Peanut Butter Cup Perfection.  They even have gluten-free options!

Even though the weather was rather rainy and gloomy, we were all smiles.  It’s hard not to be when your employer cares about you so much.  And I bet our afternoon productivity was even boosted by the sugar rush!

Check out the rest of the pictures in our Facebook album, and learn more about Frosted Swirl cupcake on their Facebook page and company website.

RAPID FIRE UPDATES IN ORDER OF EVENT OCCURRENCE!

Yes.  That absolutely called for an obnoxious font style, size, and color.

Just as this side comment calls for decreased font size and italics.

Steve Day

On September 7th, Atalasoft had the honor of participating in the celebration of Steve Day.  This is not yet a national or international holiday, but it should be.

This holiday pays tribute to Steve Hawley, our Chief Architect and the creator of the most brilliant calendar system EVER.  Seriously, what is this “30 days hath September, April, June, and November” nonsense?!  Steve’s calendar provides a methodical and practical organization of dates, without the silly rhyme.

Basically: there is a set of 13 months consisting of 28 days each.  Every month starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday, so dates will always fall on the same day of the week and there will never be a Friday the 13th (phew!).

If you do the math (28x13=364) there is one day left in the year.  That day is Steve Day.

Steve Day has no “date” value; it is not a Monday, or any other day of the week, and it has no numerical digit assigned to it.  This day shall be spent not working but instead honoring the calendar creator as the community sees fit (parades, shrines, feasts, etc.).

Atalasoft celebrated by doing science with dry ice and with a feast of mint It’s-It sandwiches!

This system also accounts for what we call a “leap year”.  The “leap day” becomes another Steve Day, and during this year the Steve Days are referred to as Steve Day₀ and Steve Day₁.  Both days shall be spent in a similar celebratory manner.

There are also some rules about naming children born on Steve Day, as well as other calendar specifics which I do not possess the eloquence to explain properly.  If you didn’t click on the link to Steve’s blog post above, do it now.

Until this calendar becomes law (which I’m sure it will, as soon as Steve’s son Stuart rules the world), Steve Day shall be celebrated on or around Steve’s birthday – September 2nd.

Office Beautification: Project Bathroom

As I mentioned previously in my Office Beautification blog post, our bathroom was in some serious need of attention.  So, inspired by a post-it mural left on the wall by an anonymous employee, I decided to give it some Space Invaders lovin’.

There you have it, folks.  I feel like a proud parent.

Marco came to visit!

This is Marco, our EMEA sales account executive.  We love Marco!  Yay!

A Gangnam Style Staff Meeting

On the morning of September 21, 2012, Atalasoft held its regularly-scheduled staff meeting, per usual.  But what occurred at this staff meeting was not so usual.

A couple weeks ago, I had a life-changing experience.  This experience has since ignited a flame of passion within me, a passion to make the world a better place by sharing this wonderful gift with everyone I know.  I decided to start with my coworkers.

At approximately 10 AM, the employees of Atalasoft (including Marco!) got to their feet around the conference room table, placed their right hand over their hearts, and blindly swore to take this magical journey with me.  And then I played them a clip of what we were about to do together.

Oh yes.  I taught this dance.  And EVERYBODY HAD TO DO IT because they swore to me that they would!  BWAH HAH HAH HAH!

The Atalasoft team constantly surprises and amazes me.  Who else would learn this ridiculous dance so early in the morning, and even laugh while being forced to look like a complete goof?

PS: If you hadn’t seen this video before reading this blog post, you must be living under a rock.  It’s even been on the news!!!

Fin.