Why You Should Watch Where You Sit
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Last
week, the United States Congress disrupted their traditional seating
arrangements for the “State of the Union” address. In a symbolic show
of unity, instead of an audience divided along Democratic and
Republican lines, the political parties were mixed.
I
don’t know if Congress will adopt this arrangement for more than a
single event, but the concept has interesting implications for business
leaders.
In
most of the meetings you attend, the seating arrangement may not be an
issue. But it can make a big difference in a collaborative session. I’m
not suggesting that you use place cards for attendees, but you should
be aware that strategic positioning is an effective way to obtain
cooperation – and that neglecting this dynamic can inhibit your
collaborative goals.
There
are two power positions at any conference table – the dominant chair at
the head of the table facing the door and the “visually central” seat
in the middle of the row of chairs on the side of the table that faces
the door. Choosing the dominant chair may be the most effective way for
a leader to control the agenda or dominate the meeting, but it also
stifles collaboration. When the leader takes this spot, ideas are then
directed to him or her for validation (or rejection) rather than to the
entire group. So take a moment before your next meeting and think about
the relationship you want to establish with team members. Then choose
your seat accordingly: Sit at the head of the table or at mid-point on
the side if you want to exert control, and choose any other position
around the table if you want to state symbolically that you are an
equal member of a collaborative team.
Seating
positions may even help create leaders. For example, it’s been noticed
that people who sit at either end of the table in a jury room are more
likely to be elected foreman and that persons in visually central
positions (that mid-point previously mentioned), are also more likely
to be perceived as leaders. In the jury scenario, choice of foreman is
mainly about the symbolism of the head-of-the-table position, and with
the central position, it is more about the power of eye contact:
Because the person seated in this central location is able to maintain
eye contact with the most group members, he or she will be able to
interact with more people and as a result, will most likely emerge as
the leader. (So, if you wanted to enhance the leadership credibility of
a junior team member, it would be wise to seat him or her in one of
these two positions.)
Have
you ever noticed that when two people sit at a table, they often choose
chairs on opposite sides? This is automatically adversarial in terms of
territory – the kind of seating arrangement that p attorneys and
their clients typically adopt. Groups of people may also sit on
opposite sides of a conference table and unwittingly divided into an
“us” and “them” mentality. If you intentionally mix up the seating
arrangements (or hold your meeting at a round table – or forego the
table and simply place chairs in a circle) you can discourage the
tendency to “take sides.”
Sitting
at right angles is the arrangement most conducive to informal
conversation. Sitting side by side is the next best. This is important
to remember if you want to foster personal ties between team members.
The outcome of any collaborative effort is dependent upon
well-developed relationships among participants. People are naturally
reluctant to share information with others when they don’t know them
well enough personally to evaluate their trustworthiness. So if you
notice that the same people are taking the same seats at every meeting,
rearrange the seating to stimulate conversation and encourage new
relationships to develop.
But,
back to Congress: I’m not saying that this symbolic seating arrangement
will foster actual collaboration. But I do think it’s a move in the
right direction.
About the Author
Carol
Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., is an executive coach, consultant, speaker, and
author of "The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body
Language at Work .Her new book, “The Silent Language of Leaders: How
Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You lead” will be published by
Jossey-Bass in April. To inquire about Carol speaking at your event,
call 510-526-1727, email CGoman@CKG.com.
For more information, visit www.SilentLanguageOfLeaders.com and www.CKGcom.
