Meeting Seating

07/07/2011

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.
Leo Buscaglia, 1924 - 1998, author

We sometimes get feedback that any article or book more than ten years old is of no value. And, certainly in this rapidly changing world, ideas that made sense a few years ago may be totally irrelevant today. However, I still find that some ideas stand the test of time and will keep sharing some oldies but goodies with you. As always, you will need to apply your own filters to find what is useful for you. Here is one from an article, "How to Run a Meeting," by Antony Jay, in the March 1976 (that's 35 years ago!) issue of Harvard Business Review. In the article he shares some insights on the importance of seating positions and their effect on group behavior and relationships:

Having members sit face-to-face across a table facilitates opposition, conflict, and disagreement, though of course it does not turn allies into enemies.

Sitting side by side makes disagreements and confrontation harder. This suggests that the chair of the meeting can take advantage of the "friendship-value" of the seats next to him.

There is a "dead man's corner" to the right of the meeting's chairperson, especially if many persons are seated to the right of this person.

As a general rule, proximity to the chair of the meeting is a sign of honor and favor, especially in meetings around long, narrow tables.

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