Post on 21-Mar-2017
Who is who around the table?And change it.
A presentation about nonverbal communication related to where we sit around tables.
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Where do you tend to place yourself at the dinner table at home? At meetings at work? At a
café/restaurant? Give it a thought.
Roles around the table: You
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Roles around the table: Staff meeting
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The power end is the upper end of the table and collects those with power and those in desire for power (green).
Roles around the table: Staff meeting
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Along the sides people with less power/desire for power (blue) place themselves further away from the power end...
Roles around the table: Staff meeting
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...and mute observers in the lower corners (smaller blobs to the left). There may be ”visitors” who places themselves a bit away from the table.
Roles around the table: Staff meeting
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The antagonists tend to gather at the opposite side (red) to the power end.
Roles around the table: Staff meeting
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Expect more initiatives and decisions from the power end,
hard arguments from the antagonists end, mediating middle sections and silence from observers and outsiders.
Roles around the table: Dynamics
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Expect more initiatives and decisions from the power end,
hard arguments from the antagonists end, mediating middle sections and silence from observers and outsiders.
Roles around the table: Dynamics
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Changing the order
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Changing the order: Line of fire
Opposite positions places the participants in each others lines of fire.
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Try an angle to avoid a line of fire if you want less confrontation.
Changing the order: Line of fire
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Changing the order: Negotiations
Frontwar: This setting is confrontative, with one part on each side. Will build up tension and feed conflicts. Usual in negotiations, but not very constructive.
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Dialogue: Mixed sides are less confrontative, with no obvious fronts. Creates a feeling of ”we” rather than ”we against them” and makes way for more win-win solutions.
Changing the order: Negotiations
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Changing the order: Furniture
Changing chairs: Chairs with high back and arm support increases the (feeling of) power and comfortable chairs feeds a positive attitude.
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Changing tables: Switch to round tables to even out the power and roles around the table.
Changing the order: Furniture
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But mind the higher threshold when it comes to break the ice, and that it takes higher social skills to control the group dynamic.
Changing tables: Switch to round tables to even out the power and roles around the table.
Changing the order: Furniture
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Read the full article and learn more about body language and nonverbal communiction at:
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