Seating arrangements matter.  Don’t believe us?  Let’s think back a bit to the time when…

…you were forced to sit next to Gross George for all 180 excruciating days of the third grade.

…you made a new networking contact on that flight to Denver.

…you missed that cute girl across the table, because she was eclipsed by a mile-high floral explosion.

…you could actually catch the sweat flying off the lead singer at that heavy metal concert.

See?  Seating does matter!  It has the power to shape your perception of an experience and what you get out of it.

It’s no different for a business meeting.  Before a business meeting even starts, the seating arrangement determines the maximum potential for interaction and retention—not to mention sore necks.  The way people are seated dictates how they react to the presenter and to each other, and whether they actively listen to the presenter or succumb to doodling.

You probably already know that the meeting room should be arranged to comfortably fit all of your participants.  But more important, the room layout should be selected with the meeting’s end goals in mind: Do you want to encourage good listening skills and note-taking?  Do you want to foster small group conversations?  Do you want the entire room to work as a team?

If your vision for a meeting space involves straight-across tables and chairs, you’re probably not optimizing your participants’ takeaway.  So let’s look at the pros and cons of several meeting room designs.

Classroom Style

This is the traditional rectangular table layout, with everyone facing the presenter.  Except for a few lucky individuals in the center, the rest of the room must crane their necks to see the podium.  This setup is also not ideal for fostering conversation.  But classroom style does have its benefits in smaller spaces, in which the presenter does most of the talking and everyone else takes notes, works on computers, or references materials in binders.  Neck-craning can be reduced by angling tables as they move away from the room’s center.

Banquet Style

As the name implies, banquet-style seating usually involves a meal served at large round tables.  If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you’ve experienced the limitations of banquet-style seating.  The rounds are so large, it can be difficult to engage the people across the table.  And even more extreme (and uncomfortable) than classroom-style seating, to see the presenter, half of the people at the table have to mimic contortionists.  But banquet style works well at meetings where a meal immediately precedes or follows the informational session.  It is also great for multiple small-group discussions.  And of course, banquet style can always be turned into crescent style, which removes those chairs with their backs to the presenter.

Conference Style

Think of a traditional conference room with people seated on all sides of a large table.  This setup is ideal for smaller functions such as board meetings or committee meetings, where participants are expected to interact a great deal.

U-Shape

The U-shaped arrangement is growing in popularity as people realize its benefits for small groups, in which everyone can see each other and talk easily.  Several small U-shaped arrangements are great for multiple groups sharing a room.  In meetings with an audio-visual presentation, everyone can see the screen with relative ease at the U opening.  This shape is also versatile because people can be seated on the outside as well as the inside of the shape.  But beware—as a group grows larger, so must the U shape, which creates an ominous no-man’s-land between tables.

Once you figure out your room space and your meeting’s goals, you can easily select a configuration that will accommodate both.  Inviting participants into a well-organized and comfortable space will help them get the most out of the meeting.  Remember, people aren’t focusing on the meeting’s message if they’re daydreaming about a neck massage!

Ready for other tips to keep your employees productive and focused on driving business goals?  Talk to us at YES! Your Human Resources Solution.  With over 20 years of experience, our professional HR consultants will work with you to formulate the unique solution for your unique business.  Give us a call today for a free consultation or visit our website!