I have attended literally hundreds of meetings over the years. Sometimes I felt like I was contributing a lot and in the flow of the conversation. Other times I felt like I couldn’t get people’s attention, and like I was on the “outside” of the meeting. I finally concluded it had to do with where I was sitting during the meeting. This presentation confirms that thought and adds a lot of enlightening explanation.
Hi Randolph...your humorous comments made me laugh and thank you so very much for that. Question for you if I may. How many times were there food served at the meetings you attended? The soup kitchen doesn't count hahahaha.
As a union rep I often have to be the contrarian to oppose some company policies so traditionally I am expected to sit opposite the 'A'. But often I chose the 'B' seat or even the 'F' seat behind the 'A' The 'B' seat gives me access to invade their personal space and they can become quite unnerved and agitated when an adversary sits this close. Especially if you can see their notes and paperwork that they are referring to. The 'F' seat also unnerves them when you are out of their direct sight line and even more so if you are behind them, so in effect they feel they have to look over their shoulder to perceive the hidden threat that you present. ....... This is very effective when the 'A' is used to being surrounded by sycophants and yes men as this situation is something they do not normally experience or have to deal with. ........ I find this gives me a lot options to play ball and support them if they doing the right thing but can instantly chose to oppose and undermine them if I need to protect my colleagues. ....... Don't you just love psychology.
Exactly what I teach in my workshops. Additionally, when you stand up and have something projected, make every effort to be to the left of the presentation for the reasons Vanessa talked about. Tony Robbins taught this long ago. We tend to look up and to the left to access information, makes perfect sense to be on the left and if possible standing.
I really liked the format of this video. It was a lot like a tutorial but you're obviously a teacher who knows what they're doing and presents with confidence. It was just simple and straightforward and I think it worked really well. Thanks =)
I’m a big imposing guy and I find that if I sit right next to someone who I think will be opposing me or criticizing me... it dulls out their aggressive predisposition. If two people are coming in as allies in a meeting with a position opposite to mine, I try and sit between them, it cuts out the symbolic link between them. ... especially if they can’t see each other well and look for the other’s reaction... plus I can glimpse at what they are looking at, their notes if any. It’s hard to be mean or aggressive to someone when they’re in your face, it diffuses things
I'm also a big somewhat intimidating guy, I find it interesting where people sit when I'm the first person to the meeting. The seats next to me are always the last seats taken.
I'm a teacher and most of meetings I have are in the classroom of one of the other teachers, and I've always thought a little bit about the proximity of my closer-known colleagues, but I have not really considered the proximity of where I was sitting to anyone, thank you for this info! Always learning something technical from you!
Back in my corporate life the conference room was always an uncomfy space for most of my colleagues. Whether a sales call, or just some brain-storming session, the seating placement always plays a major role while most of them would just see them as a bunch of chairs and a long table. We would meet high ranking decision makers and observe them to be seated in an inferior angle, others, would make their presence known despite having inferior commu and body language skills to make their presence known. I'd say some would just mask and play along with it. I remember walking in to an empty conference room, my boss/mentor was seated on the A seat (as the first person that came in), while I instinctively sat to his left, a high-ranking persona sat on the middle seat. Sometimes, it's not even about playing puzzles on which seat you want to be in but understanding the vibe of the venue and having an overview of the people in it. Each meeting/engagement gives you a role to play with certain agendas, so play it well with seating position + your agenda. Venue reading should be paired with people reading. Good thing I got out of the corporate power jungle. :D :D
You are an excellent presenter! Your energy, pace, how you refrain from saying “umm” and “uhh”, and way of explaining things, keep people’s interest. Looking forward to your other videos. Thank you!
I can't tell you how much I relate to this video. I normally sit at seat B and sometimes cover for my boss, so I'm at seat A, but there's always a new meeting to attend. Very useful for office/business and meetings tactics.
Another great video!! In typical conference room meetings in my experience, F is for the person taking minutes of the meeting and for the person who is late getting to the meeting and there are no seats left. E is for the loudmouth with strong opinions, D is for those who just want to get it over with. If someone is in the corner of E and D, they might act like an E. C is usually the boss's assistant and B is the supervisor or someone who reports directly to the boss. And in a lot of meetings, E and A are flip flopped if the boss doesn't want to walk all the way to the back of the room
In my meetings, C is my secretary. and B is my treasury. And E, the contrary cow that gets here husband to phone me next morning and tell me all the reasons I can't follow instruction from my committee.
Power players in my organization typically take sideline seats facing the door. Most of our boardrooms have bench seats at the room is at capacity. Presenters take sideline seats and the power player is infront of the screen. I like taking a seat either farthest from the door on the opposite side so I can see the whole room and people coming in and out. Or to the as close to the presenter as I can.
I enjoyed this very much. One thing you didn't get into was the seats along the window. In large meetings, where there are no more chairs left, people who stand (or sit) alongside the window are there for a head count. They can be seen by the boss that they have arrived and accountable for what was said in the meeting but these folks normally stay quiet. Or the F person can be someone from another dept or group that is working alongside your project. Might be referred to general but not a major contributor.
An interesting video and bears out what I have observed over the years. I would add that there are 2 extra considerations: Someone's ones choice of seats can be influenced by whether you (as a senior staff member) want to give encouragement and support to your own group juniors, which will further affect your choice of where to sit in order to offer them "wordless encouragement" and increase their group standing. The other factor, if you are new to the group or otherwise junior in a more rigid hierarchy is not to immediately usurp the accustomed seating of senior group members. In such a case, it's best to initially take a D position to avoid provoking that senior member until you have worked out the office politics and then work your way as quickly as possible into a more favourable seat at subsequent meetings. Paradoxically, the D positions can also be useful to indicate one's independence and to allow one a position of reserving judgement.
This is the wisdom of the world. Belittling the value of each individual involved into the ideology of a rat race or a one-ups-manship totally opposed to the reality of truth. This keeps people in a mindset of bitterness and sometimes unforgiveness.
This is about instinct in nature...similar behavior can be seen with pack animals. Alphas would instinctively face the entrance as protectors. Nothing to do with one-upsmanship, in fact she warns against that talking about how there are times for each "seat". I work in the arts and I'm never in conference rooms but I stumbled on it and was curious if I would know the seats based on feng shui which I've been studying for years...feng shui is based on nature and balance. I was surprised it was spot on.
Great video and straight forward concepts. Typically I'll be in a D seat if I don't have much to say. I noticed I was usually in the B or D seat facing the door but to the left of the power player and that I'd sometimes feel pressure pay full attention even when I was in 'observer' mode so I started to move my sitting.
Hi Vanessa...I found your contents as I was searching for proper body language during speech and I am glad to have found your channel. I absolutely love the scientific reasoning behind your explanations. This solodify a viewer's believe in what you are teaching us. Thank you so very much for your amazing contribution to human excelence. Umer.
Good Presentation, just a pointer: At the round table, the D north of the E should also be an E. It is even more directly across from the A than the chosen E and also more visible as it is more prominent in the eyeline to the presentation board. (To look at the north corner of the presentation board, A has to see "Through D" much more than to look at the south corner he as to see "Through E")
I agree. I think D's closest to screen are multiple Es because A, B And nearby D's can view their reactions or share some light banter. The E position is weakened by fact that they need to turn from rest of table to view presentation.
I usually take the D seat to the left of B. I want to be supportive, but also want A to see how I’m listening to every word. I have often ended up being the person the boss makes most eye contact with. S/he sees me nodding (even when that actually means, “Yeah, that’s BS”) and taking notes. Then s/he is ready to listen to me. This isn’t as cold and calculating as it seems when I write it down, either. I’m not sure if one can fake warmth. I suppose it would depend on the amount of time A actually works closely with one. I did find that eye contact is a cultural thing. If eye contact between men and women is uncomfortable for A, then I try to snag the B or C seat so I can be supportive without making much eye contact.
All the seats as important as you've suggested they are for and I agreed with the exception of seat choice in a round-table meeting because this time it rebels the previous table choices and I would like a solid answer if you haven't agreed with my choice in a round-table.
E! That is my comfortable way of being. So much so, that when the question came up as to which seat was most emotionally charged, I didn't pick that one. I would say that those in the D seats would be in more emotional inner distress. But then, I am a Challenger 8 on the Enneagram test.
I think this is a good video that serves a good purpose. With that being said, having to science out where to sit in the conference room is exactly why I hate Corporate America and the fake people who run it. Where to sit? Find an open chair, sit down in it, and be a normal human being.
I always sit in B seat l feel my brain can function better. When we have meeting in our women charity but never knew that my seat is B today l from you. Thank you Vanessa.
Thank you Vanessa for making this video! I’m honestly impressed and i know starting to have a better understanding how people behave at our work meetings! Please keep sharing with us your knowledge!!!
Agreed. This seems more like a dinner table then a meeting. In most meetings there's someone presenting who's often not the boss. That changes the dynamic.
Great videos Vanessa! I recently went to an orientation and had the same choice but with a twist. First one in the room and it was empty. It was a small room and the table was turned sideways with eight chairs. I picked the seat facing the projector but my back was to the door. And sure enough the host picked the chair facing the door. Really interesting stuff, thank you.
This will help me so much, I struggle on which seat to choose during those meetings. And our previous meetings, I did observed this, makes so much sense now. Thank you for making this video!
I find the power player sits close to the door more often. Switch A and E on the first table. They are not usually the presenter, they are often the ones being presented too. Also good executives want to overview, get things started and then delegate, then they leave to other valuable executive business and let the rest of the members continue the meeting. The Sideliner near the Power Player is also often an assistant or #2 person who is helping with additional information. If the Power Player is making the presentation the #2 person will often do it for them while the Power Player watches from the other side of the room so they can watch the participants reaction (or catch on some emails or social media).
Very good video. Kind of confirmed what I already thought, but added some insights and research backing it up. Two other observations - When meeting with clients or with people from another organization, I have been taught and observed that better results are obtained when people deliberately intersperse themselves with members of the other group. And, when I'm leading a meeting and I want to set an egalitarian tone, I usually take one of the D seats.
I'm the Director of a Library, I'm not a voting member of the board, BUT I have a major role in all the Board meetings in giving reports on operations planning, budget and the like. We have an Octagonal table. I sit two chairs to the Right of the Chair of the Board which is on the left of the Treasurer.
I like to sit at one of the heads of the table, but I am aware that one of them could be the bosses seat. So if I am early I first ask if there is a steady arrangement. I liked this video. Thank you
I attend a local police meeting as head of our neighbourhood residents group every two weeks or so as schedule permits. Not at a table as illustrated in this video, but the police officers all sit behind a table and face the "audience". I like to sit in the back row directly in line with the captain. Front row to me is sucking up. Back row I watch everyone else and feels like either A or E seat. Left and right side wings are the F seats.
If I’m not the power seat I’m usually a B or C unless I want to keep low profile then I’m closest to the door!! 😂 Thank you! This all makes sense and I’ve lived it for over 30 years of professional work.
This is good. I typically choose to face the door and sit at the B or C positions. I've been doing this since I was a kid. I just couldn't feel comfortable having my back to the door. And I always wanted 1 elbow "free" and relaxed without having a neighbor to my left or right whom I might nudge or hit. And, yeah, I wanted to be by my Dad's side and my Mom across me. Now, I take the alpha side when I can or, again the B or C, just so I can see who's entering, and to see everyone at the table. Yeah, I'm the alpha on my side of the family. Second alpha in our business (hubby is alpha of alphas haha). And always at F or D or absent when I don't have any particular interest or anything to do in a meeting or conversation. So far, 90% are subconscious acts.
I've known the gist of this for a long time. You may want to talk about interview seati g or arbitration seating where the panels chooses your seat and how to compensate. I have a story about entering a meeting that put me in a weak position. I immediately pulled the chair out and positioned it at an awkward angle facing door which surprised snd threw the panel off their game. I won!
Our conference room is configured in a block-U shape; the power player sits in the top right hand corner, which is opposite the door. There's no seat to her right; the two or three seats to the left are usually taken by other execs. I usually sit in the bottom right hand corner, in line of sight of the power player - she can easily make eye contact with me - and I can also see who enters. I usually note where other people sit, and yes, they do have "their" seats! Next time, I'm going to arrive early and sit closer to the power player and see what happens. When I meet privately with my manager in a small room/small table, I consciously never sit directly across from him (to avoid being "contrary"), but will deliberately move my chair to be somewhat at a diagonal.
For our usual Thursday meeting, where I need the boss' attention I sit in the B seat. In the monthly meeting where I do not require much attention I sit in the farthest away D seat on the left. Very interesting!
Wow, this was interesting. And makes a lot of sense! Our boss usally sits in the E seat. I like to sit next to her on her left, and take notes. When I'm a little more low key, I like a D seat further back, but in direct eye contact. I also love sitting on the first row in classes and other learning situations..
This is fascinating! By nature, I always sit next to the power player. Why? Because I want to closely observe their body language and words. It'll tell me more if they're authentic or not.
I would put the scientist or great observer in F (outside the game) And If I was boss in A, I would get the meetings results loose ends actualised and in motion, then go to the F guy for tips about how the game or meeting played out. We don’t necessarily have to be feudal about it either. Does there have to be a head of the table or can it be a council of equals? If underlings are more creative when the power player is not there can the power player go undercover so that they can understand, enjoy and learn from the creative process. Psychologists might be able to research successful ‘exceptions to the mean or averaged rule’ on good strategy/tactics for success. Sometimes there can be a problem with plays that win not always being best for the task at hand (where power and skill wins over wisdom and foresight.) Being effective with very low bad consequences for anyone at all and an excellent score on helpfulness, can be more important long term than selling oneself for the top position.
I'd love to see a seating science video for "on-sites." When you have sales (guests) presenting to a cross section of employees at various levels of the hierarchy in a conference room with a projector.
If your goal is to take control of the room. The best seat in the room is center directly across from the window. Don't forget that the window may make those with their back facing the window faces look darker.
A great presentation! For a followup, you might want to do a video on 'reading' a room by noting where people sit when a contentious issue is to be discussed. That's likely to give advanced knowledge of their POV. You hinted that in this video. Simply make it explicit. I saw that when I was in a legal dispute in Seattle federal court. The Manhattan lawyers I was opposing would be on speakerphone and had insisted on the conference so the judge could settle a point of contention between them and me. That also meant that they would NOT be able to read the judge's attitude. A local lawyer providing them with a presence sat in the middle on the window side of the table and said almost nothing. I sat in the middle on the other side and did my best to appear reasonable and willing to compromise without conceding to their demands. I didn't want to appear to be pushing the judge. I'd assume that when the judge came in she'd sit at the head of the table, since she was clearly the one in charge. She didn't, and she didn't sit on the other side either. She sat next to me. It was my first clear indication that I was likely to win. About five months later-legal disputes move slowly-she dismissed their lawsuit "with prejudice," meaning they'd lost and couldn't refile. The result was my book, Untangling Tolkien, a day-by-day chronology of The Lord of the Rings. I'd almost single-handedly defeated one of the most deep-pocketed literary estates on the planet. The last chapter has my fair-use, my-book-is-legal arguments rewritten as literary commentary. That conference helped me win. Being faraway and unable to read body language or seating, the opposing lawyer behaved badly, disagreeing with the judge's suggested compromise. I recall thinking to myself, "I do not think I would be disagreeing with a judge if I could possibly avoid it." There is one additional point you might make. If you know there'll be a confrontation between those at the two ends of the table, choosing where to sit become critically important. Siting next to either will make look like you're on their side. If you are, maybe that's fine. But in many situations the safest move is likely to be in the middle, next to neither, or in one of those off-table seats, if you want to stay out of the fight altogether. In the worst possible scenario, where you find yourself placed next to a contender you disagree with, the best move might be to lean away from them, not make eye contact with them when they talk, and use body language to convey your disagreement. You want everyone to see that you're not with him.
Congrats, you just analyzed something that makes .01% difference in the meeting. Now we can concentrate on when to talk and when to listen which is 99% of your impact.
For a group interview which I was unprepared for because I thought with my charisma and natural authentic confidence I could charm my way through, but I was unaware of the situation I was stepping in, anyway I picked the head of the table, the contrarian, and the first 40 mins were all shouting out what you know about the website. This is where I low-key had a panic attack hahahahahaha. I think they even hinted if anyone wants to leave they can now. But I stuck through. Lol. When we got to the indivisible rounds about ourselves and the group tasks I almost thought I could have got the job. But clearly was unprepared and yes. Another time for like a gym seminar by a visiting nutrition guest, I sat at the front, right infront of the dude, no one else did, and yup I had a mini anxiety attack then too. I managed to leave to get food from my car ( I was dieting at the time) and when I got back I sat towards the back. But yeah he even stopped and asked me if I was ok. So I’m not sure what these anxiety moments look like but lmao, yeah maybe I’ll avoid the front or head on
I think I’ve done healing work since then and stepped more into my authenticity. So. Maybe I naturally wouldn’t pick those seats now.sure before I was grandiose confident. But. Group scenarios haven’t really been my thing. But also I think authenticity has a big part of it and if you even want to be there in the first place.
Almost always E. Next choice would be C If I'm playing the role of the straw boss, assistant manager or consultant, off I'd choose B. I delegate a lot though so you'll normally find me controlling traffic from the door when I'm the big boss.
I think room design plays an important role. Windows for example. Light from a window can either be distracting or more comfortable when the meeting is either during the day or night. Do windows face the early morning sun or late afternoon sun, or midday very bright light? Windows need to have light control over the room. If I'm running the meeting, I want people's attention. At the same time, I don't like an austere room where the lighting is stale, no windows, no curtains, and boring. I want a room that fosters creativity yet doesn't overwhelm the attendee with distraction.
Where would you predict a "servant leader" of a team would sit? I have chosen a particular location for rectangular table to exude collegiality and collaboration for leading our team for over a decade. Hope it has been effective. I do prefer circular tables though more or even polygon tables so that it is more like the Knights of the Round Table. My name kinda helps joke about that a bit. LOL!
I sit on the end opposite of the site manager. Everybody knows it's my spot and I get to look him dead eye when giving my brief. You put me in E but that's not true, I know everything about my job, there isn't a question I can't answer so I have nothing to hide and proud of it :)
How about if you are a visitor who invited for a meeting, and the receptionist for example advise you to go inside the board room and wait for your contact person. Where will you sit then? (you will present a business proposal without using a TV screen or whiteboard)
If there's a presentation, I pick the seat with a clear view since I'm short and some people tend to block my view. If its just a meeting with a window but bright outdoors, a seat that doesn't face the window directly. If it's without a window or presentation, any seat that doesn't have the view of the exits as its very distracting to me
I sit in the A seat as in your first example, C in the second, and always with the door in my line of sight for the third example. This is because I have PTSD and need to assess the people entering the room. I do not like to be near a door as it is a weak point, ergo not easily defendable.
My instinct is to be a D, but as a Project Mgr, I'm leading most meetings, even when higher-ups are present. This creates a really unique dynamic :/ Hope you'll cover this in the future
Vanessa, you are soooo smart! Your videos are resourceful, entertaining, interesting (even captivating) relevant, thorough while concise, practical and helpful - thank you! I wish we were pals!
I wonder if we prefer to hear that which is coming from the left because we hold the telephone with our left hand so we can write with our right hands. Therefore, our left ear is more attuned to listening than our right ear.
Thank you for a very informative video. Permit me to ask a question. I'm a musician, and work as a radio engineer. I occasionally do live remotes for radio programs. One such remote took place in a conference room of a large insurance company located in New York City. Being a technician hired for a freelance gig, I was in one of the sideline seats (directly opposite the door). The subject of their discussion was large scale real estate development in Manhattan. They were casually throwing eight figure numbers around. Halfway through the discussion a man in a very expensive suit (accompanied by two bodyguards with "ex military" written all over them in big red letters) came in and sat in a very expensive and ornate looking chair that was in the other sideline positions in the room, in the corner diagonally from me, and behind the man in the A seat. . His mannerism and bearing reeked of money and power. The two bodyguards stood on either side of him, a respectful distance form him. He sat and listened to the people who were at the large conference table, who I was putting on the air. He did not participate in the conversation. At one point, our eyes met and we looked at each other for about a second, maybe a little longer before I offered a nod (friendly, but with sufficient forbearance), and he politely returned the nod. I returned to my work. He sat and listened for about another 15 minutes, and then left before the end of the program. He never said a word to anyone. It's obvious the man with the bodyguards was at or near the top of the food chain. There was no question he was the most powerful man in the room. My question: How did this man's choice of position in the room, and his other actions (or lack thereof) symbolize and manifest his dominant position and authority? Thank you for your time.
He left the program early because the seat A was already occupied. Consequently, he took 15 minutes masterbating in his head whether to speak up or run away. Eventually he left the room without eating anything although he was sitting near foods.
Just talking about the first diagram, I have seen many power players take the "E" seat... if they have a swivel chair they still command the room and, should be so relaxed that they do not need to great or make eye contact with everyone coming in.
It depends on the people in the room with you. If it could be decided regardless of the personalities involved, we wouldn’t need to have any meetings. This is a video on how women think about business. I know quite a few people that can control a room from any seat, from a car phone, from a different state, whatever.
Very interesting video! I’ve been in meetings though, where the ‘bosses’ have sat dab smack in the middle ‘D’. In that case, I think the seats right and left to it would still apply.
This video just made me realize why I always get called out first to answer, speak or state my opinion... like WHY?! oh im subconsciously telling people im a leader
I loved this video. Very interesting. Regarding the Power Seat, you explain it's mostly in relation to being able to face the door, but what about the "screen" or media used for a presentation? You mention this in when talking about the circular table, but what about an ordinary conference table? Wouldn't the screen take precedence over the door if it placed behind the position at the head table?
How does a telepresence or video conference on one side of the table impact this? Generally those setups are farthest away from the door. (A) side. It also eliminates the (E) position.
I believe that the very best spot is to be in the F seat behind the line of sight of A. This is the only position that will make A uncomfortable. That’s the very best spot I want to be.
That's interesting I always sat at "C" and My Co-worker and I were the advisers, because we ran the Sub-office, and usually the bosses looked toward us for input, and in the beginning I was caught off guard. Then I learned to relate and not be intimidated by the bosses. When they wanted to incorporate new ideas, they would get us on board first and ask us to train the rest.
In the circular table scenario, wouldn't the power seat be the one with the window behind it? I was always under the impression that sitting in front of a source of light gives more power.
With 12-14 at a rectangular table, I sit between D & E closest to door with chair at lowest height whereas I can be obscured from direct line of sight of "acting power player."
Vanessa, what would you say about the etiquette rules that the senior in the hierarchy sits on the left side of the other person on the table or the place of honor at the table is to the right side of the host?
In this scenario Vanessa said A chose seat to face presentation opposite seat. But A could still seat there if screen was behind if they stood up to do quick presentations and sat doen leaving presentation up allowing circle to look in their direction for whole mtng.
Just a suggestion. You could add another layer to this by discussing cultural differences if your students are doing anything in an overseas context. The Chinese have quite elaborate etiquette rules for meetings at round tables as one example. I enjoyed your work. Great job ! ( new subscriber)
Want more details on how to choose the best seat?
👉 www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-choose-best-seat/
I have attended literally hundreds of meetings over the years. Sometimes I felt like I was contributing a lot and in the flow of the conversation. Other times I felt like I couldn’t get people’s attention, and like I was on the “outside” of the meeting. I finally concluded it had to do with where I was sitting during the meeting. This presentation confirms that thought and adds a lot of enlightening explanation.
I always sit nearest where the food is 😂😂😂
Randolph Umali I love your comment
Hi Randolph...your humorous comments made me laugh and thank you so very much for that. Question for you if I may. How many times were there food served at the meetings you attended? The soup kitchen doesn't count hahahaha.
👍
Good thinking, especially if it's lunch meeting. People aren't paying attention anyways 😀
Wa kinda?
As a union rep I often have to be the contrarian to oppose some company policies so traditionally I am expected to sit opposite the 'A'.
But often I chose the 'B' seat or even the 'F' seat behind the 'A'
The 'B' seat gives me access to invade their personal space and they can become quite unnerved and agitated when an adversary sits this close.
Especially if you can see their notes and paperwork that they are referring to.
The 'F' seat also unnerves them when you are out of their direct sight line and even more so if you are behind them, so in effect they feel they have to look over their shoulder to perceive the hidden threat that you present.
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This is very effective when the 'A' is used to being surrounded by sycophants and yes men as this situation is something they do not normally experience or have to deal with.
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I find this gives me a lot options to play ball and support them if they doing the right thing but can instantly chose to oppose and undermine them if I need to protect my colleagues.
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Don't you just love psychology.
Exactly what I teach in my workshops. Additionally, when you stand up and have something projected, make every effort to be to the left of the presentation for the reasons Vanessa talked about. Tony Robbins taught this long ago. We tend to look up and to the left to access information, makes perfect sense to be on the left and if possible standing.
I really liked the format of this video. It was a lot like a tutorial but you're obviously a teacher who knows what they're doing and presents with confidence. It was just simple and straightforward and I think it worked really well. Thanks =)
on point... i felt the same
Last knows her stuff . I knew some of this intuitively but learned more. Especially the left side favouritism
I’m a big imposing guy and I find that if I sit right next to someone who I think will be opposing me or criticizing me... it dulls out their aggressive predisposition.
If two people are coming in as allies in a meeting with a position opposite to mine, I try and sit between them, it cuts out the symbolic link between them. ... especially if they can’t see each other well and look for the other’s reaction... plus I can glimpse at what they are looking at, their notes if any.
It’s hard to be mean or aggressive to someone when they’re in your face, it diffuses things
I'm also a big somewhat intimidating guy, I find it interesting where people sit when I'm the first person to the meeting. The seats next to me are always the last seats taken.
@@davelindgren5245 no, that's because you're ugly
@HarfangX Interesting and helpful information. Thanks.
I'm a teacher and most of meetings I have are in the classroom of one of the other teachers, and I've always thought a little bit about the proximity of my closer-known colleagues, but I have not really considered the proximity of where I was sitting to anyone, thank you for this info! Always learning something technical from you!
Back in my corporate life the conference room was always an uncomfy space for most of my colleagues. Whether a sales call, or just some brain-storming session, the seating placement always plays a major role while most of them would just see them as a bunch of chairs and a long table. We would meet high ranking decision makers and observe them to be seated in an inferior angle, others, would make their presence known despite having inferior commu and body language skills to make their presence known. I'd say some would just mask and play along with it. I remember walking in to an empty conference room, my boss/mentor was seated on the A seat (as the first person that came in), while I instinctively sat to his left, a high-ranking persona sat on the middle seat. Sometimes, it's not even about playing puzzles on which seat you want to be in but understanding the vibe of the venue and having an overview of the people in it. Each meeting/engagement gives you a role to play with certain agendas, so play it well with seating position + your agenda. Venue reading should be paired with people reading.
Good thing I got out of the corporate power jungle. :D :D
You are an excellent presenter! Your energy, pace, how you refrain from saying “umm” and “uhh”, and way of explaining things, keep people’s interest. Looking forward to your other videos. Thank you!
I can't tell you how much I relate to this video. I normally sit at seat B and sometimes cover for my boss, so I'm at seat A, but there's always a new meeting to attend. Very useful for office/business and meetings tactics.
Great tips! But I was wondering what if you arrive before the power player and are not sure where they will sit?
Another great video!! In typical conference room meetings in my experience, F is for the person taking minutes of the meeting and for the person who is late getting to the meeting and there are no seats left. E is for the loudmouth with strong opinions, D is for those who just want to get it over with. If someone is in the corner of E and D, they might act like an E. C is usually the boss's assistant and B is the supervisor or someone who reports directly to the boss. And in a lot of meetings, E and A are flip flopped if the boss doesn't want to walk all the way to the back of the room
In my meetings, C is my secretary. and B is my treasury. And E, the contrary cow that gets here husband to phone me next morning and tell me all the reasons I can't follow instruction from my committee.
Thank you. I learned a lot. I’m typically a “D” seat. It made me smile thinking back to a few of my meetings and the seat locations I get it.
Power players in my organization typically take sideline seats facing the door. Most of our boardrooms have bench seats at the room is at capacity. Presenters take sideline seats and the power player is infront of the screen.
I like taking a seat either farthest from the door on the opposite side so I can see the whole room and people coming in and out. Or to the as close to the presenter as I can.
I enjoyed this very much. One thing you didn't get into was the seats along the window. In large meetings, where there are no more chairs left, people who stand (or sit) alongside the window are there for a head count. They can be seen by the boss that they have arrived and accountable for what was said in the meeting but these folks normally stay quiet.
Or the F person can be someone from another dept or group that is working alongside your project. Might be referred to general but not a major contributor.
I'll be paying attention to my own inclinations of where to sit, as well as others. Thank you!
An interesting video and bears out what I have observed over the years. I would add that there are 2 extra considerations:
Someone's ones choice of seats can be influenced by whether you (as a senior staff member) want to give encouragement and support to your own group juniors, which will further affect your choice of where to sit in order to offer them "wordless encouragement" and increase their group standing.
The other factor, if you are new to the group or otherwise junior in a more rigid hierarchy is not to immediately usurp the accustomed seating of senior group members. In such a case, it's best to initially take a D position to avoid provoking that senior member until you have worked out the office politics and then work your way as quickly as possible into a more favourable seat at subsequent meetings.
Paradoxically, the D positions can also be useful to indicate one's independence and to allow one a position of reserving judgement.
This is the wisdom of the world. Belittling the value of each individual involved into the ideology of a rat race or a one-ups-manship totally opposed to the reality of truth. This keeps people in a mindset of bitterness and sometimes unforgiveness.
She's still.. VERY attractive ! lol
xdrfox she is a very beautiful woman. You're right.
You're a riot Alice. TeeeHeeee
This is about instinct in nature...similar behavior can be seen with pack animals. Alphas would instinctively face the entrance as protectors. Nothing to do with one-upsmanship, in fact she warns against that talking about how there are times for each "seat". I work in the arts and I'm never in conference rooms but I stumbled on it and was curious if I would know the seats based on feng shui which I've been studying for years...feng shui is based on nature and balance. I was surprised it was spot on.
I wanna see her in a bikini.
Great video and straight forward concepts. Typically I'll be in a D seat if I don't have much to say. I noticed I was usually in the B or D seat facing the door but to the left of the power player and that I'd sometimes feel pressure pay full attention even when I was in 'observer' mode so I started to move my sitting.
Hi Vanessa...I found your contents as I was searching for proper body language during speech and I am glad to have found your channel. I absolutely love the scientific reasoning behind your explanations. This solodify a viewer's believe in what you are teaching us. Thank you so very much for your amazing contribution to human excelence.
Umer.
Glad I found your channel. Thanks for the lively tutorial about how people sit in a meeting. Now I can choose my seat strategically at work.
Good Presentation, just a pointer:
At the round table, the D north of the E should also be an E. It is even more directly across from the A than the chosen E and also more visible as it is more prominent in the eyeline to the presentation board. (To look at the north corner of the presentation board, A has to see "Through D" much more than to look at the south corner he as to see "Through E")
I agree. I think D's closest to screen are multiple Es because A, B And nearby D's can view their reactions or share some light banter. The E position is weakened by fact that they need to turn from rest of table to view presentation.
I usually take the D seat to the left of B. I want to be supportive, but also want A to see how I’m listening to every word. I have often ended up being the person the boss makes most eye contact with. S/he sees me nodding (even when that actually means, “Yeah, that’s BS”) and taking notes. Then s/he is ready to listen to me. This isn’t as cold and calculating as it seems when I write it down, either. I’m not sure if one can fake warmth. I suppose it would depend on the amount of time A actually works closely with one.
I did find that eye contact is a cultural thing. If eye contact between men and women is uncomfortable for A, then I try to snag the B or C seat so I can be supportive without making much eye contact.
All the seats as important as you've suggested they are for and I agreed with the exception of seat choice in a round-table meeting because this time it rebels the previous table choices and I would like a solid answer if you haven't agreed with my choice in a round-table.
E! That is my comfortable way of being. So much so, that when the question came up as to which seat was most emotionally charged, I didn't pick that one. I would say that those in the D seats would be in more emotional inner distress. But then, I am a Challenger 8 on the Enneagram test.
I'd choose a seat that had a good view of the window in case the meeting starts to get boring
I don't allow the meeting to get boring.
All meetings get boring
imo
Once a meeting had to stop because I saw a jumping squirrel outside :D
@@tms0815gI like your priorities!
I think this is a good video that serves a good purpose.
With that being said, having to science out where to sit in the conference room is exactly why I hate Corporate America and the fake people who run it.
Where to sit? Find an open chair, sit down in it, and be a normal human being.
I always sit in B seat l feel my brain can function better. When we have meeting in our women charity but never knew that my seat is B today l from you. Thank you Vanessa.
Thank you Vanessa for making this video! I’m honestly impressed and i know starting to have a better understanding how people behave at our work meetings! Please keep sharing with us your knowledge!!!
Vanessa - awesome! I loved when you removed the end seats, which is my situation. Love it! Thank you for posting.
You’re the best! Thanks for helping us recovering awkward people! You make everything seem less anxiety ridden ❤❤❤❤
Thank you ❤ I am so honored to help!
This is very old school. Usually there is a projection or a white board everyone is facing, which requires one end of the table empty.
Agreed. This seems more like a dinner table then a meeting. In most meetings there's someone presenting who's often not the boss. That changes the dynamic.
Great videos Vanessa!
I recently went to an orientation and had the same choice but with a twist. First one in the room and it was empty. It was a small room and the table was turned sideways with eight chairs. I picked the seat facing the projector but my back was to the door. And sure enough the host picked the chair facing the door.
Really interesting stuff, thank you.
Thank you this is very valuable info. At my office, we sit exactly as you described. Nice to know there is a reason why.
This will help me so much, I struggle on which seat to choose during those meetings. And our previous meetings, I did observed this, makes so much sense now. Thank you for making this video!
I find the power player sits close to the door more often. Switch A and E on the first table.
They are not usually the presenter, they are often the ones being presented too.
Also good executives want to overview, get things started and then delegate, then they leave to other valuable executive business and let the rest of the members continue the meeting.
The Sideliner near the Power Player is also often an assistant or #2 person who is helping with additional information. If the Power Player is making the presentation the #2 person will often do it for them while the Power Player watches from the other side of the room so they can watch the participants reaction (or catch on some emails or social media).
Very good video. Kind of confirmed what I already thought, but added some insights and research backing it up.
Two other observations - When meeting with clients or with people from another organization, I have been taught and observed that better results are obtained when people deliberately intersperse themselves with members of the other group.
And, when I'm leading a meeting and I want to set an egalitarian tone, I usually take one of the D seats.
I'm the Director of a Library, I'm not a voting member of the board, BUT I have a major role in all the Board meetings in giving reports on operations planning, budget and the like. We have an Octagonal table. I sit two chairs to the Right of the Chair of the Board which is on the left of the Treasurer.
I like to sit at one of the heads of the table, but I am aware that one of them could be the bosses seat. So if I am early I first ask if there is a steady arrangement. I liked this video. Thank you
I attend a local police meeting as head of our neighbourhood residents group every two weeks or so as schedule permits.
Not at a table as illustrated in this video, but the police officers all sit behind a table and face the "audience".
I like to sit in the back row directly in line with the captain.
Front row to me is sucking up. Back row I watch everyone else and feels like either A or E seat.
Left and right side wings are the F seats.
If I’m not the power seat I’m usually a B or C unless I want to keep low profile then I’m closest to the door!! 😂 Thank you! This all makes sense and I’ve lived it for over 30 years of professional work.
Also depend on where the projector is pointing to.
There is a typo in your slide The Sitting Plan. You are missing the second letter I
This is good. I typically choose to face the door and sit at the B or C positions. I've been doing this since I was a kid. I just couldn't feel comfortable having my back to the door. And I always wanted 1 elbow "free" and relaxed without having a neighbor to my left or right whom I might nudge or hit. And, yeah, I wanted to be by my Dad's side and my Mom across me. Now, I take the alpha side when I can or, again the B or C, just so I can see who's entering, and to see everyone at the table. Yeah, I'm the alpha on my side of the family. Second alpha in our business (hubby is alpha of alphas haha). And always at F or D or absent when I don't have any particular interest or anything to do in a meeting or conversation. So far, 90% are subconscious acts.
I've known the gist of this for a long time.
You may want to talk about interview seati g or arbitration seating where the panels chooses your seat and how to compensate.
I have a story about entering a meeting that put me in a weak position.
I immediately pulled the chair out and positioned it at an awkward angle facing door which surprised snd threw the panel off their game.
I won!
Our conference room is configured in a block-U shape; the power player sits in the top right hand corner, which is opposite the door. There's no seat to her right; the two or three seats to the left are usually taken by other execs. I usually sit in the bottom right hand corner, in line of sight of the power player - she can easily make eye contact with me - and I can also see who enters. I usually note where other people sit, and yes, they do have "their" seats! Next time, I'm going to arrive early and sit closer to the power player and see what happens.
When I meet privately with my manager in a small room/small table, I consciously never sit directly across from him (to avoid being "contrary"), but will deliberately move my chair to be somewhat at a diagonal.
For our usual Thursday meeting, where I need the boss' attention I sit in the B seat. In the monthly meeting where I do not require much attention I sit in the farthest away D seat on the left. Very interesting!
Makes that scene in Game of Thrones where Tywin has all the seats on one side of the table that much more interesting to watch.
Vanessa, your body language is awesome. Do you plan/rehearse it earlier or does it just come naturally?
Wow, this was interesting. And makes a lot of sense! Our boss usally sits in the E seat. I like to sit next to her on her left, and take notes. When I'm a little more low key, I like a D seat further back, but in direct eye contact. I also love sitting on the first row in classes and other learning situations..
Hi Vanessa, First I would like to say thank you very much I enjoyed very much watching your video I will be Choosing B or C seats Thank you so much.😊
This is fascinating! By nature, I always sit next to the power player. Why? Because I want to closely observe their body language and words. It'll tell me more if they're authentic or not.
I would put the scientist or great observer in F (outside the game) And If I was boss in A, I would get the meetings results loose ends actualised and in motion, then go to the F guy for tips about how the game or meeting played out. We don’t necessarily have to be feudal about it either. Does there have to be a head of the table or can it be a council of equals? If underlings are more creative when the power player is not there can the power player go undercover so that they can understand, enjoy and learn from the creative process. Psychologists might be able to research successful ‘exceptions to the mean or averaged rule’ on good strategy/tactics for success. Sometimes there can be a problem with plays that win not always being best for the task at hand (where power and skill wins over wisdom and foresight.) Being effective with very low bad consequences for anyone at all and an excellent score on helpfulness, can be more important long term than selling oneself for the top position.
I'd love to see a seating science video for "on-sites." When you have sales (guests) presenting to a cross section of employees at various levels of the hierarchy in a conference room with a projector.
This video is amazing… Thanks so much for this insightful info!
Of course! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
This is getting changed post COVID19. Now not sure if we will get into packed conference room. Would like to see video on how to manage Video Calls.
If your goal is to take control of the room. The best seat in the room is center directly across from the window. Don't forget that the window may make those with their back facing the window faces look darker.
A great presentation! For a followup, you might want to do a video on 'reading' a room by noting where people sit when a contentious issue is to be discussed. That's likely to give advanced knowledge of their POV. You hinted that in this video. Simply make it explicit.
I saw that when I was in a legal dispute in Seattle federal court. The Manhattan lawyers I was opposing would be on speakerphone and had insisted on the conference so the judge could settle a point of contention between them and me. That also meant that they would NOT be able to read the judge's attitude. A local lawyer providing them with a presence sat in the middle on the window side of the table and said almost nothing. I sat in the middle on the other side and did my best to appear reasonable and willing to compromise without conceding to their demands. I didn't want to appear to be pushing the judge.
I'd assume that when the judge came in she'd sit at the head of the table, since she was clearly the one in charge. She didn't, and she didn't sit on the other side either. She sat next to me. It was my first clear indication that I was likely to win. About five months later-legal disputes move slowly-she dismissed their lawsuit "with prejudice," meaning they'd lost and couldn't refile. The result was my book, Untangling Tolkien, a day-by-day chronology of The Lord of the Rings. I'd almost single-handedly defeated one of the most deep-pocketed literary estates on the planet. The last chapter has my fair-use, my-book-is-legal arguments rewritten as literary commentary.
That conference helped me win. Being faraway and unable to read body language or seating, the opposing lawyer behaved badly, disagreeing with the judge's suggested compromise. I recall thinking to myself, "I do not think I would be disagreeing with a judge if I could possibly avoid it."
There is one additional point you might make. If you know there'll be a confrontation between those at the two ends of the table, choosing where to sit become critically important. Siting next to either will make look like you're on their side. If you are, maybe that's fine. But in many situations the safest move is likely to be in the middle, next to neither, or in one of those off-table seats, if you want to stay out of the fight altogether.
In the worst possible scenario, where you find yourself placed next to a contender you disagree with, the best move might be to lean away from them, not make eye contact with them when they talk, and use body language to convey your disagreement. You want everyone to see that you're not with him.
In my office I often recognise a sub-pattern: E normally tries to opppose with his own allies; so technically they are no longer Ds
Congrats, you just analyzed something that makes .01% difference in the meeting. Now we can concentrate on when to talk and when to listen which is 99% of your impact.
For a group interview which I was unprepared for because I thought with my charisma and natural authentic confidence I could charm my way through, but I was unaware of the situation I was stepping in, anyway I picked the head of the table, the contrarian, and the first 40 mins were all shouting out what you know about the website. This is where I low-key had a panic attack hahahahahaha. I think they even hinted if anyone wants to leave they can now. But I stuck through. Lol. When we got to the indivisible rounds about ourselves and the group tasks I almost thought I could have got the job. But clearly was unprepared and yes.
Another time for like a gym seminar by a visiting nutrition guest, I sat at the front, right infront of the dude, no one else did, and yup I had a mini anxiety attack then too. I managed to leave to get food from my car ( I was dieting at the time) and when I got back I sat towards the back.
But yeah he even stopped and asked me if I was ok.
So I’m not sure what these anxiety moments look like but lmao, yeah maybe I’ll avoid the front or head on
I think I’ve done healing work since then and stepped more into my authenticity. So. Maybe I naturally wouldn’t pick those seats now.sure before I was grandiose confident. But. Group scenarios haven’t really been my thing. But also I think authenticity has a big part of it and if you even want to be there in the first place.
Almost always E.
Next choice would be C
If I'm playing the role of the straw boss, assistant manager or consultant, off I'd choose B.
I delegate a lot though so you'll normally find me controlling traffic from the door when I'm the big boss.
I typically sit at the head of the table, I do this because it's the power seat and I feel like I'm steeling the soul of the actual power player.
Sit in random places to break others out of their ruts.
It may be a random mtng with strangers
I go early on purpose to get the 'E position chair. At the head of the table . You either want to be in thst seat or not
bet ima sit in the boss seat next meeting😎😂
I think room design plays an important role. Windows for example. Light from a window can either be distracting or more comfortable when the meeting is either during the day or night. Do windows face the early morning sun or late afternoon sun, or midday very bright light? Windows need to have light control over the room. If I'm running the meeting, I want people's attention. At the same time, I don't like an austere room where the lighting is stale, no windows, no curtains, and boring. I want a room that fosters creativity yet doesn't overwhelm the attendee with distraction.
Where would you predict a "servant leader" of a team would sit? I have chosen a particular location for rectangular table to exude collegiality and collaboration for leading our team for over a decade. Hope it has been effective. I do prefer circular tables though more or even polygon tables so that it is more like the Knights of the Round Table. My name kinda helps joke about that a bit. LOL!
I sit as far out of view of the big bosses as possible! I also try to get a good view out the window, but that's a secondary requirement.
I sit on the end opposite of the site manager. Everybody knows it's my spot and I get to look him dead eye when giving my brief. You put me in E but that's not true, I know everything about my job, there isn't a question I can't answer so I have nothing to hide and proud of it :)
How about if you are a visitor who invited for a meeting, and the receptionist for example advise you to go inside the board room and wait for your contact person. Where will you sit then? (you will present a business proposal without using a TV screen or whiteboard)
If there's a presentation, I pick the seat with a clear view since I'm short and some people tend to block my view. If its just a meeting with a window but bright outdoors, a seat that doesn't face the window directly. If it's without a window or presentation, any seat that doesn't have the view of the exits as its very distracting to me
I sit in the A seat as in your first example, C in the second, and always with the door in my line of sight for the third example. This is because I have PTSD and need to assess the people entering the room. I do not like to be near a door as it is a weak point, ergo not easily defendable.
My instinct is to be a D, but as a Project Mgr, I'm leading most meetings, even when higher-ups are present. This creates a really unique dynamic :/ Hope you'll cover this in the future
I think if the windows are bright, A will not look into the light and look more to his/hers right and therefor listen more to C.
How about the U configuration?
Vanessa, you are soooo smart! Your videos are resourceful, entertaining, interesting (even captivating) relevant, thorough while concise, practical and helpful - thank you! I wish we were pals!
I wonder if we prefer to hear that which is coming from the left because we hold the telephone with our left hand so we can write with our right hands. Therefore, our left ear is more attuned to listening than our right ear.
Thank you for a very informative video. Permit me to ask a question.
I'm a musician, and work as a radio engineer. I occasionally do live remotes for radio programs.
One such remote took place in a conference room of a large insurance company located in New York City. Being a technician hired for a freelance gig, I was in one of the sideline seats (directly opposite the door). The subject of their discussion was large scale real estate development in Manhattan. They were casually throwing eight figure numbers around.
Halfway through the discussion a man in a very expensive suit (accompanied by two bodyguards with "ex military" written all over them in big red letters) came in and sat in a very expensive and ornate looking chair that was in the other sideline positions in the room, in the corner diagonally from me, and behind the man in the A seat. . His mannerism and bearing reeked of money and power. The two bodyguards stood on either side of him, a respectful distance form him.
He sat and listened to the people who were at the large conference table, who I was putting on the air. He did not participate in the conversation. At one point, our eyes met and we looked at each other for about a second, maybe a little longer before I offered a nod (friendly, but with sufficient forbearance), and he politely returned the nod. I returned to my work. He sat and listened for about another 15 minutes, and then left before the end of the program. He never said a word to anyone.
It's obvious the man with the bodyguards was at or near the top of the food chain. There was no question he was the most powerful man in the room.
My question: How did this man's choice of position in the room, and his other actions (or lack thereof) symbolize and manifest his dominant position and authority?
Thank you for your time.
He left the program early because the seat A was already occupied. Consequently, he took 15 minutes masterbating in his head whether to speak up or run away. Eventually he left the room without eating anything although he was sitting near foods.
Wow! I always sat next to my manager, at the "Power Player Ally Seat (B)". I guess I was always the one with the best ideas. :)
or maybe the biggest suck-up. LOL
Jealous? “The dogs bark because we gallop.”
Just talking about the first diagram, I have seen many power players take the "E" seat... if they have a swivel chair they still command the room and, should be so relaxed that they do not need to great or make eye contact with everyone coming in.
Love the visuals you used to explain the seating arrangement from A - F.
Thanks Vanessa. Greetings from the Philippines!
I used to sit as far away as s possible, but now I'm going to change it up a bit😁
It depends on the people in the room with you. If it could be decided regardless of the personalities involved, we wouldn’t need to have any meetings. This is a video on how women think about business. I know quite a few people that can control a room from any seat, from a car phone, from a different state, whatever.
Very interesting video!
I’ve been in meetings though, where the ‘bosses’ have sat dab smack in the middle ‘D’. In that case, I think the seats right and left to it would still apply.
thanks a lot for this valuable information
You're welcome! Thanks for watching. :)
This video just made me realize why I always get called out first to answer, speak or state my opinion... like WHY?! oh im subconsciously telling people im a leader
I loved this video. Very interesting. Regarding the Power Seat, you explain it's mostly in relation to being able to face the door, but what about the "screen" or media used for a presentation? You mention this in when talking about the circular table, but what about an ordinary conference table? Wouldn't the screen take precedence over the door if it placed behind the position at the head table?
How does a telepresence or video conference on one side of the table impact this? Generally those setups are farthest away from the door. (A) side. It also eliminates the (E) position.
I believe that the very best spot is to be in the F seat behind the line of sight of A.
This is the only position that will make A uncomfortable. That’s the very best spot I want to be.
That's interesting I always sat at "C" and My Co-worker and I were the advisers, because we ran the Sub-office, and usually the bosses looked toward us for input, and in the beginning I was caught off guard. Then I learned to relate and not be intimidated by the bosses. When they wanted to incorporate new ideas, they would get us on board first and ask us to train the rest.
Amazing Vanessa! You’re an incredible communicator
In the circular table scenario, wouldn't the power seat be the one with the window behind it? I was always under the impression that sitting in front of a source of light gives more power.
With 12-14 at a rectangular table, I sit between D & E closest to door with chair at lowest height whereas I can be obscured from direct line of sight of "acting power player."
Yes. I need a new job.
Hey thanks Venessa for such useful information.
Vanessa, what would you say about the etiquette rules that the senior in the hierarchy sits on the left side of the other person on the table or the place of honor at the table is to the right side of the host?
What if there's a projector behind the A seat? It's not the power seat any more?
Good question, hopefully Vanessa answers it.
Agree. Most room now are set up to face a screen
In this scenario Vanessa said A chose seat to face presentation opposite seat.
But A could still seat there if screen was behind if they stood up to do quick presentations and sat doen leaving presentation up allowing circle to look in their direction for whole mtng.
Just a suggestion. You could add another layer to this by discussing cultural differences if your students are doing anything in an overseas context. The Chinese have quite elaborate etiquette rules for meetings at round tables as one example. I enjoyed your work. Great job ! ( new subscriber)
It’s good to be aware of what most of the times we just do it at a unconscious level
Usually facing the door near the board or where the monitor is.