169. Everything in its place (Condition #18: room layout)

Episode 144 last season was about boardroom layout. In that episode, I admitted that I’m obsessed with boardrooms. Specifically, I’m obsessed with the fact that they’re all laid out essentially the same for literally no reason other than that’s how boardrooms are laid out. If you’re at all convinced that your boardroom layout is an important condition for decision-making, then ask yourself: what favours is a conventional layout doing when it comes to generating inclusive dialogue in an efficient timeframe, or when it comes to stimulating the generation of interesting ideas and perspectives? The answer is likely “no favours at all!” So what’s stopping you from just changing the layout right away? Let’s be honest, it’s mostly the furniture, which we’ll talk about in more detail in a few episodes. The furniture issue is especially true if you’ve got one of those old school huge solid wood board tables and stately chairs. I mean, what are you supposed to do? Take an axe to it and break it up into smaller modular chunks? Hmm…modular chunks, you say? Anyway, getting new furniture isn’t the only way to get creative with the layout of the room. What other rooms or spaces in or near your organization might be more conducive to the type of dialogue we really want during board meetings? While we’re waiting to talk about furniture, maybe you could put a bit of imagination into what kinds of room layouts you find most engaging in different situations. Try not to only think about boardrooms or dining tables, but also hanging out in a living room or maybe a kindergarten classroom, or a party, or any other thing that might spark a different kind of vibe than what we’re used to in a conventional boardroom.