The Ultimate Body Language Book

alance between looking out the window to enjoy the view it provides and monitoring the door. The
highest ranking workers will have private offices with controlled entry, or in other words a secretary.
A busy office provides multiple meeting and collaborative areas.
It is important to put some thought into how desks are used since they can dictate how a meeting might
unfold. A desk between two forward facing people forms a barrier which then leads into a formal
meeting even when it’s not intended. If the goal is to create less confrontation and foster team building,
than meetings should take place without a desk, or with circular or even square tables. Space
permitting, circular tables should be included in the office environment to permit informal meetings if
desired. Having room for more than one meeting area sends a powerful nonverbal message to those
visiting since it shows that your occupation warrants it, even if they are only rarely used.
Placing chairs kitty-corner at a rectangular desk or positioning two chairs at forty-five degrees to the
table on the same side can be effective if the goal is to hold cooperative meetings. Every office should
be set-up in a manner that suits its main purpose, however, contingencies should be made for rare
occasions when alternative strategies need to be implemented. If the idea is to quickly build friendships