‘Can we lose the table?’

‘Can we lose the table?’ 

Sometimes I turn up to run a workshop and the room is laid out traditionally, with a large table in the middle and chairs around it.

On these occasions, I always ask if we can switch the room up a bit. Have the table taken out or moved to one side, and then arrange the chairs into a horseshoe shape. 

On Monday this week, I had the perfect space for hosting a session (pictured here).  

Yes! I thought as I walked in. 

A sofa and armchairs. We could pace around the room. Stand up. Sit down. Lounge about a bit. Sink into the seats and get comfortable. 

When there’s no table, it removes hierarchy. There's no hard barrier between me and the participants, nor between colleagues. No-one is at the head of the table. There’s nothing in the way as we go around the room. The arc shape is democratising: it encourages every voice to be heard. 

The space is more conducive to free thinking and open-mindedness. Without the table it feels more human. This is not trivial - it really helps create the right vibe: relaxed, democratic, open. 

So what I've found is that sessions work best when there’s no table in the middle.