You’ve most likely heard the phrase, ‘work the room’ which is about networking. I’m not an expert on that topic; however, I do know a few things about making the room work. In other words, using the size and the layout of the room to work in your favor when leading a facilitation or a meeting. How we use space to impact communication, social interaction and behavior is called proxemics.
It’s at play all the time although you may not realize it. If you’ve ever been in a meeting and there was no energy in the room, proxemics may have been a factor. If you’ve ever been in a meeting and the discussion was robust, proxemics may have been a factor. There is plenty to discuss on the topic of proxemics and today I’ll focus on the size of the room.
If you have a small group and you are meeting in an expansive space it will be more of a struggle to find the energy in the room and to get significant interaction. If given a choice, I will always choose a slightly too small space to gather rather than a too large space. A smaller space creates cohesion and you’ll be more likely to build energy.
If you don’t have a choice and find yourself in a space too large for the number of attendees then try to move to a corner of the room and huddle up by moving furniture to create the boundaries of a smaller space. If you can eliminate large tables from blocking space between attendees that will help also. Creating a small space within the large space is worth the time and physical effort it will take to do so. I can almost guarantee you a more engaged group if you take this step.
Size does matter, and in this case, smaller is better.