When I walk into a workshop venue for the first time, the single thing that tells me the most about how the day will go is whether there's a table in the middle of the room.
If there is, my first order of business is getting rid of it.
The Setup That Kills Creativity
Picture the typical conference room: a large rectangular table, chairs tucked in around it, a screen at one end. Everyone sits in their assigned spot in the organizational hierarchy — the boss at the head, the direct reports fanning out in predictable order. Laptops open. Coffee within reach. Everything arranged for efficiency.
This setup is fine for a meeting. You can share information, review data, and make decisions using the logic everyone already shares. You can have a perfectly good meeting at a table.
But you cannot have a great workshop at one.
What a Table Actually Does
When people sit at a table, several things happen that work against the deeper thinking your organization needs:
First, the table creates a barrier between people's upper and lower bodies. Participants become "talking heads" — their titled roles in an organizational chart rather than full human beings. You lose access to the nonverbal communication that carries so much of the real information in any group. You lose the fidgeting and the leaning in and the crossing of arms that tells you what people are actually feeling, even when their words say something different.
Second, the table provides a surface for laptops and phones. I've had clients complain to me that participants won't stay off their computers during workshops — and these are often the same clients who insisted on keeping the tables. The table creates the problem and then gets blamed for the symptom.
Third, and most importantly, the table keeps people in the realm of Thought. If the work you need to do requires only cognitive processing — bylaws revisions, budget reviews, information sharing — then by all means, keep the table. But if you want people to access their emotions, their intuitions, their creative capacity to see the situation in a new way, the table is working against you.
The Circle of Chairs
I prefer a circle of movable chairs — one for me and one for each participant — and no tables. I can accept a table or two along the walls for snacks, coffee, and supplies. But the center of the room stays open.
Simply suggesting this may already mark you as a maverick. Some clients resist. They fear participants will find it odd, or that people will want somewhere to rest their laptops. But I've found that with a little confidence and humor — "This is not an intervention!" — I can get participants comfortable with the setup quickly.
And then something shifts. Without the table as a barrier, people engage differently. They make eye contact. They respond to each other's body language. The conversation moves from an exchange of positions to an actual dialogue. The channels for nonverbal communication open up, and participants engage not as titles but as human beings. This vastly increases your odds of accessing their emotion and intuition — which is where the real breakthroughs happen.
It's Never Too Late
Here's the encouraging thing: it is never too late to remove the tables.
Recently, I was hired at the last minute to facilitate a workshop at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C. When I arrived, I found a long, ornate room with eight-foot ceilings and an imposing chandelier. A U-shaped table ran the length of the room. I did what I could — I prevailed upon the client to have the venue staff remove the tables and set up at least an oval of chairs. The chandelier was there to stay, but the table didn't have to be.
Some of my best workshops have started with the simple act of pushing tables to the walls and rearranging chairs. The physical change signals a psychological one: this is going to be different from your typical meeting. We're here to do real work together.
The Venue Matters More Than You Think
This is why I try to get involved in venue selection as early as possible. The worst case is a boardroom in a conference hotel with a fixed wooden table, low ceilings, poor lighting, and no windows. I have trouble even using the word "workshop" to describe a gathering in such a location.
The best venues have open rooms with movable furniture, enough space for people to move around freely, walls where you can post flip-chart paper, and windows providing natural light. Ideally, a pleasant view and direct access to the outdoors.
I once facilitated a leadership retreat for a community health initiative in Memphis. The group had planned to meet in the "community room" at one of their clinics — where they always met. I knew this retreat had to feel different. On my initial trip to Memphis, I drove past the Children's Museum and heard children running around outside. It struck me as a fantastic place to hold a retreat focused on the future of the community's health. We'd be able to hear the future all around us. The retreat turned out far better than if we'd been in that same old community room.
Take the Risk
The next time you're planning a workshop — or even a meeting where you need people to think differently — try this: remove the tables and set up a circle of chairs. You'll feel the energy shift immediately.
It's a small change that signals a big one. And it costs nothing.
Want to design workshops that access your group's full intelligence? Schedule a free call to talk about how Whole Mind facilitation can transform your next retreat.