Interviews, Power Plays and Office Politics
Office Power Politics
Have you ever been for a job interview and felt overwhelmed
or helpless when you sat in the visitor's chair? Where the inter-
viewer seemed so big and overwhelming and you felt small and
insignificant? It is likely that the interviewer had cunningly
arranged his office furnishings to raise his own status and
power and, in so doing, lower yours. Certain strategies using
chairs and seating arrangements can create this atmosphere in
an office.
There are three factors in raising perceived status and power
using chairs: the size of the chair and its accessories, the height
of the chair from the floor and the location of the chair rela-
tive to the other person.
- Chair Size and Accessories
The height of the back of the chair raises or lowers a person's
status. The higher the back of the chair, the more power and
status the person sitting in it is perceived to have. Kings,
queens, popes and other high-status people may have the back
of their throne or official chair as high as 8 feet or more (2.5m)
to show their status relative to everyone else; the senior execu-
tive has a high-backed leather chair and his visitor's chair has
a low back. How much power would the Queen or the Pope
have if they were always sitting on a small piano stool?
Swivel chairs have more power and status than fixed chairs,
allowing the user freedom of movement when he is placed
under pressure. Fixed chairs allow little or no movement and
this lack of movement is compensated for by the sitter's use of
body gestures that reveal their attitudes and feelings. Chairs
with armrests, those that lean back and those that have wheels
have more power.
- Chair Height
The acquisition of power using height was covered in Chapter
16 but it is worth noting that status is gained if your chair is
adjusted higher off the floor than the other person's. Some
