Turn the feedback chair before you start
Use chair angle and distance to reduce defensiveness in corrective feedback.
The feedback content is the same. The setup changes the threat level. Before: desk barrier, face-off posture, and low control for the employee. After: angled chairs, shared artifact, open path. The desk barrier moved out of the center, so the conversation feels less like authority versus defense. Both chairs angle toward the work artifact, which turns attention from personal blame to joint problem solving. The exit path stays open, reducing territorial pressure during a high-stakes message. Distance stays social, not intimate, so the manager can be warm without crowding. Change the room before you ask the person to stay open.…
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