What is a seat to you? Is it simply somewhere to park your behind for the duration of time you’re in that spot? Or, is it somewhere to get the best view? Is it a place to be comfortable? Or, is it a place you want to be, a spot, somewhere to feel empowered?
A chair, or seat, is about much more than taking a load off for a set amount of time. A chair is about comfort, it is about ease of motion, it is about productivity, and it is about the positioning of it, in terms of how it makes you feel.
In this chat, we’re going to talk about something you might not have heard of before – chair psychology!
The term itself might not strictly speaking exist, but we’re basically talking about the psychology of seating - how it makes you feel, how it makes you think, and how it can be improved.
You will have heard the phrase ‘take a seat’ before. You’ve probably said it yourself several times. When you utter those words, or when they are said to you, how do they make you feel? ‘Take a seat’ is often used in formal events or chats, e.g. at the doctor’s office, or during a job interview, for instance. Of course, they can be used outside of those types of occasion, but in other situations the phrase is likely to be more casual, e.g. ‘sit down’, or ‘grab a chair’. No, ‘take a seat’ implies there is a difficult conversation about to occur.
The terminology we use in relation to seating therefore has a direct impact on our mind-set at that time. So, doesn’t it make total sense that the actual chair would have an impact too? A large office chair, one with an imposing high back, arm rests, and probably made of leather implies a person in a position of power. A stool is a more casual type of seating arrangement. The type of chair is important, just as much as the words linked to actually sitting on it.
The reason we need to address this subject is because how your staff feel in their workplace has a direct impact on how well they perform, and productivity as a whole. If you can choose the right type of office seating for your staff, you may very well find that morale improves, numbers improve, targets are met, and overall, productivity is on the rise. The same can be said for choosing the right type of office desk, and general office space planning.
The right type of office chair for your staff needs to be:
- Ergonomically designed (more on that shortly)
- Comfortable
- Adjustable
- Suitable for the type of work they are doing
- In keeping with the decor
Those are the five basics of what an office chair needs to be, but how do each of those impact on mind-set? To understand the best types of chairs to incorporate into your office space, whether they are designer officer chairs or something else entirely, you need to understand why each of those facets are vital.
Ergonomically Designed
An ergonomically designed chair is the best type of chair in terms of employee performance. Why? Becuase it means the person is comfortable. The chair can be adjusted for a bespoke fit, not only for back and neck alignment, but also avoiding repetitive strain injury (RSI) and even headaches.
An ergonomic chair doesn’t have to be something which looks like it comes from the space age, as many regular office chairs can be ergonomically designed with comfort and productivity in mind. The reason all of this can influence a person’s mind-set? Comfort and the ability to do their job properly.
Think about it, if you’re not comfortable, if you’re always having to move around to do your job and sit at odd angles, if you’re experiencing pain because of the way you have to sit, are you going to be in the best of moods? Probably not. Are you going to feel like working to the best of your ability? Certainly not. You will probably sit looking at the clock, urging it to go faster. This is not something you want your staff to experience. An ergonomically designed chair will boost productivity for your business, but more importantly, it will help your staff be comfortable and supported during their working hours. Ironically, this works into your hands anyway, because they’re more likely to work harder and more diligently as a result!
Comfortable & Adjustable
Our last section really covered a lot of what this part is all about, but as a bare minimum, even if your chairs aren’t strictly speaking ergonomically deigned, they need to be adjustable and they need to be comfortable. The back section should have the ability to be changed in terms of height and angle, the lower back section should be able to be increased in padding or decreased, the chair itself should be able to change height, and if the chair has armrests, these should be adjustable or removable too. This all helps to avoid lower back problems, neck pain, tension headaches, and RSI.
An adjustable chair isn’t just a comfortable chair; because comfort also has other facets to think about. The chair shouldn’t be too hard, so think about padding – but not too much! If you have old office chairs, it’s likely that the padding has worn out a little, and therefore sitting on them isn’t going to be the most pleasant of experiences. Replacing old chairs is therefore a must.
Again, in terms of how this affects mind-set, it’s all down to a happy employee working harder than an employee who is miserable and in pain. As an employer, you have a duty of care to your staff, and ensuring they are comfortable, supported, and ensuring they have the basic equipment they need to do their job properly, is vital.
Suitable For The Type of Work
There are many different types of office chairs to choose from, and you need to make sure that you get the right type of chair for the type of working that is being done. The chances are that there are a variety of different types of work going on in your organisation, so you need different chairs for different sections!
For example, if you have a collaborative area, such as a place staff go to brainstorm, then you don’t need ergonomic chairs which are designed for heavy typing and computer work. In this case, mesh chairs could be a good idea. This type of chair is fun, lightweight, and less formal, and fits in with the right kind of mind-set needed for collaborative/brainstorming work. Choosing the right type of office chair will get your staff into the right frame of mind for the task at hand.
Similarly, a boardroom will require more formal seating, to get staff into the frame of mind for formal meetings and discussions. A person who sits in a large, leather formal chair is going to instantly feel in power – this is just the way our minds work! Conversely, if you sit on a child’s plastic chair, you’re going to feel playful and not at all serious. Can you see how the chair you sit on changes the way you feel, or see the situation?
In keeping With The Decor
Our final area is more about the aesthetic side of it than anything else, but even that affects the way we feel and think. Your chairs needs to be in keeping with the rest of your decor. If they stick out like a sore thumb, and really don’t fit in, it’s going to be a sticking point of annoyance for everyone. People like neat and tidy offices, they like offices which look the part and are ultra modern, or stylish. For that reason, choose your white office furniture carefully, choose your decor with care, and opt for chairs which fit in with all of that, to create the right work-related mind-set for everyone who walks into the room and is asked to ‘take a seat’.
By choosing your office seating carefully, you can influence the mind-set of your staff. This is key in making them feel comfortable and valued, but also in terms of productivity. Reducing work-related injuries is something which is part of an employer’s responsibility. If your staff are complaining of sore wrists, back pain, and headaches, maybe it’s time you looked into your seating requirements, and made some positive changes.
What do you think about all of this? Have you ever noticed your mind-set changes when you sit in a different type of seat? Does it make you feel more powerful, or more focused? There’s definitely some food for thought there, so let us know what you think!