From coffee cups to desks, does size really matter in the workplace?

According to Andrew O’Connell, a columnist with the Harvard Business Review, size really can matter at work.

He claims the bigger the coffee or pizza you order the higher the status signals you’ll be sending off.

But before we all rush off to order that ‘Gut Buster’ burger and double fries in a bid to get singled out for promotion we might need to ask if the ‘Stuff your way to success’ rule would apply in the UK as well as the States.

Over here the people who graze and look greedy are often viewed as lower down the pecking order than the ones who display a level of self-control.

We take a much more smug view of over-snacking at work, with eye rolls a plenty for the co-worker who overfills their plate at the Christmas party buffet or who sits at their desk ripping open the top of a family bag of crisps while the rest are nibbling at apples.

We often apologise and look guilty when we take a biscuit from the plate at a meeting and we’d rarely grab a handful of Bourbons ‘for later’ in a bid to impress the boss.

Apeing animal success signals

Of course size is important in the animal kingdom, where status signals are mostly about physical power and strength.

You don’t get to be an alpha ape via detox fasting and low-fat snacks, you dominate by being the toughest in the hierarchy which means you get the first pick of the food as a reward.

[ClaireaBella founder reveals her secrets to success]

[How did this beautician create a multi-million pound company?]

In human society though the leader of the pack is rarely the one with the biggest muscles.

HR departments tend to discourage physical fights to the death during the promotion process, meaning weediness no longer discounts from getting to the top of our professions.

However we do still tend to equate space with power, meaning it’s the larger rooms, bigger desks and even higher seats that are often seen as a sign of senior status.

Bigger CAN be better

Take Alan Sugar’s football pitch-size desk on The Apprentice, which is a lot more status-significant than the size of his latte.

While he sits high, jabbing a finger at his victims they stand huddled in close proximity to remind us all who is in charge, meaning it’s the size of our personal space that really counts when we want to signal success.

Over-confidence will be signalled by our capacity to splay, but when we’re under pressure or feeling anxious or powerless we will self-diminish, using gestures like folded arms and hunched shoulders to make ourselves less of a target.

But business impact is all about getting those special signals right.

Too much splaying will look arrogant and confrontational while sitting wrapped into yourself might suggest low levels of ability or importance.

Top 10 tips on how to create the right space for status success

Keep the upturned V shape with your armpits. This means sitting and standing with your elbows slightly away from your waist.

Use a chair with arms. No arms will mean low status-looking self-hugging. At meetings you should place your elbows onto the arms of your chair to give your status and power signals an instant lift.

Never cross your arms and your legs.

Never cross your legs at the ankle when you stand to speak or present.

Always place something of your own like papers, a pen or even your hands on the table at an internal meeting to signal ownership of territory. This can also work at a client meeting but only if they have their own things on the table too.

Never put anything on the desk at a recruitment interview though. This is a moment when it’s appropriate to display slightly lower status signals to show respect and it can look as though you’re invading the employer’s space and territory.

Never sit with your hands behind your head. This over-baring of the armpit area looks arrogant.

Create a good size space when you present or pitch. Standing trapped in a small space will diminish your appearance of confidence.

Avoid over-invading your colleagues’ space by standing behind them and reading off their screen when they are working. It will make you unpopular.

Keep your desk looking as spacious as possible, which means keeping it rubbish-free.

Apply the ‘good space’ rule to your business dress. Never carry an over-filled bag that won’t do up, or wear clothing that is too small or too large. Sleeves that reach down to your knuckles or lower will make you look like a kid on its first day at school. Keep your pockets empty too, rather than stuffing them with hankies and small change.

Extend your space by using hand gestures as you speak. This adds impact to your messages, but no random arm-waving.

Clear your own foot-space at your desk. Keeping bags and bins under your desk will limit your special freedom.