Not long ago, there was an article in The Wall Street Journal titled, "Ceiling Height Versus Performance: Sometimes It Can Make a Difference." It seems that if you're supervising computer programmers, or other people who have to deal with lots of details, you'll get better results if you put those folks in a room with low ceilings. That was the finding of Joan Meyers-Levy, a professor at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
She had students perform various tasks on laptops, some working in a room with a high ceiling, while others worked in a room with a low ceiling. But before you read any further, look at the ceiling of the room you're in right now. Apparently, it makes a real difference in how your day is going to go.
Ms. Meyers-Levy was at the airport when she first came up with this over-our-heads thought. She looked up and realized that she was in a place with a high ceiling. Most airports do have high ceilings. Then she realized she would soon be going into a place with a very low ceiling – the cramped quarters of an airplane. She wondered if this was going to affect the way she perceived things, so she went in search of answers.
Ever wonder why the ceilings in government buildings are as high as they are? Maybe the politicians order them that way to make us feel smaller and more humble. Houses of worship also have high ceilings. I always feel humble when I'm in one of those places. How about you?
Lots of big corporations have buildings with tall atriums. You enter these and feel tiny. Ever been to Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City? It's all polished brass and rose-colored marble, and the further you walk into that Palace of Excess, the taller the ceilings get, and the smaller you feel. Ride the escalator up into the throat of that soaring atrium and look down on all the tiny people scurrying below. I figure The Donald wants us all to feel small, at least compared to him.
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She had students perform various tasks on laptops, some working in a room with a high ceiling, while others worked in a room with a low ceiling. But before you read any further, look at the ceiling of the room you're in right now. Apparently, it makes a real difference in how your day is going to go.
Ever wonder why the ceilings in government buildings are as high as they are? Maybe the politicians order them that way to make us feel smaller and more humble. Houses of worship also have high ceilings. I always feel humble when I'm in one of those places. How about you?