Sensing The Space In Business

In business we use our five senses and something else, a kind of gut feeling or intuition. When dealing with people, learning how to sense “the space”, the intentions in the room, is key to attaining one’s objectives.

In a Christmas commercial for Bailey’s Crème, one fellow holds a nearly empty bottle and waits for the last drop so the girl can catch it. Another fellow catches it instead by sliding his glass in under the bottle. This intervening fellow was oblivious to what was in the space.

In business, we are constantly dealing with people. I assert that highly effective business folk know how to read what is in the space, and are adept at bending or shaping the space. We all do these things at some level, even animals do this. Yet, at best, we are only partly conscious of this ability. There is much to be gained by learning the basics of “space” management, by honing our natural ability to become conscious of what’s in the space.

Imagine going into an important meeting. You walk straight to the first empty chair and immediately begin presenting.

Notice your reaction to this idea. It doesn’t feel right. Instead, you would check out who is there, select a seat based on many factors, and wait for the right moment to begin. That right moment is recognizable and it is not measured with the five senses alone. “Your gut is smarter than your head,” as Fast Company magazine (January) paraphrases Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink.

How can we tune into “what’s in the space”?

First of all, be here, and in the present moment. The sense that we are seeking is in this moment, not in a time before now or after now; it is right here, not in another place, only here, only now.

Second, intentionally “sense” the space. How exactly we do that is not as easily explained as how to open a door. Yet, when I say to you, “just notice what is in the space of this room,” somehow you do it. There is a stillness associated with this ‘other’ sensing. We focus in on this other sense just as we might close our eyes to concentrate on a very faint sound. To seek what is in the space we come to a kind of stillness and focus.

Third, associate the sense with your prior experiences, as if you are looking it up in a library of personal sensing experiences. Then name, or at least guess, what is in the space. There are usually a lot of different “things” in the space, such as emotions, intentions, and relationships. At first you will notice only the biggest things in the space, just as when listening the loudest sounds are noticed more easily. Just name the ones you notice, and practice from there.

Fourth, sort out the sources of what you notice in the space. Who, or what, has put this thing that is being sensed into this space? It can be helpful to know that the chair of the meeting is radiating confidence and that someone in the corner is filled with negativity. Getting those two mixed up can lead to disaster. Sorting helps to understanding the environment and to decide what to do next.

Five is the graduate level. Notice what you are putting into this soup called the space. Now comes the upgrade part: try to bend the space by putting into it just the right thing to move it to where you need it to be. This has more to do with sincere intent than anything else. It often includes actions and words, but not always. Some people bring a huge dose of calm just by walking into a room. Other people bring the opposite of calm. What do you bring? What does the space need?

We can and do notice the space.

If you are consciously noticing what is in the space and you are really, really good at it, well, imagine what’s possible?

Methods on how to bend the space are in another article.

Joseph is an entrepreneur who has founded and grown several companies. He is now in his third career as a Certified Coach for business executives. He is the author of Personal Fulfillment is Success, available on Amazon. This article is a portion of a Chapter titled “ ‘the space’, Final Frontier?” from his second book, now in the writing stages. www.yournaturaledge.com