Seating arguments are rarely about chairs. They are about proximity to decision-makers, noise, and fear of losing informal collaboration. Treat the floorplan as a work-pattern map first.
Ask each team lead for three collaboration anchors—people or rooms they must stay near—and two constraints they can flex. That frame surfaces real dependencies without opening a free-for-all.
Reserve quiet zones by work type, not by hierarchy. Finance close-out weeks and legal drafting need the same acoustic protection as executive suites.
Publish a draft neighbourhood map with labelled teams, not named individuals, for one review cycle. Names come after neighbourhoods settle. People argue less about a zone than about a specific desk.
Leave a small swing area for contractors and visiting staff. When every square metre is assigned, the first unexpected hire creates conflict. A modest buffer keeps the plan durable through the first quarter.