Choosing the Mode

About the Role

This role explores the effectiveness of virtual versus in-person meetings, analyzing how mode decisions impact meeting outcomes. The position involves interpreting survey data from 522 US-based business leaders, including 95 C-suite respondents, to assess preferences and performance across 26 distinct meeting goals.

Key Insights

• 43% of leaders rate in-person meetings as the better mode, 35% prefer virtual, and 22% say the mode barely matters—decisions are goal-dependent.
• In-person is preferred for 22 of 26 meeting goals, particularly for building trust and teamwork, persuading or selling, and solving important problems.
• Virtual meetings are favored for goals like gathering diverse opinions, sharing updates, and optimizing time efficiency.
• Virtual meetings are nearly twice as likely to produce negative outcomes compared to in-person meetings (47% vs. 25%).
• 70% of leaders believe a deliberate blend of virtual and in-person work enables them to perform at their best.
• C-suite respondents value in-person meetings more than other leaders (53% vs. 41%).