Recognizing the Friction

Virtual works adequately for many meetings. But how big is the gap between adequate and optimal for any given meeting? The mode decision should weigh the meeting's importance against the friction of meeting in person — not default to either one.

tClara

• survey of 522 US-based business leaders, including 95 C-suite respondents
• Across 26 meeting goals, 43% of leaders rate in-person as the better mode, 35% say virtual, and 22% say mode barely matters — the decision is genuinely goal-dependent, not a fixed rule.
• In-person is the preferred mode for 22 of 26 goals — especially building trust and teamwork, persuading or selling, and solving important problems.
• Virtual is preferred for goals like gathering diverse opinions, sharing updates, and using people's time efficiently.
• Virtual meetings are seen as nearly twice as likely to produce a negative outcome as in-person meetings (47% vs. 25%) — convenience carries real risk.
• 70% of leaders say a deliberate blend of virtual and in-person work allows them to do their best work; C-suite respondents value in-person meetings more than other leaders do (53% vs. 41%).

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