The key to meeting room success revealed in new global study of 2250+ business executives
2,250+ senior business executives from companies in the UK, France, Germany, US, and the UAE, were surveyed on their meeting experiences in day-to-day working life. Via quantitative methods we wanted a better understanding of the impact of a variety of stimulus on an audience’s attentiveness when being presented to. The survey results were backed up with a scientific experiment using brain mapping technology (EEG) on a small number of senior business professionals. We tested their psychological responses to common meeting room scenarios.
The results highlight a range of issues leading to disengagement, distraction and irritation for employees around the world. Simple factors like technology issues, the presence of food, seating arrangements and lack of engaging content were shown to have a significant negative impact on the effectiveness of meetings.
Bored or boosted?
The research revealed the true extent of our shared dislike for inefficient business meetings. Nearly a third of respondents globally said they found less than half of their meetings to be useful, while 38% dared to admit they had dozed off in a meeting before. In fact, not only the number of daily meetings results in loss of attention, also a poor room layout, or seating arrangements: 6 in 10 (60 per cent) respondents believe that their seating position affects their engagement in a presentation. Test participants sitting at the front of the presentation were more engaged than those at the back who showed signs of boredom.
Over half of respondents (54 per cent) said that their meeting engagement was affected by interruptions. 8 in 10 respondents were irritated by late arrivals. Over a third of respondents (41 per cent) of respondents use a computer or phone during a meeting but 8 out of 10 respondents are offended by this activity, showing a lack of awareness of how their own actions strongly impact the success of a meeting.
Tech troubles
Of the factors that impact engagement in meetings, technology was identified as one of the most influencial. Over two thirds (67 per cent) of respondents were regularly irritated by technology issues during meetings, with 4 in 10 (41 per cent) feeling that their engagement was affected by a failure in technology. However, when technology works correctly and multimedia is used within a presentation, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) are more engaged.
Food for thought
The study exposed the prominent role that food plays in engagement levels in meetings. Well over half of respondents admitted to attending meetings purely for the free food. While brain mapping showed that mood of attendees is enhanced by the presence of food, almost a third of business people surveyed said they were distracted by food in business meetings.
Peter Collett, behavioural psychologist who led the experiment said:
"If things go wrong, it has ramifications,
sometimes almost unseen by the people in the audience.”
“While many studies focus on how the presenter acts and behaves to improve meeting success, the research conducted by Barco ClickShare presents a unique insight into the factors which may go left un-noticed. Presenters must ensure that the technology works and the room is set-up correctly for the audience. Starting on time and reducing interruptions will greatly increase success but using multimedia and injecting personality will ensure a great experience for all.”
Lieven Bertier, Head of Go to Market Strategy and Services Meeting Experience at Barco said:
"Our research identified that the success of a meeting is determined by a variety of different factors."
“Once a meeting is underway, it’s reasonable to assume that engagement levels are governed by the quality of the speaker. However, our research identified that the success of a meeting is determined by a variety of different factors. These factors include having the right technology at the beginning of the meeting to ensure a seamless flow of information, controlling the meeting room environment such as the serving of food, meeting room layout, and disturbances caused by lateness and work device usage. If a business prepares for these eventualities in the right way the probability of a positive outcome is increased, whether this is for an internal company meeting or a presentation to clients and new business prospects.”
More efficient meetings? Visit Barco at ISE – Booth 12 F100
Discover how technology can make your meetings successful. Meet our ClickShare experts for a demo at the Amsterdam RAI in February. Come and see how you can design your meeting rooms in the brightest, simplest and most productive way. Let’s “Celebrate Sharing” together, we have some surprises in store for you there.
About the study
Quantitative
Barco carried out a survey of 2,250 senior business professionals in the UK, US, France, Germany and UAE to gain insights on what factors can affect engagement. These results were collated to create a global perspective on engagement in meetings.
Qualitative
To qualify the survey results of a small-scale scientific experiment to test the responses of four senior business leaders during 5 x1O minute presentations by professional presenters, Barco chose an objective and accurate method using EEG attention protocol technology. This experiment was carried out by research company Myndplay where the participant’s brain activity was monitored by Dr Mervyn Etienne (Neuroscientist). The test participant’s body language was analysed during the experiment by Dr Peter Collet (Behavioural Psychologist).
About Dr Peter Colle
Peter Collett is a psychologist and a former Oxford don. For many years he was a member of staff at the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, where he taught and did research. His research interests have covered a broad range of topics, including body language, culture, management style and television audiences.
About Barco
Barco designs technology to enable bright outcomes around the world. Seeing beyond the image, we develop sight, sound, and sharing solutions to help you work together, share insights, and wow audiences. Our focus is on three core markets: Enterprise (from meeting and control rooms to corporate spaces), Healthcare (from the radiology department to the operating room), and Entertainment (from movie theaters to live events and attractions). In 2016, we realized sales of 1.102 billion euro. We have a team of 3,500 employees, located in 90 countries, whose passion for technology is captured in 400 granted patents.
For more information, follow us on Twitter (@Barco), LinkedIn (Barco), YouTube (BarcoTV), or like us on Facebook (Barco).
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