Zoom In... or Out? When Face-to-Face Meetings Matter Most, with Jonathan Levav

If we want to generate better ideas, then we need to get people back to the office.

Jonathan Levav, a professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, details his study of remote work and creativity. “Pairs that worked face-to-face generated 15 to 20% more ideas than pairs that worked on Zoom,” he notes. What’s more, in-person brainstorming helped people consider a wider and more diverse range of possibilities. “Working on Zoom was a double penalty. Fewer ideas — and a narrower set of ideas.”

Remote work may be the new normal in our post-pandemic world, but Levav cautions us from accepting the status quo — especially if we want to keep our creative edge. As this episode of If/Then: Business, Leadership, Society. explores, our best ideas could still lie ahead of us — if we can all get in the same room.

If/Then is a podcast from Stanford Graduate School of Business that examines research findings that can help us navigate the complex issues we face in business, leadership, and society. Each episode features an interview with a Stanford GSB faculty member. 

Key Takeaways: 

1. For hybrid work environments, managers should select “in-office” days based on tasks we perform better in person, such as collaboration and brainstorming.
2. More flexible schedules for remote and office work allow employees to bring their best selves and perform better at their jobs.  

More Resources: 

Listen to Jonathan Levav’s Webby-Award winning episode on Think Fast, Talk Smart: "Leading From Home: How to Create the Right Environment for Communication" on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jonathan Levav, The King Philanthropies Professor of Marketing

Stanford GSB Insights featuring Levav's research:

• 7 Insights to Boost Creativity at Work
• Effective Recommendations Are Better Heard Than Seen
• Customer Psychology: Why Don’t People Buy Your Stuff?

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