In over a decade of moderating, including focus groups conducted within 10 days of 9/11, I have never flown solo with an entirely empty back room, until this week. With time and travel constraints, my team setup FocusVision for remote viewing. I wondered what it would be like without anyone behind the two-way mirror.
Respondent warmed to the idea of not being watched or wondering who was hiding behind the glass while I waffled between the loneliness and loveliness of long evenings dining and working and walking palm tree-lined paths alone. I was productive but less collaborative…the three-hour time difference made debriefing and sharing the excitement of new learning a challenge. I was gearing up while the team was winding down.
On the positive side, there was a great efficiency to the solo process. I gathered the insights, made the discoveries, and my primary client was uber-productive and multi-tasking with his myriad responsibilities. As with most things there are always benefits and drawbacks and perfect solutions are nearly impossible to conjure. It will be an interesting dichotomy in our second market next week with a full team along for the research ride.