We all know we have a limited short-term memory, and studies from Miller (1956)[1] gave an estimate to 7 +- 2 and later research gave a lower number of 4+-1 (Cowan 2001)[2]. Despite this we still have meeting after meeting where we sit around a table and talk for hours on end, and expect us to be able to remember, use the information and then make good decisions based on it. This means that one of the most important parts of preparing for a meeting is to think how you will present and make sure all relevant data is shown during the meeting.

[1] George A. Miller, The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on our Capacity for Processing Information, 1956, Psychological Review, 63
[2] Nelson Cowan, The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental storage capacity (2001), Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Marcus Degerman 