Most boardrooms are currently empty. There’s a thin layer of dust on the conference table. After all, all discussions and decision-making take place digitally. In this regard, we are confined to “the flat screen.” The screen has room for only a few of the many sensory dimensions that make communication so rich in information. You don’t know what you don’t know. We’re also currently missing out on those informal encounters in the hallways, which are often an important source of information and a means of influencing others.

The weekly stand-up meeting and the “off-the-record” WhatsApp chats make up for a lot, but certainly not everything. It’s like running a business with the brakes on. It’s like a soccer coach who, when managing his top team, has to temporarily settle for playing the FIFA game on PlayStation.

It’s still manageable when you have familiar “players” as direct reports. You know your team well, and a raised eyebrow on camera still tells you something. With new teams, it’s much harder to “read” their state of mind. How do you build trust digitally?

We’ve also noticed that projects that are going well continue to go well. Setting aside personal hygiene and fatigue from intensive days of meetings, it’s fair to say that productivity is higher now that we can fit more meetings into a day and each session runs more efficiently. Seeing the results in sight naturally motivates us and leaves us wanting more.