A manual I recently read listed the “cons” of having a meeting virtually:
Limits options for engagement
Engagement can be less meaningful
At home distractions
More difficult to read body language and ensure participants are engaged
Technical difficulties can impact the quality of the training
To be accurate, every one of these points should have “so far” added.
The videogame market is far bigger than the box office of Hollywood films. The people who play video games at home for hours at a time have no problem with engagement, with meaning, with distractions or with body language.
That’s because a well-designed videogame solves for all these problems.
If, even once, you’ve had a virtual meeting that engaged you and made you feel connected to someone else, then it’s clearly possible.
The hard work is deciding to put in the effort to have it happen more often. Lazy simulations of in-person meetings are not a worthy substitute.