Some very interesting points are made in this recent article about the challenges of remote innovation. They identify 2 clear groups: mourners and stormers. I particularly like their characterization of the mourners:
A cluster we’ve termed mourners adopted a conservative approach to change. These businesses struggled to adapt because the global pandemic triggered feelings of loss and void among workers, many of whom experience high rates of depression (53%), anxiety (55%), and even PTSD (32%), which are associated with loneliness, isolation, and low distress tolerance. For these reasons, 87% of mourners focused primarily on what they could control: firstly, re-creating and repurposing their offices, and secondly, expending enormous cognitive load pontificating about what work used to be like and what it might become.
Certainly something I recognize in my work over the past 6 months across many companies. Many people see unanticipated change as something to be feared, avoided, and treated as wholly negative. In contract, the stormers take a different approach focused on working as closely as possible with customers. These companies often use platform business model ideas to build connections, expand networks, and generate positive ecosystem relationships.
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-leading-companies-are-innovating-remotely