>>a lot of important discussion happened in the margins.
If I was the one taking a key proposal to a meeting I would always "socialise" it with the key people well beforehand and either make sure they were onside or understand their concerns sufficiently well in advance to try and deal with them. I would nearly always know which way things were going before the meeting started.
You can still do that when WFH or more formally with 'stakeholder sessions' but it can be very effective to bump into people in the office, catch them in the dining room or at the end of another unrelated meeting when you sense it's the right time.
Meetings always go better when people know the issues, feel reassured, and think their ideas have been listened to and understood. I've seen some disasters when people think they've been ambushed.
Knowing and observing people face to face also helps with knowing what they really want - not just work objectives but personal things like recognition, control, the approbation or approval of their boss, or whatever. Sounds slightly Machiavellian but it's a basic skill for getting things done IME and therefore in everybody's interest.
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