Why leaders should go analog in a digital workplace

Have you noticed the move back to analog? More and more people are intentionally stepping away from screens to improve their mental health, well-being, and sense of fulfillment.

Film cameras. Handwritten journals. Vinyl records. Even dating by exchanging phone numbers again.

People are craving real experiences and that got me thinking about the workplace.

This isn’t about turning our backs on technology. It’s about recognizing that we’ve become so accustomed to digital fatigue email – notification pings, back-to-back virtual meetings, constant availability – that we’ve reached a point where it’s no longer productive.

In fact, it’s depleting. When you do something analog, it demands your attention. It slows you down. It pulls you into the moment.

Digital work often does the opposite. It fragments your focus as you bounce from app to app, meeting to meeting, screen to screen.

So, as we witness this shift back to analog, what if leaders took the lead by creating more intentional, human moments at work?

A more meaningful analog experience at work isn’t about doing less work, it’s about being more meaningfully connected. Here are a few simple ways leaders can start making this shift in 2026.

Handwritten notes

When was the last time you gave or received a handwritten note?

It’s become a lost art. I think I received two handwritten Christmas cards this season, and they really stood out.

Handwritten notes are slower, more personal, and more meaningful. So when you want to acknowledge someone on your team, resist the urge to fire off a quick email or Teams message. Write a note. Tell them what they did and why it mattered.

A handwritten note is a no-brainer in any leader’s toolkit.

Meeting music

Music, like all the arts, helps ground us.

What if you played music at the start of meetings? Even for just the first five minutes, while people arrive and settle in.

You can also do this with virtual meetings, although it’s a little trickier. You can also invite team members to create and share playlists. Music shifts the energy. It engages a different part of the brain and creates a team connection and mood shifter before the agenda even begins.

Walk this way

If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you know I’m a big proponent of energy management and walk-and-talks.

Whenever possible, take it out of the boardroom. Whether it’s a one-on-one or a small group huddle, get outside when you can.

Our virtual workplace has made meetings effortless to schedule and far too easy to stack back-to-back. Walking meetings break that pattern of meeting overload, invite better conversation, and give us a chance to get some steps in, which is great for our overall health.

Even virtual walk-and-talks work.

Create in analog

When meeting to discuss strategy or review plans, try using flip charts or whiteboards instead of slides.

Encourage your team not to stay up all night perfecting decks that get flashed by at warp speed. We’re getting decked to death.

There’s something powerful about watching ideas take shape in real time. The process is slower, but also more intentional and more effective.

Recently, I worked with a client planning the year ahead. He’s a visual thinker, so I encouraged him to use a massive whiteboard to map out the vision together with his team. Slowing down didn’t reduce productivity, it deepened it.

Hit the pause button

We’re always in a rush. Meetings start, and it’s straight to business.

Leaders can change that.

Pause. Start by connecting with your team, a story, a shared experience, before diving into the agenda. It calms the nervous system, improves focus, and strengthens how people relate to their work and each other.

Bring people together

Whenever possible, bring people together in person, even if it’s only occasionally.

A team lunch, an off-site meeting at a park or gallery, or a two-hour working session outside the office.

There’s still an agenda and work being done, but you're also building trust, camaraderie, and connection. Ask your team for their ideas for the next meeting to get even greater buy-in.

Model analog behavior

Leaders set the tone.

If you value reflection and deep thinking on your team, model for them that it’s not just the quarterly results and KPIs that matter. At your next meeting, say things like, “I’ve been wrestling with this,” or “I’ve been thinking this through.”

When leaders model this behavior, it gives others permission to do the same.

Switching to analog isn’t about compromising work or productivity. It’s about creating stronger, more meaningful connections and better work for your team. In the long term, that means a stronger team and better results.