On a recent trip to deliver some training for a client, I was able to catch up with an old friend on the motorway. He was going one way and I was going the other way, so we met in a services for 20 minutes to chat. It’s a while since I’ve seen him. Although we have been talking on the phone, it’s completely different getting together in the flesh.

There is a lot of talk about virtual working these days. Many people never went back to work in office after the lock downs. Now we’re forming teams with people on the other side of the word. We need to remember that as long as we’re humans and not cyborgs, then the human to human connection will always be important. This was obvious when I ran a women’s programme in France with a global organisation. Some of them met for the first time despite the fact they have been working together for many months. After the programme they said that they felt much more positive about their working relationships, simply because they felt that they REALLY knew the other person now.

If you’re experiencing difficulties with a colleague or friend that you haven’t seen for a while (and even if you are not) just get yourself over there. Real people make real relationships. You form a stronger bond face to face than by video or phone.

Who haven’t you seen for a while. When will you see them?