I talked recently about traveling and the benefits of getting away from your screen and allowing your mind to wander. Another benefit I’d like to talk about is building relationships face to face. Of course, we need to be careful since we’re still dealing with COVID, but we can get around safely. Whether traveling to a different location or getting everybody back together in the office, I’m reminded of how important in-person connections are.
Recently, I traveled to the UK to meet the Blue Chip and ICC teams, the companies we acquired earlier this year. While I’d met our teams through Zoom, there’s no substitute for that in-person connection. Nothing compares to being in front of someone, working day to day together, going out to dinner and spending time with them in person. Zoom is a great tool that we’ve utilized before and during the pandemic, but it doesn’t replace the relationship, collaboration and trust we can build face to face. However, after we’ve established a relationship in person, we can come back with a stronger connection.
It fed my soul to get around our people. We also received tremendous feedback from them, and it showed us all that meeting face to face really is different and better. Going into 2022, we all need to think about how to balance that. We all want workplace flexibility, zoom calls, and the ability to hammer out work independently. On the other hand, we’re built for relationships, and we can’t lose sight of their importance. Working in person increases collaboration, strategic ideas and builds relationships that make Zoom calls stronger. It’s a good thing to ponder as we head into 2022.
