Value of business trips

This week I was on a business trip to our headquarter in Israel (I work from Poland).

I don’t like traveling for business.

• I’m not available for my family few days straight (instead of few hrs daily).
• My 3yrs old daughter doesn’t understand why I leave her.
• My few-hours flight is actually almost a full-day journey.
• I enjoy foreign cities… alone.

Many ask me - if you don’t like biz-trips, why don’t you have calls with people you will meet?

Often I do have calls with them. Sometimes even every day or week. And I do have online boards, docs, or code we share together.

But seeing people face-to-face is extremely important. Even if once a month or once per quarter, this is something essential. Especially today, in the remote-first world.

Meeting people in person offers significant psychological benefits:

1. Nonverbal communication: In-person interactions provide richer nonverbal cues.
2. Emotional connection: Physical presence fosters deeper emotional bonds.
3. Trust and rapport: Face-to-face meetings help establish trust.
4. Social bonding: In-person interactions enhance social connections.
5. Sensory experiences: Meeting in person engages multiple senses.
6. Reduced distractions: Fewer distractions lead to more focused conversations.
7. Serendipitous encounters: Chance meetings can lead to unexpected opportunities.

While video calls have many advantages, in-person interactions provide a more profound and meaningful connection.

When you return home, you realize these “talking heads” on blurred Zoom backgrounds are human beings. They do feel, laugh and struggle, have families and hobbies. They are sometimes excited, sometimes tired. A human beings you work with together for months or years.

And finally they will see you the same - a person with flesh and bones rather than a virtual avatar.

These short face-to-face meetings will almost always improve your future online meetings significantly.

Here a few photos from my after-hours walk through beautiful Tel Aviv. 🇮🇱