I had a board meeting in London this afternoon, and lots of work to do (still ploughing through proposal reviews following the 10-day proposal challenge). It takes a good three hours of travelling time there and back to London, and it was COLD out there. I was sorely tempted to dial in rather than appearing in person.
I didn’t. I got on the trains and the tube and walked through London and met face to face with my fellow board members and drank tea and caught all the jokes (it’s always the jokes you miss when you dial in) and had a couple of fascinating conversations before and after the meeting. I got a decent amount of work done on the train there and back, and I certainly burned more calories than I’d have done sitting at my desk at home.
Working at home is a joy and a privilege, but it’s also a danger: it becomes so easy to stay in, communicate via Skype and phone and social media. Days like today I remind myself that no matter how good our communication technology, there’s no substitute for a chat over the biscuits or feeling the dynamics of the group through all your senses.
I need to get out more.