prioritizing in-person face time
On March 2nd, 2020, I flew from Burbank, CA, to Houston, TX, for meetings at Baylor St Luke's Hospital. I met with two others who had flown in for the meeting, and as we were all starting to introduce each other, one person said, "I guess we aren't supposed to shake hands." We all then stood around awkwardly before proceeding with our meeting. Everything was relatively normal, there were no masks, but Covid-19 was a topic of discussion. When I got to the airport for my 2:15 PM flight home on March 3rd, I noticed that things had changed dramatically. The airport looked like a ghost town, no businesses were open, and only one other person was going through security. That person was wearing a full transparent hazmat-looking suit. When I got to the gate, a handful of people were waiting to board the flight. We boarded and got home safely, but over the next few days, the country shut down.
The upcoming months would challenge us all in ways that we never expected. There was heartache and grief, and there was also beauty and joy. There were goodbyes to old rhythms and hellos to new ones. We learned that we could do some jobs from anywhere, and others require us to be in person. For me, after years of travel, there were things I loved about being home. There was no expectation from anyone that I would be in any other city but my own. But I missed my team; they were essential, and they were working in our hospitals in person across the country.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having my direct reports in one place for the first time since 2019. There were hugs, high-fives, happy tears, and sad tears, but, more than anything, there were 12 people who were filled with joy to be together. Throughout our time together, I had multiple people approach me and say, "This doesn't happen over zoom.", "The dynamics are so much better in the room.", "We talked through that issue during a break and solved the problem." We had side-bar conversations and moments of incredible vulnerability. We strengthened our relationships, improved our strategy, identified focus areas, and celebrated our successes. Something about in-person human connection brings out the best in us.
This week as I traveled to Houston for the first time since March of 2020, I was reminded of that last visit. I remember walking out of Baylor St Luke's. I remember Marsh Wallace speeding back to the airport to drop me off for my strange and unnerving flight home. It felt good to see him yesterday. It felt good to hug him. It felt good to break bread and talk over a hot meal, and it felt good to thank him, face to face, for the work he does for us, for the work he did during the pandemic. While I know we live in an increasingly virtual world -and there is so much good in that- we must not underestimate the value of spending time in person with people.
The apostle John wrote in 2 John 1:12 (NIV), "I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face so that our joy may be complete." This verse resonates with me because there is nothing quite like spending time in the presence of others. The apostle John certainly didn't have technology to keep him connected. We have the gift of technology at our fingertips and even our voice commands. is amazing. Zoom keeps us connected. Social Media may ensure we are in the know, but there is nothing quite like sitting next to someone or enjoying a cup of coffee with a peer or walking beside a team member as they chat about their day or sharing a good meal with friends or colleagues. Never before could we imagine how technology could hold us together, but we can’t let it completely replace the benefits of being in-person.
