The Extra Mile: Why Face-to-Face Still Matters

Next week, I'm flying a few thousand miles to spend time with a client's senior leadership team. Booking the travel made me reflect on a fundamental question: Is in-person engagement worth investing time and resources?  

My answer remains a resounding yes.  

There's something irreplaceable about meeting people face-to-face, and especially if it's on their home turf. You pick up on nuances that video calls simply can't capture – the energy in the room, the unspoken dynamics between team members, the casual conversations that happen before meetings officially start. These moments reveal more about how an organisation operates than any formal presentation ever could.  

Trust, I've learned, is built through presence. When you make the effort to show up, you demonstrate a commitment that resonates far beyond the meeting itself.  

This philosophy drives my approach to client relationships. Whether I'm travelling across the UK on a weekly basis or occasionally boarding a plane for international engagements, I've found that the strongest partnerships are created through genuine human connection.