I want to take a moment to talk about One-to-Ones at work. Send this to your manager. Send this to your director. It's important.

When I took a role several years ago, I was introduced to a concept that blew my mind and continues to reverberate to this day: my manager scheduled a one-to-one with me every week and kept to it - and if meetings caused a reschedule, he would set it for as soon as possible.

• Sometimes we would talk about my progress, or how I talk to people.
• Sometimes we would talk about my expectations or frustrations.
• Sometimes we would talk about company directions or areas for my progress.
• Sometimes I would talk about what I needed from the organisation.
• Sometimes he would check in with my mental health and remind me that I could also be mindful of self care.
• And sometimes. He would keel me over with a litany of dad-jokes, we'd bond over the coffee machine about his llamas at home and his latest anti-fox solutions for his chicken coop.

It was regular. It made us more than colleagues. It made us human to eachother.

Especially in a world where remote/hybrid work is becoming the norm, having regular check-ins, be they professional or casual, are of vital importance.

A weekly half-hour one-to-one with the boss keeps things human. A boss who knows how to be human is a keeper; one that just uses the exercise as a tick-box and ammunition is to be dropped. In my jobs, I have made a point of gathering team-mates over lunch - even to the point of everyone buying their sandwiches, and coming to eat around a desk. Discovering each other as humans goes much further than any ill-designed short-noticed "staff night out" or "team building event."

In general for colleagues, a more personable one-to-one approach is advisable: every week, have a half-hour date with one of your colleagues. Be it going out to buy the sandwiches together, or indeed eating the lunch together, or just simply a half-hour call if remote teaming. Make a point of it. This week Alex. Next week Sam. Go beyond the transactional Teams call.

Households, teams, organisations, operate better when everyone sees each other humanly, genuinely. Nobody needs to agree on all points - but being able to understand each other at human level allows us to work better together. And who knows - maybe find new friends.

So set up a one-to-one with a colleague now. And for everyone on your team. You don't need HR to "Approve" this... or if you do... well... let's just say there are better companies out there.