Commune

to converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings.

I have an 07:00 Zoom call this morning with my friend David Moffet in Australia.

What's good about that is that we will be recording a teaser for the charity event he is organising to support those who have lost their livelihood in the recent Australian bushfires.

Dental Fireaid NSW will take place in Merimbula over the weekend of March 20-22. David and his team are creating a live event that will feature speakers from inside dentistry and outside. You can find out more HERE.

Much as I would like to fly to Australia for the weekend, the best way I can support them is to share the link in this post and across my social platforms.

I'm also intending to appear live by video to offer a session that will be at the end of their Saturday meeting.

What's sad about my conversation with David this morning is that I'll miss the usual dog walk with Annie here in stormy, cold, wet Manchester.

When I'm home, we do our level best to walk the dogs together at around 07:30 and again at about 16:30 (even if David and I finish early today, I have another client call to South Africa at 08:00 - global village and all that).

The dog walk is our chance to "commune" as defined above.

We can spend all day in the house together, whether at weekend or midweek, and be so busy doing 'stuff" that our conversation isn't intense or intimate.

Equally, we can spend all day in a dental practice (or any workplace) and communication but not commune, getting things done indeed but seldom pausing to think.

That's why the Morning Huddle is so important.

It's also why an additional evening huddle can be just as important if your business is going through dramatic change, such as a conversion, the implementation of a plan, the opening of a new surgery, installation of new software or a move of premises.

For a marriage or a business to work, we must commune. Intensity and intimacy, thoughts and feelings.

You can't do that on WhatsApp, Slack or Asana.

I'm happy to help my Australian friends but I'll miss my dog walk with Annie.