I was invited to a little get together last night that was set up to be a business networking event. There were a couple of familiar faces and the rest were strangers.

It was set in the home of a person in a high rise that overlooked the  San Francisco Bay with a panoramic view of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The food and wine were excellent.

However, as I looked back at the event,  it was the intimacy and the openness of the people in the group that turned what could have been a real stuffy affair to a real genuine , engaging, conversational gathering of people.  We all connected with each other.

There were humorous stories shared as well as personal stories.  It was under these circumstances that the beginnings of business relationships are formed and even friendships.

Gathering together is important.  However,  what we do when we gather together is even more important. There should be an open environment that encourages connection and interaction.

When I left the event last night,  I thought in my mind, that I would have not mind staying longer.  Now that is how we should feel about every  gathering we share together.