I want people to be around each other enough that they are comfortable interacting. Some of my most painful experiences in management come from having to mediat

I want people to be around each other enough that they are comfortable interacting. Some of my most painful experiences in management come from having to mediate a low-level dispute between people who work together but never interact on anything other than work. They are quite often on the same page but have different ways of expressing themselves that can cause friction. This often happens as part of having a highly interdisciplinary and international team. It is incredible how much a few shared lunches or coffee breaks can relax people and help them cohere. I see in-person work as one of the only opportunities for scheduled casual interaction. Mandatory fun time is not a real solution, but the fact that exists often speaks to the perception that casual interaction is an essential part of building a team.