What's wrong with this picture?
Renren.com, serving Greater China with electronic communication, invokes a "no-e-mail" rule for its own staff for some kinds of discussions.
Staffs for IBM CEO Louis Gerstner and Cisco CEO John Chambers compare their travel schedules so they can meet when they're in the same city.
The most creative act by Williams-Sonoma's e-commerce executive is winning friends and influencing colleagues, not designing Web sites.
Actually, nothing is wrong with this picture. These examples show that the New Economy success rests on the same face-to-face human relationships as Old Economy success. And the best companies solidify relationships in old-fashioned ways; golf outings, meetings or simply walking into someone's office to nail down his or her commitment.
The Web is a great facilitator, enhancer and multiplier, but it is not a substitute for personal relationships. Being virtual is like having a battery that runs down after awhile if it isn't recharged by being plugged into real people.
(to be continued)