The working world today puts a lot of pressure on professionals to be tech-savvy. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned professional, employees increasingly feel that they need to stay on top of key social media platforms and digital norms to keep their jobs. At the same time, though, it’s important to make sure we aren’t forgetting the essential skills of communication and human-to-human interaction. Thinking through some of these questions can help you make the best professional use of your summer.

Recently, someone told me that when he asked a question to a younger staffer in his office, she replied with, “Just Google it.” It doesn’t matter how simple or searchable the answer to that question may have been – there’s something sad about a world where we forget the value of casual banter and helping our peers.

There’s a woman who turned to social media to vent about the comments of two male developers sitting behind her at a conference, rather than confront them face-to-face – resulting in the whole situation blowing out of proportion and two people losing their jobs.

No matter how tech-savvy we are or aren’t, let’s set a goal this summer to spend a bit less time buried in our computers and a bit more time getting to know our colleagues, like in the good old days.

• Don’t eat every meal at your desk every day – take that lunch break with your colleagues. Bring back the office “water cooler” culture by setting up a communal coffee station, and engage in spontaneous conversations with colleagues you don’t normally interact with.

• Instead of emailing the person right next to you, talk to them – though I email colleagues on my team all day long, there are many situations where chatting in person is much more effective and can lead to creative discussions and brainstorms.

• Don’t be a slave to scheduling every minor meeting – if you need to informally chat with someone in the office, don’t feel the need to always schedule it well in advance. Just drop by and see if they’re available. Having less time to prep our thoughts makes way for organic conversations.

• Send that personal handwritten note – in an age when most of us thank our clients via email, a personal letter can go a long way. When was the last time you received a handwritten letter from a partner or client? They’ll be sure to remember it.

• Take pride in your appearance at work – it shows your dedication in all aspects of your life. We all have smartphones and laptops that tell us the time, but wearing a watch to work is a great finishing touch and something that indicates your professionalism.

• Acknowledge when someone does something nice for you – Go out of your way to say thank you in person. It’s easy to get so buried in email and work that we forget to acknowledge a favor.

People remember people, not emails. I’d be a lot more likely to write a recommendation or provide an introduction for someone who I have a personal connection with.

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