In his book “Being Geek”, Michael Lopp says:
The Web connects us, but the medium also filters out the aspects of humanity that make us interesting and knowable. You're not going to know me until you see that I talk with my hands. I'm not going to know you until I realize that when you're really thinking about a thing, you can't look anyone in the eyes, because it distracts you.My response ? What bollocks. Email and telephone were invented to avoid such time wasting. And we use them to drive productivity.
You have a job to do and it’s doesn’t involve holding hands and receiving hugs on a daily basis. In my experience that sort of thinking is usually propagated by managers/leaders who don’t understand what they are doing. It acts as a screen to replace decision making.
“Lets have a meeting” is like saying lets have hugs - it’s productivity death.