There is only the briefest of moments when I feel afraid. And I mean really afraid. I’m deep in the thicket of the Volcanoes National Park in the northwest corner of Rwanda and I’m standing one metre away from an agitated four-hundred-pound Silverback gorilla.

Over the last two years, facilitators like me were forced to pivot our training programmes for the online space. As someone BBF (Born Before Technology), I’m loathe to admit that this concept was entirely overwhelming at first. But like the title of acclaimed South African satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys’s first one-man show, it was an Adapt or Dye situation – well, in my case – Adapt or Die!

I’ve had enough. There, I’ve said it. I long for the energy of presence, regular face-to-face contact and a shared sense of social identity. I call this the X-factor. This has to do with connections, engagement and being with our colleagues. It is the need we have for each other and to be united around something that matters. It is also the positive obligation to contribute to the group and culture, and to share our talents and build relationships.