I was reminded a couple of weeks ago of how important the human touch is. Our summer intern sent a hand-written thank-you note and when it arrived, it just plain felt good.

We operate today with quick, impersonal interactions. Our emails are snippets of information, often conveying just factual details and missing any human element. Social media, meant to give us glimpses at a moment of each other, often lack the capacity to provide depth. And, instant messaging happens, well, in an instant.

When's the last time you sat down and actually wrote a note -- by hand -- and with thought about the words you're going to choose? Because in a hand-written note, what you say without using words is that you really think a great deal about the person you're writing to. You're taking time out from the crazed, instantaneous and flash-by world in which we live to personally make a human connection.

Now, I'm not advocating that we turn back the clock. Email, instant messaging, social media, texting and all of the technological advances we have and will continue to have are absolutely essential to how we function in business.

But, what I am saying is don't forget the human side of business. Business is about relationships. It's as much about the handshake, the voice on the phone and the hand-written note, as it is about the transactions we do every day.

So, try an experiment. Take a moment and write a note to a customer, colleague or co-worker. Send them a birthday card or a note of congratulations on something that was important in their lives and see what the reaction is.

I bet you'll feel good making them feel good, and I bet it will change your entire relationship.