That Human Touch - A Self Reflection

I had spent an hour in the bank with my dad then as he had to transfer some money. I couldn't resist myself and asked. ''Dad, why don't we activate your internet banking? That way you won’t have to spend an hour here for stuffs like funds transfer. You can even do your shopping online and in a secured manner too. Everything will be so easy!' I was so excited about initiating him into the world of Internet and online banking. He asked ''If I do that, I won’t have to step out of the house. He said - Since I entered this bank today, I have met three of my friends, I have chatted a while with the staff who know me very well by now. You know I am alone most of the time and this is the company that I need. I like to get ready and come to the bank. I have enough time, it’s the human touch that I crave. Two years back I got sick, the store owner from whom I buy fishes from, came to see me and sat by my bedside. When your mom fell down few days back while on her morning walk, our local grocer saw her and immediately got his car to rush her home as he knows where we live. Would I have that human interactions if everything became online? Why would I want everything delivered to me and force me to interact with just my devices? I like to know the person that I'm dealing with and not just the seller."

This got me thinking and I recall a similar story about a village where all the people used to wash clothes together down by the river. When they all got washing machines, there was a sudden outbreak of depression and no one could figure out why. They were investigating the changes in activities or any introduction of new things in their lives including the washing machines. Then they realised that it wasn't really the washing machines. It was the absence of time spent doing things together. It was the absence of community and human interactions, physical touches.

Yes, we have gotten very independent in this current day of technology, IoT, Internet and Social Medias. Yes, I opine there are real dangers that we keep telling ourselves that we are “ok” even when in reality we are depressed, overwhelmed, lonely and we are hurting. “We are ok, we’re just too busy right now”. We say that when days, weeks, months and years have gone by without really connecting with friends. When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand when we needed them the most. I am ok, I am fine albeit are You?! It’s so easy to say that even when it’s not true. We have become so isolated and it’s hard to know how to get back. It’s so hard to know how to even begin to build the kind of human relationships our hearts need and desire. And in our current culture and age, it’s simply just not as organic as it once was. It's more about work and social media now.

Yes, Businesses need to be flexible, nimble and quick and to do all that with a watchful eye at keeping costs low. We know the importance of human interactions in Today’s business, even with AI and Machine Learning. Nonetheless, we do inevitably need to utilise technology and IoTs to assist in managing our business processes efficiently. How else are we able to get such results with so few people? To do so many things with so little time? The most important aspect is knowing what makes us Human. We learn this with time. It's a sort of touch, an impression. It's not just technologies, creativities or marketing numbers. It's a methodology, a strength and a passion. A conviction.

I opine that it doesn’t make sense to be only efficient and effective with features and functionality - or to take big risks and dogfooding to achieve this, even if it's really intuitive. Without that human touch, it can lead development in a direction that’s not right. We must mix product centric strategies with service oriented business models combining intelligence and knowledge as basis of our differentiation. There is true magic when people come together, share ideas, share stories & struggles and endless bowls of Laksa noodles or chicken rice. You use your gifts and I will use mine, and then we will invite more people over who brings a completely different perspectives and set of skills to the table we are building, and we'll watch together as something miraculous unfolds. We have all learn about the four Ps or eight Ps of marketing, let’s not merely implement them blindly. Technology isn't life. Spend time with people, not merely with devices. That’s how we innovate. Classic for all Sales.

(Disclaimer : I offer articles of differing perspectives that have some raw truths that I identify with, albeit in no way am I saying that this is right or correct as we all have our own heart to follow. I'm open to many perspectives and thoughts and it's my way of sharing my ever evolving thoughts and understanding, of my own realizations, self love and journeys, which comes from time spent in solitude and self reflection. These are mirrors to help us, to help me understand ourselves / me better.

All rights and acknowledgement goes to the author / originator of these stories, not just me.)