You don’t know me. But you should. Because I know a lot. And I’ve got something to say, something to teach some of you. I’ve been around long enough to know. So, listen up. Many of you worship at the altar of technology. In truth, technology is a wonderful thing. I’m no Luddite. But there’s a secret about technology that only the most advanced technologists know, the Elon Musks, the Mark Zuckerbergs, and the Salman Khans. And that secret is this: the most highly advanced technology in the world today is—a person. And don’t you ever forget it.
Okay, not original, I hear you say? Thoreau said it. Wordsworth said it. Hell, Steve Jobs said it. So what? Though it’s been said before, it bears repeating. And that’s because we conveniently seem to forget it every time a new technology blinds us to what’s behind that technology, people. How do I know this so profoundly? I’m a businesswoman. And I turned an $18 million a year business into one that grossed more than $100 million annually. So, I know a thing or two. More importantly, I think worshipping technology drove that same business into the ground only a couple of years after I left it. But that’s just my two cents.
When I sold my business, I thought I’d found people who shared my values. Boy was I wrong. Turns out, it seems like they thought that the answer to pretty much every problem was technology. In fact, no matter what the question was, they thought the answer was more technology. Though no surprise, sadly, that didn’t quite work out. So, I’d like to pass on the messages that I practiced and preached. I only wished people listened.
Clients matter. Not because they give you money—though that’s a compelling reason—but because they are people, too. Pretty much every business in the world is a people business. Don’t treat your clients like they’re people, don’t respect them, and they’ll find someone who does. Yes, there are clients who will only chase price. But they tend not to last. Business is about relationships and relationships are about people, by definition. So, what should you do?
Whether you own the business or get the mail (do people still get mail?), know that all interactions are about people. And you must be the ambassador of your brand. So, if you get the mail, interact with people that you deliver to. Without being intrusive, ask about who they are, their family, something interesting on their desk. Make conversation and learn about them. If you own the business, well, then, it’s exactly the same. Be a “walk around manager,” one who looks at employees as family (family that you like, of course). Talk to them. Learn about them. Learn what’s important to them. Celebrate the good times. Mourn the bad ones. You know why you should look at them like they’re family? Because they are. With few exceptions you will spend more time with those people than with your blood relatives. So, make that time count for more than just business and the business will take care of itself.
Okay, now that I’ve solved how to run your business, you’re wondering how does this apply to a pandemic, Zoom calls, and working from home, right? You need me to answer everything? Okay, I will. It’s the same. And in the case of distance working, you do the best you can. Converse with people. Find out their joys, sorrows, hobbies, and passions. People want connection when they work together and the pandemic has only reinforced that need, made it stronger, in fact. So, feed that need. Take the extra time on a Zoom call to get to know your people. Schedule a Zoom call that’s only for fun, for getting to know each other, for setting up social ground rules. Trust me, the company or job you save will be your own. But more than that, your work life will become that much richer from being surrounded by people you care about and who care about you. And again, do this right and the business will take care of itself.
You didn’t know me before, but you have some idea of who I am now. And you know I’m right. The most advanced technologists know, too, that the secret of technology is the same thing that you learned in kindergarten. It’s about treating people like people. And now you know, too. So, please try to remember it the next time some new technology promises to eliminate people from the equation and blinds us again to the reality that people are the most advanced technology that will ever exist.
