Brands that unite people.
There are many companies that educate employees in such a way that in their “policy”, sometimes also called culture or philosophy, the processes are already proven and they cannot question anything. And it is just the opposite that we should be doing.
We should be questioning everything: culture, “politics”, processes, leadership, design of finished products or experiences, etc. But the rigidity of the prevailing structures does not allow it, and it is precisely what generates slowdown, crisis and talent flight in so many organizations.
The mantra that underlies the failure of many companies is “it’s always been done this way”.
This causes people in an organization to see things as they were, instead of thinking about doing things as they should be done.
The problem is not AI, it is not inflation, it is not post pandemic, it is not the new world order, the problem is that currently many companies are in the process of eliminating or have already eliminated almost everything we call “human“.
Everything they can automate, they are automating.
Everything that can be digitized is digitized.
Everything that can be done by AI, is done by AI.
Without considering which areas of the relationship with internal and external customers can be automated, digitized and which are not.
Is it smart for the leader of a team to be an Artificial Intelligence?
NetDragon Websoft, a Chinese video game company, replaced its CEO with an AI. Tang Yu, the AI, successfully solved some tasks asked of a CEO, such as making decisions, assessing risks, and fostering an efficient workspace. She did this by working 24 hours every day of the week without demanding a salary or annual compensation.
Would this be viable for other business models? Other cultures? Other societies?
Is it really profitable for check-in at a hotel or airport not to have the friendly face of a person?
The simplicity and convenience that technology creates at some points in a value chain is evident.
But technology as it is used today does not contribute to empathy, it hinders creativity and curiosity, and worst of all: it makes us doubt our own self-worth: “Will I be replaced by a machine?”
In many companies, significant change could be achieved if management would strategically identify in which jobs and projects employees are irreplaceable.
Mapping the value chain, internal and external relationships and defining what is technology territory, what is human territory and what is mixed or hybrid territory: technology + human.
The logical thing to do would be to know first-hand, and in great detail, what problems a brand’s customers (internal/external) face in order to increase their commitment, satisfaction and sense of belonging.
Many companies are born and grow with a human focus, embracing empathy, talent and culture. And in the journey of growth they pivot from the human to the financial, or the technological or the transactional, leaving on the way the true focus that led them to grow.
Many managers and employees with whom I start working have the same concerns and suffer the same pain about a fact that is repeated every day, which is: almost nobody likes the way we do it, but since it has always been done this way, we continue the same way.
And to the question of why not to change, the answer is almost always the same: it doesn’t depend on me.
If you don’t change, this reality will hit your bottom line not only commercially, financially and operationally, but when reality forces you to look for options, it will already be too late.
The good thing is that when we embark on projects in which there is a clear vocation for evolution and change, it is led by the CEOs. And when the “leader” drives change by example, hope opens wide for the future of the company.
The first thing to do is to identify and then do away with the absurd “policies” and rules that hinder the day-to-day work of employees and drive away customers.
The problem or pain is not always what it appears to be but is the consequence of some other problem or pain that has not been identified in detail.
I don’t think technology is dehumanizing us, but it is leading us to waste our time, to lose focus and to disconnect from what is important in pursuit of what is urgent.
Corporate communication via WhatsApp is doing a lot of damage.
Well-used technology is an “enabler”, but it should not be the ultimate goal of a digital transformation process.
As much as some would like to believe that everything revolves around technology, this is not the case.
People play an important, transcendent role in relations with employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and users.
The experiences that customers remember most are those in which they interact with real people, whose empathy, warmth, closeness and love helped the company stand out. And the brand to build loyalty and loyalty.
Human beings are social beings and therefore need human contact.
This does not mean that he ignores technology; on the contrary, he finds it extremely attractive as a complement to the human.
Therefore, in these physical and digital times, empathy must continue to be fostered not only physically, but also digitally.
It is strange that after the lessons of the pandemic, companies are now demanding that their employees go back to working in person in the offices to spend most of their time in front of screens, in meetings that do not add value or in cubicles that look like punishment cells.
The office space must be more social than ever and we must know how to take advantage of the meeting for activities that justify the fact of being together in person.
Everything that is difficult to do working remotely.
We must try to eliminate the epidemic of meetings and better manage time to create value, solve problems and create new opportunities.
Time is always the same, but it is becoming more and more valuable.
The contribution of each person in the organization is valuable and yet we tend to forget it when we see those endless meetings in which 30 people participate and only 2 speak.
Meetings to discuss matters in which it appears that the opinions of the attendees will be taken into account even though the decision has already been made beforehand.
And above all, let no one distract us from fulfilling our daily agenda of thousands of useless things that we think are important.
Everything, good and bad, starts from the top.
The more I get to know the CEO of a company, the more I understand the success or failure of their brand.
It is undeniable that a bad boss or a good leader has an impact on the culture of the company as a whole.
When you are lucky enough to find a good leader, it is usually because that company has very good branding.
It is very clear about its purpose, its values, its culture, what it does and what it represents; and the leader fits within a large tangible and intangible gear called brand.
What to do?
Make a constant analysis of your culture, your processes and empower your teams’ talent to question everything that can be improved.
Because one of the principles of always being in the process of improvement and evolution is that nonconformity becomes an ally and everyone knows that they can contribute.
If the company evolves, we will have less pain and more solutions. More innovation and less fear, more future and more possibilities. More leaders and more committed and enthusiastic teams.
And knowing that each and every person on a team is part of it is contagious and powerful. And for that, companies need a new type of leadership that is more human, more empathetic, more diverse, and more courageous. And there are already many companies that have achieved this.
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