Categories: Articles

Don't Forget To Be Human

Technology makes it easy to…

Say "no."
Ignore somebody.
Speak your mind without looking someone in the eyes.
Be "off the cuff."
Quit.
Brag.
Be greedy.
Spam people.
Be rude.
Blow someone off.
Close yourself off from the opinions of others.

Don’t let technology makes us less human.

We’ve had a tough week. From countries falling and people starving to weather warnings to seeing people we admire call it a day. In the end, we only have each other (and I’m not just talking about your family, friends and close ones). All of us are in this together. I’ve often raged against the machine that tries to splinter what goes on in here from what happens in our protein forms (you can read more about that right here: The Real World). While I may not be great at thanking everyone who retweets something I’ve put out on Twitter or responding to something that was posted on Facebook, I do my best to acknowledge my appreciation for all of the interactions and connections that happen in these digital channels.

Along with that…

I do my best to conduct myself professionally in the online channels – much in the same way I do in the offline channels. What does this mean? Someone recently asked me if I would be willing to review their resume. While I’m always happy to help a friend out, I let them know that I have not looked at a resume in a very long time and I currently don’t have one. When pressed for what I would do if I needed a resume, I replied that anyone interested in knowing about who I am, my work experience and what I’m all about and capable of can do so with a very simple online search. That’s me. When pressed for what I would do if I needed to learn more about someone else (with full disclosure that I don’t touch HR at Twist Image), I had the same response. For my money, there’s no better resume than a Blog, a Twitter feed or a Facebook page. That’s me. That’s how I think. Anybody can fill an 8 1/2 x 11 white page with accolades about their accomplishments. It takes a very different person to constantly and consistently build credibility through these online channels.

Be human.

Being human doesn’t mean that you have to divulge every little personal bit of information about yourself. It’s not about exposing the world to your personal life. It also doesn’t mean that you have to reveal everything about your professional life and what you’re going through. How much you reveal has nothing to do with acting in a human… and a humane way. People often confuse this and they shouldn’t. The brands that attract us most are the brands that speak to us – as individuals. Brands are not people, but brands can act in a human way by leveraging the power of the individuals that work for them. We’ve seen this magic happen. Sadly, we’ve also seen this fail when brands think that corporate speak and marketing mumbo jumbo is the way to connect. If you do anything over this coming weekend, ask yourself this: how can I act more "human" and real in these online channel? Bonus question: how can the brands I represent be more human too?

True success in Digital Marketing is about being human. It’s not everything, but it’s a great place to start.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.