Losing the touch
Digital transformation is enabling humans to transact over a zillion ways using the power of electronic devices and internet. I attended a webinar today where one of the panelists joyously declared that we no longer need to transact through people as 100% digital business is more and more a possibility across all industrial sectors.
Of course, the customer is still a human, the person running a business is a human and your concerns are human. The idea is that, as software and devices become more sophisticated the need for humans in business transactions is reducing to zilch.
The new age buzzwords, AI and ML are tablestakes to survive in a rapidly changing technology environment. However, consider this. Ria is a 53 year old employee of Millennium Packages. After graduating in her early 20s, she started a family and got caught raising two children and caring for her aging family members. When things settled down, she started her career as a front office staff to send and receive packages in her local post office. 10 years later, courier companies sprung up everywhere. She resigned from her stagnant job and started a franchisee for a popular courier firm. Things were going great until multi national firms took over small businesses. She ran into a stage where she had no choice but to shut her business down. She now manages a small team at Millennium that trains young delivery people to pick & drop anything doorstep to doorstep. The business runs on a mobile app and Ria serves as a SME to address the challenges faced by customers and delivery personnel.
This is rare. Though simple UI/UX has taken technology to households world over, organizations are struggling to hire experienced candidates who have not found time to upgrade themselves to V 2.0. It’s not as simple as using smart phones, social media platforms or Whatsapp. It is about understanding the back end of things. It is about understanding customer behavior and insights. It is about drawing logical conclusions and make quick decisions. It is about communicating effectively, timely and concisely. Perfection can become an enemy in a fast-paced world. Ball-parking business should be almost instinctive. The education system in India is a very tricky one. It prepares a student for everything in theory and miserably fails in practicality. That’s why the pool of great candidates available are limited to those who have good upbringing, focus on self development and exposure to global markets.
One may say, technology is overrated and there are plenty who have succeeded in other businesses. But that’s complacency. Almost everything is moving to technology platforms for ease of access to the unserved markets. If your cobbler offers you the option of UPI payment, the disruption is already evident. A great reason for this is addressing basic needs of humans — food, money, medical care, etc.
Sadly, technology is not able to replace human emotions, replicate maybe. As in today’s world of the Covid-19 pandemic, patients are fighting the manifestation of the disease alone in their beds. Children are scared to even wear PPE suits and enter the hospital doors to care for their aging parents. We hear stories where bodies were abandoned due to the inability for paying hospital bills. Same family members are isolated in different hospitals and not aware of the death of their loved ones who succumbed to the same infection. Here is where technology spectacularly fails.
So what must one do to thrive in their jobs during a meltdown from a major medical crisis of the world? I draw inspiration from what people did during World wars. Be relevant no matter what your environment is. Adapt to the new situation quickly. Have transferable skills. Keep an open mind. Show incredible strength and bravery. Do not get discouraged by the uncertainty all around you. Help others rise. Show empathy. Recover with determination. No matter what age you are at, don’t stop learning and drawing inspiration from others. If you cannot afford a fancy degree from a premium school, take up free tutorials in your spare time. Its your skill that saves the day, not an expensive certificate.
Most importantly, don’t lose touch with yourself and everything around you.
