As doom-and-gloom forecasting news will tell you, everything that can be automated… will be automated (hello, economic crisis as entire industries are made redundant!).
Since the industrial revolution, more and more of our lives have become mechanized. Autonomous cars and trains are coming; maybe someday we’ll have autonomous flights.
As for marketing, oh my. Gone are the days of door-to-door salespeople (unless you’re marketing religion or girl scout cookies). Most marketing is automated: through Facebook Ads, YouTube ads, aggressive pinning. Even “Live” videos can be pre-recorded and still appear live. Even if your marketing IS live, it’s mediated through the comments section or Facebook group platform.
The ONLY thing that can’t automated and mechanized is… you.
People.
What it feels like to shake someone’s hand or hug them. Sitting across the table, breaking bread with a friend. Watching a speaker in person.
And as our world becomes more automated, human connection is more precious and memorable. We’re bombarded by more and more stuff. Our attention is fractured in a million directions. So what can we do?
When everybody goes right, you go left.
Put our phones out of sight and out of mind when we’re in a meeting or at an event. Even when we’re on the phone or a video call, ignore those text messages! Listen really deeply when someone else is speaking. Notice when you feel like you’re performing instead of being yourself. Take the time to send someone a note when something reminds us of them. Take the time to thank people for their work. Think about individuals in our writing.
I’m reading a book about burnout and stress that makes me feel seen and heard. What if our goal with our clients, colleagues, and everyone, was to make them feel seen and heard?
