Human touch is important in business

(Second of Two)

Public relations work is about much more than most people realize, but at the core it’s about how we relate to people. In an age overwhelmed by technology, apps and social media, we have to be careful not to lose our human touch.

I’ll admit I’m a tech junkie who totes my iPad around almost everywhere; who can spend hours online just looking at the latest apps that are useful or just fun; and one who uses idle waiting time to check Facebook or e-mail on my phone. Having children and seeing how “plugged in” they can be makes me wake up from the tech daze to remember what’s really important – people. 

The public part of PR refers to the many groups and faces to whom we need and want to communicate our messages to, but have we lost sight of the smaller pieces that make up the big picture?  Families, friends, employees, loyal customers, potential customers, vendors and the community at large are all “publics” that people and business should include in their communications and relationship building. But even with all of the growing avenues of communication that technology brings to our world, there’s nothing quite like meeting and talking with someone face-to-face.

As wonderful as social media is for keeping up with far-away family or friends with whom you have lost touch, I sometimes find myself hiding behind the convenience of a Facebook message with people who live in the same area when I could just as easily pick up the phone or drive down the street and make a human connection.

There’s a lot to be learned by shaking a person’s hand and looking into their eyes when you have a conversation - video chats and instant messages will never be the same as personally connecting with people.

Technology has helped us make amazing strides in healthcare, communications and business, but we are so dependent upon it that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to reconnect with people face-to-face?  There was a time that we lived without cell phones and computers and the world still managed to run smoothly, so try to unplug this week and make more human connections without using technology.

One thing I do is turn my phone off at bedtime, but there are many other ways to unplug and make a human connection – write a handwritten note to the journalist who just helped you get that story published; call a colleague and congratulate him on the big project he just finished; or have coffee with a co-worker and ask for her feedback on that proposal your writing. 

In this fast-paced world, taking the time to write a note or to call someone instead of texting can make big impression – sometimes getting back to the old-fashioned basics can set you apart in the art of human relations and business.