A High Tech, High Touch Approach.... to Management

BING!...BING! The cellphone goes off with emails swooshing on the managers’ phone. He immediately looks up at his computer and starts firing away emails to the customer. The customer replies, then the manager replies, looping in his team. Thirty emails later, the issue is resolved. The manager then fires an email away to his team, excluding the customer of course, congratulating the team on resolving the issue and making the customer happy. Smiley face and clap emoticons come in reply. Apparently, the customer and team are satisfied, all issues resolved.

Technology has absolutely changed the course of our business and relationships. Customers are constantly expecting instant answers/results. Managers are able to keep better track of results and resources leveraging technology. Business is seemingly easier than the pre-technology days. So why are there more customer service issues today than there were previously?

Simply put, technology has taken the place of the human. To clarify that statement, we need to understand what would happen pre-tech. In the example listed above, the stakeholder would likely call the manager and mention his/her issue and concern. The Manager would then call the team together, either by teleconference, or physically in his office, or shout outside his door (if co-located), and draw out the issue for the team. The team would then go off on their own to solve the problem, collaborating in person, with the manager and/or the customer till the solution is resolved satisfactorily. The customer would be more engaged in this process. Often employee teams would uncover larger issues or other pitfalls through this process, thus delivering greater quality. The high touch of a phone call to the customer, or colleague, to discuss through the problem is more powerful than an email.

Have you ever had someone give you feedback or criticism via email, text, or twitter? Have you responded via a technology interface and your words be misunderstood. In today’s world it seems words are more golden; everything we say somehow ends up on twitter/Instagram/facebook. I call it the social media era, or SME (which can also mean subject matter expert). Managers tend to utilize email to ‘manage’ their team. They ask for status updates via email. They ask for detailed descriptions of what occurred so they can ‘read’ and catch up, or be in the loop. Managers then give feedback via email.

I once had a manager who would only deal with me via email, and a few times in person, he was hardly around. He would even email me 5 min before the in person meeting, and mail me during the meeting, with things he wanted me to bring up, or he would ‘ping me’ another word for chatting via communicator. Sure enough, during the meeting I would ask a question, it would not be articulated the way he wanted it, he would jump in, and there would be confusion. The stakeholder would be confused and we would end up spending more time trying to figure out what exactly was needed to be accomplished. Could this have been avoided by having a 10 minute strategy discussion in person or a quick phone call? I believe so…

The human interaction is a vital element to successfully managing people. It is also vital in screening candidates, qualifying them to ensure they have the skills needed to be a team player, individual contributor, or in management roles. Body language, how someone communicates and carries themselves, are all vital situations/circumstances. This screening cannot happen solely via phone.

Recently, I began screening candidates with an initial qualifying interview. This is an initial discussion via the phone and/or skype depending on the location. We then discussed a time to meet in person, where we could see if we are a match for each other. My focus was to determine if this candidate is a fit for what my client is looking for; but more over can they fit the long term strategic vision of the company, what is their management style, and do they have a vision for their career future. The candidate passed, and is now on the fast track to success.

Technology can be leveraged to in a positive manner as well. Remote teams can connect via skype or other video sharing platforms. Project Management requires the use of discussion boards/forums to track team progress. These tools add to productivity and team unity. However, they should not be the sole tool. This is the mistake most teams make.

As great as technology can be to advance our world, nothing surpasses the one on one connection. They always say ‘seeing is believing.’ That is so true in all facets of the corporate world/career. It is important we find, attract, and develop candidates who have the philosophy that personal interaction is the best way to create business, both with the customer, and the team.

Next time the phone goes ‘BING’ and those emails come in, pick up the phone, talk through the issue, or talk in person. You will see faster, stronger, more reliable results, and a happy customer!

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