Touch: Five Factors to Growing and Leading a Human Organization

by Tod Maffin, Mark Blevis

Overview

In today’s technology-led pursuit of efficiency, we’ve removed the humanity from business. Here’s how to correct that.

For better or worse, digital business has fundamentally changed how organizations hire staff, market their services, and connect with stakeholders. The problem is, in an effort to use technology to connect with people more effectively, we have lost the humanity - that critical person-to-person connection - that is the engine of commerce:

• Hiring is done by automated keyword searches.
• Offices have regressed to sterile, highly controlled environments.
• Staff rely exclusively on template responses.
• Websites are designed for search engines, not people.
• Leaders are focusing on arbitrary and antiquated "best practices."

In a world filled with complicated web forms and digital marketing services, we have lost the "human" element in how we run our organizations. TOUCH identifies these problems in stark terms, then provide business leaders in all types of organizations - private to public sector, small to enterprise business - with real-world, tested solutions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459728769
Publisher:	Dundurn Press
Publication date:	09/17/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Tod Maffin is president of engageQ Digital, a digital marketing firm specializing in creating human experiences for brands online. He speaks to more than forty conferences a year. He lives in Vancouver.



Mark Blevis is president of FullDuplex.ca, a firm that specializes in integrated digital communication and online reputation management. He also heads a team that researches how online information and interactions shape public opinion. He lives in Ottawa.

Tod Maffin is president of engageQ Digital, a digital marketing firm specializing in creating human experiences for brands online. He speaks to more than forty conferences a year. He lives in Vancouver.

Mark Blevis is president of FullDuplex.ca, a firm which specializes in integrated digital communication and online reputation management. He also heads a team that researches the role of online information and interactions in shaping public opinion. He lives in Ottawa.

What People are Saying About This

Shel Holtz principal

"Evidence continues to mount that customers are more likely to do business with brands that behave well. From demonstrating you're serious about sustainability to every employee engaging in customer service, from producing content that genuinely helps people to finding third-party reports of great interactions with the company, mountains of research show that success increasingly depends on taking a human approach to business. Just in time, Tod Maffin and Mark Blevis have produced TOUCH, a concise, readable, and actionable guide to making sure your company has a soul. Of all the values a company should demonstrate in these days when power has shifted to the customer, humanity should be at the top of the list. Whether your organization has been hammered for its compassionless approach to business or you're just not satisfied with the degree of humanity already evident in your operations, you'll want to not just read, but use, TOUCH."

Mitch Joel

"It's been over a decade since social media changed the way that businesses connect with their consumers and their employees. So, where are we at? In TOUCH, Mark Blevis and Tod Maffin argue that even though technology has enabled us to connect like never before, we've actually moved in the opposite direction. We have removed the real and human connections. It's time to bring that human touch back to business. This book lays out the perfect blueprint. Want to be more human? Start with TOUCH."

Shel Holtz

"Evidence continues to mount that customers are more likely to do business with brands that behave well. From demonstrating you're serious about sustainability to every employee engaging in customer service, from producing content that genuinely helps people to finding third-party reports of great interactions with the company, mountains of research show that success increasingly depends on taking a human approach to business. Just in time, Tod Maffin and Mark Blevis have produced TOUCH, a concise, readable, and actionable guide to making sure your company has a soul. Of all the values a company should demonstrate in these days when power has shifted to the customer, humanity should be at the top of the list. Whether your organization has been hammered for its compassionless approach to business or you're just not satisfied with the degree of humanity already evident in your operations, you'll want to not just read, but use, TOUCH."

Executive Vice President of Strategy, SHIFT Communications - Scott Monty

"TOUCH offers a refreshing look at the humanity behind our digital-centric lives, with practical tips for putting the humanity back in business. Make these TOUCH points your guide to the business of the future."

Mitch Joel President

"It's been over a decade since social media changed the way that businesses connect with their consumers and their employees. So, where are we at? In TOUCH, Mark Blevis and Tod Maffin argue that even though technology has enabled us to connect like never before, we've actually moved in the opposite direction. We have removed the real and human connections. It's time to bring that human touch back to business. This book lays out the perfect blueprint. Want to be more human? Start with TOUCH."