The importance of human-centered communication on the Cargo Industry
It is not a secret that the last several years have been complicated, to say the least. The Coronavirus has created a gap in human connections since March 2020, thus, social distancing has become an ever-present reality everywhere, including the cargo industry.
One of many possibly lasting consequences is the effect social distancing has had in interpersonal exchanges, reducing person-to-person interactions and taking a toll on the relationships businesses build with their customers.
There is no denying that human involvement can have a positive effect on our professional relationships. Working in an industry that keeps automating and improving processes can make communication seem unimportant when it should be the opposite.
In reality, human interaction is not something that ever gets left to the side. So, we should start seeing it as a resource that can make a positive difference in our daily lives as well as on the impact our company has on the industry.
The cargo industry, during this period of hyper-growth, sometimes makes it tough to slow down. So, it’s not out of the ordinary to forget that there’s a real person on the other side of that communication with challenges and questions. As automation continues to improve the industry, communication will always have a human component to it. This is where a human-centered approach stands out.
A good rule of thumb is “Treat people the way you would want to be treated”. With this, we don’t necessarily mean to bend over backwards to meet their every need. Just listen and treat them with kindness and respect to understand their perspective. However great the product or service may be, recognizing the uniqueness of the person we talk to can make us stand out from the rest.
This approach can be applied to all types of communication, from social media to an individual phone call or email. Keep that feeling of “talking with a person” and treat them as you would like to be listened and spoken to.
A human-centered approach starts from within
Of course, keeping a human touch on messages and conversations can impact your business’ success, but internal discourse should not be exempt from this practice. A connection with your employees and coworkers should be as organic as your external communication is.
It seems illogical to treat customers respectfully but not our co-workers. Internal relationships should be valued as much as external ones, as we are all working together to cultivate this mindset. A human-centered approach should view and treat co-workers as essential to understanding the company environment as well as our customers’ needs.
Let’s all lead by example and make every effort to keep an even more humane tone within the company and let that be conveyed over to all customers, suppliers, associates, visitors, and everyone who may create a direct relationship with the company.
By Elisita Montoya.
