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Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data
From old-fashioned bricks-and-mortars to cutting-edge startups, businesses are moving into uncharted territory as they determine how to move from an analog past to a digital future effectively. How can you make sure not to leave human instinct behind? Businesses are leaving behind traditional meetings in favor of virtual ones, transitioning from surveys and studies to analytics and algorithms. The startling and often unacknowledged truth is that?the promise of digital transformation can only be realized when we find a way to balance it with the promise of people.?In the end, it’s the people that matter, and companies must never forget the soul that drives them. In Restoring the Soul of Business , business leader Rishad Tobaccowala?teaches you Restoring the Soul of Business provides practical tools and techniques that every organization can and should implement, and challenges you to move forward with the kind of balance that capitalizes transformation and produces one great success after another.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2020
105 people are currently reading
1481 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 28, 2024
Finally, the book I have been waiting for.
I say that not just because it is written by one of the most knowledgeable and respected leaders in digital transformation, advertising and media. And, not just because I have been a big fan of the author since I first met him many years ago either. (see below if you’re interested in that story)
But rather, because it validates and articulates my belief that:
You can’t put everything into a spreadsheet.
Too often I see a dependence on data and the sacrifice of reason and relationships as well as simply making a decision and moving forward. As data has become more available and more depended upon, common sense, empathy, reason and action has sometimes been discounted often with very negative results.
But, with Restoring the Soul of Business, we hear from an immensely successful, distinguished, and highly quantitative expert of some of the pitfalls of data, screens and distance.
The book is beautifully written and organized in a manner that you can read it in any order and has plenty of new and interesting business stories to put things in context. The “Key Takeaways” at the end of each chapter are particularly helpful to summarize and reinforce the material and learning. Here are just a few of my own personal key takeaways:
• We need to find a balance between the math and the meaning as well as the spreadsheet and the story.
• Human judgement and intuition are often necessary to perceive data’s true significance.
• Distance is the enemy of intimacy (which referenced a marvelous United Airlines commercial from 1990 called “The Speech”. Watch it here:
https://youtu.be/mU2rpcAABbA
• Great ideas require “trampolines of trust” meaning if one says something wrong or upsetting they can “bounce back”. Otherwise no one will take risks including the next bullet point....
• Talk about the turd on the table.
• Today’s companies need to work for the talent. (not the other way around)
There’s so many more insights and takeaways. And while some are things you have likely read or heard in some form in the past, most are original and thought provoking.
I’ll keep this book close and reference it often. I have already started a list of people I plan to recommend it to as well buy for them. It’s that good. It’s that important. It’s that impactful.
How I know the author:
I met Rishad many years ago one cold winter day.
I was evangelizing my 3rd Internet startup with a digital advertising business model and Rishad was the Head of Starcom IP, one of the top digital agencies in the world. At a time when simply securing a meeting with a junior associate media planner was a challenge, I was taken aback that the head of the whole enchilada would take a meeting with me.
But that was Rishad, similar to my friend Dave Smith, Founder of independent media agency Media Smith in San Francisco. These guys were naturally curious and open to learning. And they also knew that technology was evolving fast so taking a lot of meetings made sense.
Since he most certainly attended hundreds of meetings from any number of the thousands of startups at the time, I highly doubt Rishad remembers that first meeting with me overlooking the frozen Chicago skyline in the Leo Burnett building at 35 West Wacker. But I sure do.
Here was one of the leaders, and frankly most powerful people, in the fledgling digital space being approachable, affable, open and generally curious to what my company did and how we were different. How he had the time to see me I still don’t know.
He asked penetrating and tough, but fair, questions and appreciated my honesty when I did not have all the answers and didn’t try to make things up. We had a very insightful and inspiring conversation on the nuances and potential of my product. I became a fan that day and have remained so ever since. I read his blog often, follow his tweets, capture him speaking at conferences and enjoy his travels and photos on Facebook as well. I suggest you do too and most certainly read his book!
(Finished on 2/9/20) First review was a pre release notification )
I say that not just because it is written by one of the most knowledgeable and respected leaders in digital transformation, advertising and media. And, not just because I have been a big fan of the author since I first met him many years ago either. (see below if you’re interested in that story)
But rather, because it validates and articulates my belief that:
You can’t put everything into a spreadsheet.
Too often I see a dependence on data and the sacrifice of reason and relationships as well as simply making a decision and moving forward. As data has become more available and more depended upon, common sense, empathy, reason and action has sometimes been discounted often with very negative results.
But, with Restoring the Soul of Business, we hear from an immensely successful, distinguished, and highly quantitative expert of some of the pitfalls of data, screens and distance.
The book is beautifully written and organized in a manner that you can read it in any order and has plenty of new and interesting business stories to put things in context. The “Key Takeaways” at the end of each chapter are particularly helpful to summarize and reinforce the material and learning. Here are just a few of my own personal key takeaways:
• We need to find a balance between the math and the meaning as well as the spreadsheet and the story.
• Human judgement and intuition are often necessary to perceive data’s true significance.
• Distance is the enemy of intimacy (which referenced a marvelous United Airlines commercial from 1990 called “The Speech”. Watch it here:
https://youtu.be/mU2rpcAABbA
• Great ideas require “trampolines of trust” meaning if one says something wrong or upsetting they can “bounce back”. Otherwise no one will take risks including the next bullet point....
• Talk about the turd on the table.
• Today’s companies need to work for the talent. (not the other way around)
There’s so many more insights and takeaways. And while some are things you have likely read or heard in some form in the past, most are original and thought provoking.
I’ll keep this book close and reference it often. I have already started a list of people I plan to recommend it to as well buy for them. It’s that good. It’s that important. It’s that impactful.
How I know the author:
I met Rishad many years ago one cold winter day.
I was evangelizing my 3rd Internet startup with a digital advertising business model and Rishad was the Head of Starcom IP, one of the top digital agencies in the world. At a time when simply securing a meeting with a junior associate media planner was a challenge, I was taken aback that the head of the whole enchilada would take a meeting with me.
But that was Rishad, similar to my friend Dave Smith, Founder of independent media agency Media Smith in San Francisco. These guys were naturally curious and open to learning. And they also knew that technology was evolving fast so taking a lot of meetings made sense.
Since he most certainly attended hundreds of meetings from any number of the thousands of startups at the time, I highly doubt Rishad remembers that first meeting with me overlooking the frozen Chicago skyline in the Leo Burnett building at 35 West Wacker. But I sure do.
Here was one of the leaders, and frankly most powerful people, in the fledgling digital space being approachable, affable, open and generally curious to what my company did and how we were different. How he had the time to see me I still don’t know.
He asked penetrating and tough, but fair, questions and appreciated my honesty when I did not have all the answers and didn’t try to make things up. We had a very insightful and inspiring conversation on the nuances and potential of my product. I became a fan that day and have remained so ever since. I read his blog often, follow his tweets, capture him speaking at conferences and enjoy his travels and photos on Facebook as well. I suggest you do too and most certainly read his book!
(Finished on 2/9/20) First review was a pre release notification )
February 13, 2020
I generally avoid talking about books written by friends, but I have to make an exception for this one because I honestly feel that anyone who works in today's corporate world must read this one. Anyone who is part of the current business world can feel the pressure of data-driven decision making. With all the technological improvements in computing, communication, AI, machine learning, and robotics, our businesses are becoming more data centric. This is an obvious move as it makes the businesses more efficient and profitable. However, many people can also see the negative impact of too much data centricity, but so far I haven’t seen anyone voice it with such clarity and with a balanced perspective. It is especially powerful because it is coming from someone who has always been at the cutting edge of this technology driven transformation, and often predicted and it and pioneered such transitions.
Rishad Tobaccowala is certainly not a luddite. He is not against the use of data in decision making, but his prescription is to make a healthy balance between data and emotion, human and machine, or in his language, spreadsheet and story. His argument for it is not based on some lofty idealistic perspective but pure business sense. He has collected anecdotes and arguments to show why this balance is essential for today’s businesses to survive and grow. Rishad is a good story teller, and he told this as a rather compelling story. Each chapter in this book is self-standing, and as pointed out by the author, can be read in any order.
If you are starting your career now this book will provide a great perspective to view your workplace and make smart career decisions. On the other hand if you are a leader this book is even more essential. As I was reading the book I could see so many ways I can improve my working style, and in so many ways the businesses I worked for could benefit from it.
Rishad Tobaccowala is certainly not a luddite. He is not against the use of data in decision making, but his prescription is to make a healthy balance between data and emotion, human and machine, or in his language, spreadsheet and story. His argument for it is not based on some lofty idealistic perspective but pure business sense. He has collected anecdotes and arguments to show why this balance is essential for today’s businesses to survive and grow. Rishad is a good story teller, and he told this as a rather compelling story. Each chapter in this book is self-standing, and as pointed out by the author, can be read in any order.
If you are starting your career now this book will provide a great perspective to view your workplace and make smart career decisions. On the other hand if you are a leader this book is even more essential. As I was reading the book I could see so many ways I can improve my working style, and in so many ways the businesses I worked for could benefit from it.
March 31, 2020
The author works at Publicis (Leo Burnett), grew up in Bombay, India, has a degree in economics and advanced mathematics from the University of Bombay and an MBA from the University of Chicago. So he’s no stranger to quantification. He argues that mathematicians, with their algorithms and fervid belief that their scientific approach yields Nirvana, turn data into a false God. A better solution marries math and meaning. He defines the culture of the organization as what cannot be measured. He refers to this as the Soul of a Company. "I worry that our short-term focus on numbers is destroying the long-term health of business, countries, and people. Sometimes we can have too much math and too little meaning. The data made me do it! Data is fool’s gold if relied upon too much. Ethics are undervalued because they are difficult to measure from a productivity perspective" (Wells Fargo). Follow the data and you’ll get it right. It's a bit rambling, and I would say there's not enough story telling in this book, and far too many 3-5 point checklists, which makes it in part incredibly dull to read. There's also a dearth of theory, which means no real deep learning.
February 9, 2021
A bit repetitive
I think you could stop at the first chapter and you get the picture. Not sure about the writing style either.
I think you could stop at the first chapter and you get the picture. Not sure about the writing style either.
June 29, 2022
It was ok...
I wanted to like this a lot more and wish Tobaccowala's book had come across better. It read as a series of Keynote speech transcriptions containing repetitive sentiment that few would disagree with interspersed with series of categorical thinking constructs and checklists to make sure we are able to execute "story" as well as "spreadsheet" within modern corporate life.
I agreed with almost everything he said, and this book literally put me to sleep multiple times or I'd have finished it much sooner.
Perhaps he is a far more dynamic speaker than writer?
I wanted to like this a lot more and wish Tobaccowala's book had come across better. It read as a series of Keynote speech transcriptions containing repetitive sentiment that few would disagree with interspersed with series of categorical thinking constructs and checklists to make sure we are able to execute "story" as well as "spreadsheet" within modern corporate life.
I agreed with almost everything he said, and this book literally put me to sleep multiple times or I'd have finished it much sooner.
Perhaps he is a far more dynamic speaker than writer?
September 5, 2020
As corporations are using more data-centric automation with AI and rethinking their strategies/priorities in these challenging times, Rishad elegantly articulates ways to be more successful by focusing more on people and the humanity. I highly recommend this book as well as his newsletter at rishadtobaccowala.com
February 10, 2020
Really enjoyed this. Took three pages of notes.
October 3, 2020
Restoring the soul of business is interesting read.Rishad share from loads of information-extracted wisdom for business. He has beautifully brought diverse perspective without using data. Throughout book he emphasise human judgment and intuition .The impact of screen time has huge implications at workplace. The balance between people seeking relevance, affiliation and purpose in job is equally important. The organisations is listening to employees dissenting voice and are open to culture to trust and relationship behaviours. The companies successfully communicate necessary changes happening in future, or else face they face challenge of non-alignment or staying off course.
People retain stories and emotional aspect, so companies allow art, which inspires innovation and creativity. The successful companies offer their talent platform to maximise their potential as they create brand and technologies. Author observe organisation measure time spent by employee rather than quality .like in meeting .The collective capacity of all participant to contribute is always overlooked .The companies need to encourage employee time outside digital routines for self-learning and improvement.
The business will make sense, when algorithms and stories match beyond goals. Also good leaders always need to manage through people and not with data. The books has several refreshing instances of warning on overlooking people aspect and be prepared to embrace future technologies.
People retain stories and emotional aspect, so companies allow art, which inspires innovation and creativity. The successful companies offer their talent platform to maximise their potential as they create brand and technologies. Author observe organisation measure time spent by employee rather than quality .like in meeting .The collective capacity of all participant to contribute is always overlooked .The companies need to encourage employee time outside digital routines for self-learning and improvement.
The business will make sense, when algorithms and stories match beyond goals. Also good leaders always need to manage through people and not with data. The books has several refreshing instances of warning on overlooking people aspect and be prepared to embrace future technologies.
July 24, 2024
“Data is the new oil”/ the soul of the business/ the backbone of the business and multiple other references of data with aspects that describe it as the “core” of any working organization is something that we widely read or hear.
Rishad Tobaccowala talks about data and how it’s more than the numbers that signify it’s relevance to the business. He writes about using data to bring holistic development to the organization and not just growth in profits. A happy employee, customer and a healthy environment are as important as the anticipated high turnover in a company. Using numbers to save costs and add value is something each organization needs to practise today.
Data, in totality can and has to be interpreted to improve the aspects mentioned above and this is what the book talks about.
The book has a plethora or examples from Starbucks to Netflix and how they go about analyzing and using the data collected to their advantage while keeping up with the competition.
The best part about this specific book is that one can read any chapter and enjoy rather than following the sequence to connect the concepts mentioned.
The book is written in a crisp and concise manner without making this non-fiction a dry read. Go for it.
Rishad Tobaccowala talks about data and how it’s more than the numbers that signify it’s relevance to the business. He writes about using data to bring holistic development to the organization and not just growth in profits. A happy employee, customer and a healthy environment are as important as the anticipated high turnover in a company. Using numbers to save costs and add value is something each organization needs to practise today.
Data, in totality can and has to be interpreted to improve the aspects mentioned above and this is what the book talks about.
The book has a plethora or examples from Starbucks to Netflix and how they go about analyzing and using the data collected to their advantage while keeping up with the competition.
The best part about this specific book is that one can read any chapter and enjoy rather than following the sequence to connect the concepts mentioned.
The book is written in a crisp and concise manner without making this non-fiction a dry read. Go for it.
May 8, 2020
Rishad Tobaccowala is known as an exec who expertly bridges the worlds of media and tech. His insights, while a little worn after his long career, remain valuable. This book is like a privileged visit with him, but don’t expect topical insights into today’s issues. It is more about the lessons he has learned about leadership in the new environment..some of which, at this point, are not so new. I was hoping for a more candid or “inside” work, revealing more about the future of advertising. Still, it is a strong compendium of his valuable thinking.
January 23, 2023
Another book that took me a while to finish, but I’m glad I did because when I picked it back up the chapter was extremely relevant to the point I was at in my career. Some good thoughts on balancing art and science and in-person meetings with screen, two challenges I face everyday. While I didn’t feel I got too much actionable direction, it provided good insight into Publicis leadership and concepts I see applied at work.
February 22, 2023
Interesting book that offers insights on how to create a more meaningful and fulfilling approach to work. Technology is changing at a very fast pace, and it’s important to focus on the human aspects of business such as purpose, connection and relationships. There are insights from a range of thought leaders and experts, this is a thought-provoking exploration of the changing nature of business in the modern world, with some helpful tips for managers.
March 23, 2021
This book is very amazing.
March 23, 2021
The book is absolutely awesome.
October 5, 2023
What an excellent read for anyone interested in tech change and how to remain human in the face of data.
June 22, 2021
This book is really great.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews