Chicken Brats and Tortellini Soup

By Roderick Kelly

Co-founder, K+L Storytellers

Communication is a two-way highway. Information is delivered by one party and received by another. But a glitch on either end can change the game. Here’s a story that our family will laugh about for years to come.

I had scooped up our daughter Katherine in Chicago on Friday after her workday so she could spend Mother’s Day with us in the suburbs and attend our son Patrick’s graduation from Waubonsee Community College. Normally, she would take the commuter train, but she had laundry galore and presents and winter clothes to bring home so of course I obliged to be her Duber (Dad Uber).

As we were driving the 40 miles during a slow Friday rush hour, I asked her to call her brother so he could light the grill. We were having bratwurst for dinner. She quickly said, “Ahhh, I was hoping for tortellini soup.”

What’s a Dad to do? I had my heart set on brats. So I told her to check with Mom. Of course, I knew the answer before she could whip out her iPhone. My wife Michele is going to make whatever the children want. But, since she has a strict policy of turning off her phone everyday at 5 p.m., the question threaded through our youngest son.

Once off the phone, Katherine said we were supposed to stop at the grocery story and pick up spinach, chicken brats and Italian bread. “OK,” I’m thinking to myself. “We’re going to have both brats and tortellini soup.” An odd combination, but heck, I’m game.

Less than a mile from home, I run into the local Jewel and snap up the spinach and Italian bread. I scour the brat and chicken sections. No chicken brats. Drat. I ask the deli server where I can find chicken brats. She politely said she didn’t know and that’s not her department. Double drat. I then see a store worker leaving the nearby break room and ask her if she knows where the chicken brats are. “I’m sorry. I’m in floral, but I can get someone to help you.”

I’m hangry at this point and am eager to wash down my brat with an adult beverage. I decline her generous offer, grab the previously spotted turkey brats and say to myself: “These will have to do.”

I proudly walk into the house with the items, and my wife says: “Where is the chicken broth?”

Huh?

“Yes, the chicken broth for the tortellini soup,” she says with an expectant glance at the clock which reads almost 8 p.m.

I realized the error. Triple drat. (Just to tie up this story, we sent Junior out for the chicken broth and made him take a picture of the product before purchasing.)

The breakdown in this story may have occurred in the delivery or receiving of the information. And that can happen with companies and their clients.

Are your company’s messages and stories being correctly heard and portrayed to your customers and prospects? One way to make sure is to have a well-defined story that can be articulated in writing and verbally by everyone on your team.

Author and political adviser Frank Luntz wrote: “It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear.” Got that right!

By the way, the tortellini soup was great, as were the brats — grilled on a different night.

Live Your Values, Live Your Story

A Salute to Our Youth

By Roderick Kelly

Co-founder, K+L Storytellers

One hundred seven young men donned identical tuxedos. Their dates wore beautiful white debutante gowns with matching gloves that extended beyond the elbow. These young adults were experiencing their first “grown up” event where they were treated as equals. The setting was the Drury Lane Oak Brook ballroom, bulging with more than 800 attendees. The event was Marmion Academy’s “Salute to Youth” gala.

It sounds like a cliché, but these are our future trailblazers.

For the first hour of mingling and eating of appetizers, many of the seniors approached me with their right hand outstretched, a smile on their face and a “hello Mr. Kelly” on their lips. They introduced their dates and we engaged in small talk. I saw our son doing the same with other parents.

I have known these young men for four years, some of them longer. I’ve watched them grow from boys to men.

And the tone was set for the rest of the evening. The speeches were predictably genuine and heartfelt, and with each, the students could get a glimpse into their future – as independent-thinking adults, as future parents and as groundbreakers.

And then the spotlight shone on them. The 107 senior students and their dates beamed with nervous pride as each couple walked up on stage for their introductions. Each man graciously deferred to his date as she curtsied to the attendees. Each smiled and visibly exhaled as they left the stage, arm in arm.

“Salute to Youth” is their reward for four years of hard work. It’s their swansong before graduation.

Regardless of the path each takes, I know their future is bright, and they will make this world better. In fact, they already have.

Salute to our youth.

Our son Peter and his date Sophie.

Is Your Customer Service Memorable?

By Roderick Kelly

Co-founder, K+L Storytellers

Our family came together from five states to attend the @Twins Home Opener against Seattle on April 5. We came at the behest of our brother Dan who wanted all of us to spend his milestone birthday weekend in Minneapolis.

Our families assembled a few hours before the US men's curling team attempted to find any catcher's mitt with the ceremonial first pitches and before a beautiful bald eagle got confused and landed on the shoulder of a Twins player following the National Anthem.( Both made ESPN's Top 10 plays of the day).

As an avid Twins fan, it was my first time visiting Target Field. What an experience. But it was made even more exceptional because of the customer service we experienced from a Twins usher.

D'Ann K went above and beyond her duties to make our experience in Section P one that will never be forgotten. And here's why. My wife Michele does not consume caffeine, and as you can imagine, the temperatures in Minneapolis in early April are rather frosty. So I went in search of a decaffeinated cup of anything hot. I scurried to the nearby food vendors in the lounge hoping to secure a cup and not miss any of the game. Decaf was not an offering. D'Ann then led me (literally led me) to a place where she thought decaf was served. That vendor apologized and directed me to two specific locations in the lower level. So I marched down the stairs and waited in line with my back to the vendors so I could watch the field. Surprise, surprise. No decaf.

I sauntered back to Section P and D'Ann asked if I had any luck. I said, unfortunately no.

One inning later, D'Ann appeared in our row and presented my wife with a steaming cup of decaf coffee. The entire section cheered and I couldn't have been more grateful. I offered to pay D'Ann and give her a nice tip, but she refused both. Her whole goal on that opening day was to make the fan experience memorable. And Wow. D'Ann hit it out of the park. (Sorry, I had to).

Minnesota Nice is alive and thriving.

It may seem trivial, but the fact that D'Ann took it upon herself to make one fan from Chicago feel special, speaks volumes about her and the #MNTwins organization.

D'Ann's individual passion to serve one person is a lesson we can all take in approaching customer service.

So if you happen to find yourself near Section P at Target Field during a Twins game, look for D'Ann and tell her the crazy decaf coffee guy from Chicago says hello. That will make her day, just as she made mine.

HR Sharing Stories to Attract Top Talent? You bet.

Compelling, captivating, intriguing. The latest bestseller? Hardly. It's the all-important job description. It was GREAT to be a speaker for the Valley Industrial Association along with my cohort and IT search and recruitment superstar Laurie Swanson, founder of  The Laso Corporation.

HR professionals, tell your story and you will keep the talent pool abundantly filled.  Here are highlights from our presentation entitled "The Job Description: A True Story in 3 Parts."

Part 1: The Story of Your Company and People: give people reasons to believe.

• The candidate is the hero, you are their guide to success (every hero has one. What would James Bond do without Q?). The villain: lost opportunity to contribute to your company's success.
• Your company story requires exploration: What are your roots? How do you slay the competition? How do others see your brand? How do you give back? What values guide your mission?

Part 2: The Story of the Open Position: show how your company helps people live an amazing life - then show how their contribution makes that possible.

• Define the career path and the vision.
• What's the day in the life of the position?
• Show, don't tell (No. 1 rule in writing): include vivid details.
• What does success look like in the role?

Part 3: The Story of the Successful Candidate

• Think of two buckets: required skills and nice-to-have skills
• Create a clear and direct call-to-action (I love it when people tell me what to do!)

Go on, tell your story, HR professionals. People are perched on the edge of their seats waiting for it.

Laurie Swanson is the founder of The Laso Corporation. Contact her at lswanson@lasocareers.com.

Michele Kelly is co-founder of K+L Storytellers. Contact her at michelekellywriter@gmail.com.

The Power of 3 in Storytelling

By Roderick Kelly

Co-founder, K+L Storytellers

Today is St. Patrick’s Day and a happy day it is.

The Chicago River is emerald, revelers dress as leprechauns and strangers are toasting each other with pints of Guinness.

It’s a fun day. Heck, March is a happy month.

We have March Madness, spring break and tax refunds. March signals the end of winter, a time for new life and the moment students can touch their graduation day.

March is the third month and all good things come in threes.

Storytellers, speakers and comics have known this for years and use the Rule of Three to produce vibrant, fun and memorable stories like The Three Little Pigs.

Here are some examples of the Rule of Three:

·         Hip, hip, hooray – a common cheer

·         Vidi, vini, vici -- Latin for I came, I saw, I conquered

·         Stop, drop and roll -- a fire safety slogan

·         Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- from the US Declaration of Independence

·         Faster, higher, stronger -- the Olympic motto

·         An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman walk into a pub……..

Now you know one of the great secrets of storytelling. The Rule of Three is used on corporate websites, in marketing materials and in advertising because it's simple, catchy and rhythmic.

Slãinte.

6 Keys to Great Brand Storytelling

By Roderick Kelly

Co-founder, K+L Storytellers

Telling stories. That’s what people do. We tell them when we lunch with associates and at the dinner table when we talk about our day. According to Jeremy Hsu in Scientific American, two-thirds of our everyday conversations are made up of stories. Take, for instance, my cousin Richie. He holds court at every family function, unaware that his authentic, humorous storytelling is seductive.

He is also passing along stories for the next generation. Storytellers leave legacies in their wake.

Companies have a story to tell as well. Their stories win hearts -- the place where people make purchasing decisions. Through the company’s values, culture, programs, audience, products and people, they show how their brand differentiates itself from competitors.

Here are six tips for great brand storytelling:

1)    Resolve a problem or conflict. Like a book or a movie, the story plot always finds the protagonist up to his or her eyeballs in conflict. Stories that explain how a company helped a customer overcome a specific challenge are noteworthy and remembered. “If you do what you do well, and you share your story, your brand will race to the top,” says Brian Chesky, CEO at Airbnb.

2)    Be authentic. Fake news is seen for what it is. Your story has to be truthful to be believable. “Purposeful storytelling isn’t show business, it’s good business,” says Peter Guber, chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment.

3)    Evoke emotion. This might be a call to action or spark an idea. “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic,” says Seth Godin, author.

4)    Back your story with data. Data is social proof that your product or service works. Remember, your audience buys with their hearts, but backs up their decisions with logic. Author Dr. Brene Brown says: “Maybe stories are just data with a soul.”

5)    Be consistent. From the person at the front desk to the loading dock to the C-suite, ask: Is everyone telling the same story? “You can’t separate the message from the messenger,” says Michael Margolis, CEO of Get Storied.

6)    Know your audience. Your audience is one person. It’s the individual reading your story, listening to your story or watching your story at any given moment. “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but the stories you tell,” according to Godin.

So a weasel walks into a bar. The bartender says, “In all my years of bartending, I’ve never served a weasel. What can I get you?

“Pop,” goes the weasel.

Maybe it’s my opener the next time I see my cousin Richie. Who knows? Maybe this corny joke will be the center of his storytelling — until a better story comes along.

Brand Questions to Ask Your Audience

By Michele Kelly

Einstein (has there been a more oft-quoted genius since the late 1800s?) loved questions. He once said that if he had an hour to solve a problem where his life depended upon the solution, he would spend the first 55 minutes figuring out the question.

If I were in his shoes, I would probably Google the answer, then eat a cookie. But therein lies the reason no one has ever called me a genius.

When it comes to brand, asking the right questions matters. In the many brands we help build, we begin by talking to our client's audience - real people outside the organization who either have had contact with the company or who could potentially be buyers. From advocates who wouldn't buy elsewhere to the ones who up and left to complete strangers, their answers give us something every single brand hungers for: the truth.

Here are the main questions I oftentimes ask. I'll call the client Company A:

What is special about Company A - what sets them apart? (this points to their value proposition)

Why did you choose them? (this points to their value proposition)

What problem did they solve that other firms could not? (this points to what makes them different and their mission)

What extra value did they bring? (this points to what makes them different)

What are three words you would use to describe Company A? (this points to their style)

Would you recommend them to a friend and why? (this points to their value proposition)

If Company A were a person, how would you describe him or her? (this points to their voice as a company)

If you did not work with Company A, where would you have gone? (this shows our first line of competitors)

How did their culture or values contribute to your decision to choose them? (this points to values)

If you no longer work with Company A, what ended the relationship? (this points to misperceptions, process issues or possible internal problems)

If company A were a piece of music, how would you describe them? (this uses other creative mediums besides words to show style)

Should there be a zombie apocalypse, how would Company A save the world? (this points to vision; plus it's a fun question to ask)

... from these questions, the conversation multiplies and you get even deeper answers. What brand questions do you ask your clients?

Are You Encouraging Creative Silos or Seas?

By Roderick Kelly

I was in my early 30s and was sitting at my desk with my feet up with a pencil behind my ear. My boss came up to me and said, “Why aren’t you working?” I said, “I am. I’m thinking of how I want to present this story.” He said, “Well get your feet off the desk and get writing.” He wanted me to make the appearance of “working.”

This is where fiction and nonfiction take leave of one another.

The truth is that you are a creative. Don’t believe me? If you solve problems, lead people, write emails, listen to others and synthesize responses, prepare presentations and reports, share ideas, then you are a creative. It doesn’t matter if you are a museum docent, accountant, keeper of the armadillos or CEO.

Now that your creative DNA has been confirmed, know that all creatives need time to think.

In my profession, I write. To do that, I must visualize a situation, much like a coach or manager visualizes a game. I take into account all the players, all the potential situations before me, anticipate what I can and should do, and then proceed with a game plan to set down words that, hopefully, inform and entertain.

Ninety percent of writing is not putting fingertips to keyboard. It’s the thinking, preparing, planning and research. Writing is the execution of the creative.

As you consider creativity in your life and the people you lead, go for the creative sea, not the creative silo.

A sea is vast, abundant and enduring. Encourage an environment that offers people a creative sea from which to innovate. It might include noise filters or a basket of headphones, atmosphere, identifying people’s creative peaks (Hemingway liked to write at 3 a.m.), and suggesting uninterrupted “thinking time” be put in people’s schedules. The path to your creative zone and the people you lead is different for every person. Honoring the different paths is key.

Companies often say they want their employees to “think outside the box,” which is another way of saying they want them to be creative.

Speaking of thinking outside the box, there’s no better way to get the creative juices flowing than authoring a short story. K+L Storytellers does exactly that with its half-day workshop called Your Extraordinary Story™ for Corporate Innovators. We break down barriers to creativity through team story writing. A quote by George Saunders sums it up: “When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you.” Imagine what happens when authors collaborate and write one!

And about that colleague staring out the window with a dazed look? Now you know. They are really working — working at making your company better through creative thinking.

Manufacturing Growth to Rise Slightly Below US Economy in 2018

By Roderick Kelly

The US Economic growth trajectory is expected to continue near a 2 percent tortoise pace into 2018, barring any unforeseen shocks, with the manufacturing sector increasing a "little below" that percentage, based on economic data being used by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

That's not necessarily a bad situation, according to William A. Strauss, senior economist and economic advisor for the Chicago Fed. The moderate growth is occurring around the globe and across all sectors. “Because of that (moderate growth) the risk of recession is reduced," he said at the Valley Industrial Association's 2018 Economic Outlook breakfast.

Other economic points Strauss noted:

• The US is in its ninth year of expansion and could break the record of 120 consecutive expansion months.

• Employment increased by 2 million jobs over the past 12 months. Of those, manufacturers added 156,000 jobs year over year, which “is not an impressive gain historically.”

• Unemployment has fallen to 4.1 percent, with 25 percent of those unemployed have been so for more than six months.

• Wages grew by 2.5 percent (nominally) or by about 1 percent when taking inflation into account.

• The growth of manufacturing in the US is not expected to come from the automotive sector.

• The housing market is slowly coming back and is expected to be back to normal by 2020.

• The US economy is expected to expand at trend (2 percent) through 2020.

• Light vehicle sales will continue to edge lower through 2018.

• Inflation is expected to rise to the Fed’s inflation target next year with the possibility of one more rate hike this year (December) and a projected three more hikes in 2018.

In addition to these, Strauss is "hopeful" that manufacturers and other companies are in an "investment cycle," which can lead to higher productivity and growth.

The Age of Not Knowing Where You Are

By Roderick Kelly

On a recent trip to visit college campuses with our son, I had numerous conversations with people about where something was and how to get there.

To my surprise, most couldn't answer basic questions about their campus or direct us to where we needed to be. Some directed us to specifically-named buildings, which also was of no value to these campus novices.

"Just Google it" and "Use your phone" were two common refrains. But I didn't want my eyes glued to my phone., I wanted to take in the sights of the campus and hear the buzz of students as they shuffled from building to building.  

Then it dawned on me that young people have relied on technology to get them where they need to be. That's not in itself a bad thing. I get it and I love technology, but what's wrong with having a sense of direction?

At one point as I was driving around, I asked my son: "If the sun is setting on your left, what direction are you facing?" "Dad," he said, "Just look at the dashboard. It tells you what direction you're facing."

Argggh. 

Manufacturers Update Security Defenses Against Cyber Attacks

By Roderick Kelly

The ear-popping screeches came in two parts with a low shrill separating them, much like the sounds of a child when a door slams on their fingers and they suddenly realize the magnitude of what happened.

What the “H...E...double hockey sticks” is that? I remember shouting when a newly-installed facsimile machine announced its inaugural transmission. People scurried from all departments to hear that piercing, yet catatonic sound. Twenty sets of eyes stood over the machine that was tethered to a telephone jack, and we all waited many minutes for the 1,200-baud computer to spit out the final word of the single-page letter sent from one phone to another.

We were witnessing history.

Fast forward 30+ years. I was left similarly slack-jawed at the Valley Industrial Association Annual Collaboration Conference when I learned that some manufacturers and other companies are still using Windows 2003, XP and Vista operating systems in their offices, plants and on production lines. The manufacturing industry has the most Windows XP operating systems in motion, according to the 2016-17 Annual Threat Report by the Dell SonicWALL Global Response Inteligence Data.

But there’s an explanation for why some manufacturers are playing catch up. In 2007 and 2008, many manufacturers were in survival mode. As a result, information technology projects often were postponed. Ten years later, manufacturers still are experiencing side effects from the Great Recessions, says Philippe Schmitt, chief operating officer of motherG, a Chicago IT managed services provider that consults with manufacturers, service providers, associations and other businesses about cyber security.

Additionally, manufacturers may have aging lines of business applications and personal computer control equipment, such as data acquisition, production control, quality control and CNC Machining. Many manufacturers are working at updating aging on-premise servers, installing new software and upgrading aging applications, Schmitt says.

In the meantime, as mission critical technology replacements are undertaken, companies remain susceptible to cyber attacks and industrial espionage. Schmitt encourages (actually, he insists that) companies include the IT department on the senior executive team. That move can ensure an across-the-board understanding of protections required to insulate sensitive information and mission critical data from malicious cyber risks.

According to the SonicWall 2016-2017 annual report:

• Ransomware (a threat to publish sensitive information if a ransom is not paid) has become the predominant threat. In 1Q 2016, 30.9 million ransomware attempts were made and that jumped to 265.5 million attempts were made.
•  There were 7.3 trillion web connection s made in 2016, up 38% from the 5.3 trillion connections in 2015.
• 70% of the Distributed Denial of Service attacks occurred in the United States in 2016, which cost businesses an average of $22,000 per minute.

But manufacturers can reduce the cyber risk to their facilities by having a seat at the executive table and establishing a cyber security strategy, which Schmitt says includes:

1.  An internal compliance and risk assessment
2.  A well-designed cyber security protection plan
3.  The deployment of that plan
4.  Training of all employees on the plan
5.  Measuring the efficiency of the plan and improve upon it

So even though automation and technology has help increase production, improve delivery of content and make employees more accountable, it also opens a crack to potential criminal activity.

Moving forward keeps us from staying behind. Just like that day I witnessed history.

I’ve got to be honest. I’d welcome that two-toned screech emanating from the machine that translated 0''s and 1's that were delivered from one phone and received by another. Just once for old time sake.

How Manufacturers Can Benefit from Blogging

By Roderick Kelly

In many ways, US Manufacturers have long been at the forefront of innovation. Blogging is a great opportunity for them to share their creative spirit and accomplishments. Why? Because blogging increases customer engagement. According to an article published by Hubspot, B2B marketers that use blogs receive 67 percent more leads than those that do not.

A look back speaks volumes about how manufacturers have triumped in two major areas and why blogging is a great complement to both.

Over many decades, manufacturers have been leaders in automation, which can be traced to 1913 when Henry Ford introduced the assembly line and mass production. The time it took to produce one automobile dropped from 12 hours to 90 minutes.

Automation in manufacturing has come in many forms, from hydraulics to pneumatics to robotics and computers. With each new development, costs have been reduced and production has increased, resulting in quicker time to market, filling a customer need and greater company profits. These are excellent talking points in blogs.

Another area where manufacturers have excelled is in customer relationships. Whether it’s forming exclusivity agreements to produce original equipment or by just being that trusted friend. For generations, families of light trucks either purchased Chevrolet or Ford, but rarely crossed over. That customer affinity is a hallmark of manufacturing. Here again, blogs strengthen relationships.

Manufacturers, which rely so heavily on automation and loyalty, can use blogs as a quick and easy way to deliver a consistent message to customers and prospects. Another way to look at it: blogging and storytelling are really just new forms of automation -- using technology and artisanship (of content) to break new boundaries. This is no different than what manufacturers have done over the last century.

Like any new product, the first step is to figure out a blog strategy. What do you want your blog to accomplish? What will benefit your reader? What frequency will accomplish your goals? How will your blog support your mission? Once you have identified your approach, look at all your options. Blogs come in many formats:

  • Writing (anywhere from a few paragraphs to longer narratives)

  • Video and photo

  • Infographics

  • Audio podcast

  • How to’s and guides

  • Templates and checklists

  •Reference material and lists

In essence, blog posts are stories about your company, your people, your values, your products and your services. They provide regular touch points with target audiences that reinforce what your sales and business development teams are touting. They can help customers resolve issues they are dealing with now or on the horizon.

How does your manufacturing company use blogs?

For more information on how your blogs can be delivered in your voice and through your customers’ eyes, contact me at klgrod@gmail.com.

Where You Go, I Will Go

So honored to have been asked to write a poem for the Marmion Academy Mothers' Club Spring Luncheon. The composition entitled "Where You Go, I Will Go" gives tribute to the special relationship between mothers and sons and is thematically rooted in the Book of Ruth.

By Michele Kelly

 My son, my little one

“Where you go, I will go”

“Where you stay, I will stay”

Oh, Ruth, you knew

My son, my little one

Time plays tricks

Forever seems as endless as the sky

And the tiny violet your chubby hand so carefully picked just for me

I thought it would last forever

All those muddy knees

And little broken hearts

So many sidelines where I stood from afar

Watching you learn and grow, fail and triumph

Ruth, you knew

That little boys grow up to be young men

Brave and resolute and unwavering

Sons of our Lord, soldiers of Christ

Again, we return to the sidelines, the sidelines of our son’s life

We watch as he walks silently toward his purpose

My son, my little one

You will always be with me

Because a mother’s heart

Is a place where time does not exist

A place where love lives without condition or reason

My son, my little one

“Where you go, I will go”

“Where you stay, I will stay”

Forever remember this, my son

My little one