Morningstar Communications Luminary Blog

In my last post, I mentioned that the activities of the day were top secret. Since you are all curious, here are the details of our day.

The team was instructed to be ready to leave the office at 9:30 a.m. Several of us came in early to check email and voice mails. I think we were just too excited to sleep. Everyone received a T-shirt with our logo on it. After donning the treasured shirt we loaded into two cars. Destination: Town Center Plaza.

We all gathered around and I told them we were going on a scavenger hunt. All the clues were to be answered with a photo and they had to be in the order of the clues. No one was to go into any of the stores. No need to bother the people working or the shoppers while we were having fun. We divided into three teams. Everyone had the same clues, just in a different order. After receiving detailed instructions, the teams opened their 20 clues and took off through the parking lot.

Since the clues were written by me, I followed the teams with my camera hoping to get some great candid shots. Silly me. These people were VERY competitive. The photos I got were of feet, sidewalks, and backs of our teams running, yes running, to the next answer. It was great to see the team work and enthusiasm. People were sweaty and tired and had no time to talk to me. I did get several shoppers asking me what was up with all the blue shirts running around. They laughed when I explained and wished us luck.

Waiting at the final answer for the winning team was intense. Team Eric, Rachel and Holly came in first with Team Matt T., Tyler and Sheri coming in a close second. Team Shanny, Matt D. and Tricia came in a distant third. After comparing the clues to the photo answers, it was discovered that the first team to finish did not stay together the whole time as instructed. They were disqualified. Team Matt T., Tyler and Sheri won the hunt. They were very excited.

We stopped off for some frozen yogurt and smoothies on our way back to office where we dined on pizza for lunch. We played two heated rounds of Taboo and then came part two of the day.

We all participated in a CPR class and became certified. It was very interesting and rewarding. Now, if the situation ever presented itself, we could save someone's life. It took two hours and the possible return is priceless. There are pictures on our FaceBook page if you are interested.

It was a good day. Until next year...

A few weeks ago I blogged about what got termed “accidental networking.” I have picked up meaningful connections throughout my career, but I never had a formal plan for expanding my network.

Something clicked a couple years ago and made me think about how to be smarter about developing my professional network. One of the first things I did was reach out to KC/IABC and asked about volunteer opportunities. I was connected with Sara Miller who was in charge of the Bronze Quills and a few weeks later I was managing registration at the event. I had a great time and got to see a lot of people that I hadn’t seen for a while. A few weeks later, Sara called and asked if I was willing to take on an even larger role in the chapter and serve as her deputy for the 2010 Bronze Quills. I didn’t have to think very long. I knew it was something I wanted to do.

This year, I’ve taken on an even greater role in the chapter. I attended my first KC/IABC Board meeting last week and it was interesting to see how many of the other board members got involved the same way I did – just by expressing an interest in participating.

If you’re interested in getting to know a great group of people, test it out by volunteering a little of your time. It doesn’t have to be with IABC, there are dozens of organizations that offer exceptional professional development opportunities. However, I just happen to be looking for volunteers to assist with the 2011 Bronze Quills. I’d love to have you join the committee. I have openings at all levels of involvement. It’s possible you’ll find it as valuable as I did and stick around.

There are three places called Kansas City.

The first two are the actual cities in Kansas and Missouri. They specifically include the legal and political boundaries of those municipalities.

The third one is the place more than two million people call home when someone outside of the metropolitan area asks them where they live. When I’m in Chicago, Jerusalem or Florence, Kansas City is my “home.” I call it the “Big K” Kansas City.

Both of these descriptions accurately define the places called Kansas City. But just as Obi-Wan Kenobi explained in Star Wars, “Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view.”

Our own personal point-of-view depends on how each of us sees our city.

But understand there are two realities to consider: the political and legal boundaries versus the market boundaries, as Michael Gallas explained to several hundred civic leaders last month during the recent Kansas City Revealed conference.

Market forces disregard most political boundaries. Businesses barely consider political boundaries when referring to a “local” market. Watersheds, traffic patterns and criminals don’t adhere to political boundaries either. I mean seriously, it’s not smart business for both Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri to have their own water treatment plants that empty into the same place on the same river. I’d like to think we can do a better job as we plan for the future of the “Big K” Kansas City?

So, what is your primary image when you hear Kansas City – is it just the city, or the whole metropolitan area?

Most of us consider The Royals, Chiefs and Wizards as our hometown teams, regardless of which city we actually live in. And, it’s our Plaza, Truman Library, Power & Light District, Speedway, airport and Union Station.

It will be easier to focus our efforts on greater Kansas City as we move forward because both The Chamber and Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) will move their headquarters into adjoining space at Union Station at the end of this year.

(Photo was contributed to the American Institute of Architects by Yakov Brodsky)

Kansas City saved Union Station from the wrecking ball back in 1996. Voters in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson County in Kansas approved a one-eighth of a cent bi-state sales tax to restore and redevelop Union Station and create a science museum. The tax raised $118 million toward the total $250 million project. The remaining money was raised through private donations and federal funds. The passage of the bi-state tax is thought to be the first of its kind in the history of the United States.

We worked across all political lines to completely refurbish the station and return this jewel to prominence among our city’s treasures. It worked. We brought new life to a historic and integral part of our city’s legacy.

Not so long ago, Union Station served as the jumping-off point to help defend and preserve our future. I believe Union Station will do that once again.

It serves as greatest single “proof point” of regional cooperation.
Place Matters. Context Matters. And Union Station is simply spectacular.

We saved Union Station. We improved it. And when thousands of people “meet” in Union Station in the normal course of business at The Chamber and KCADC, this special, physical space will help empower every one of us to transcend traditional political boundaries to make decisions that will propel the entire Kansas City metropolitan area.

I’m exceptionally optimistic Union Station will quickly become THE Center for Community Collaboration. Union Station belongs to everyone who calls Kansas City home. Numerous other civic groups are considering a similar move to Union Station. Whether they move offices or not, their voices will be heard in Union Station.

Obi-Wan was right: As we reinforce the new role of Union Station as THE Center for Community Collaboration, every place called Kansas City benefits.

Onward and upward.

Yesterday, I attended KC/IABC’s  monthly professional development lunch at Brio on the Country Club Plaza. These lunches are always fantastic networking opportunities combined with good food and great learning from our speakers. Yesterday we were lucky enough to have Nate Hancock*, leadership development consultant and facilitator for Black & Veatch University Corporate College, share tips on how you can tap into your potential, become a leader in your organization, and grow professionally.

*Quick note for sports fans, Nate’s father, Bill Hancock is executive director of a small organization you might have heard of. It’s called the Bowl Championship Series, or BCS.

As Nate discussed key competencies and how you can recognize your own, one example he shared stood out as something I think all professional communicators should value. This is the concept of strategic agility. Sounds like quite the corporate buzzword, but drill down and take a look at its meaning. For me, strategic agility means adaptability. It looks at how well you can adjust when things go awry. And they will.

For example, our team recently handled a major rebranding announcement for a client. We contacted a top-tier media outlet and arranged an embargoed story. The story was scheduled to run on a Monday. Friday afternoon, we get a call from a media outlet in the client’s home city asking about a cryptic story the reporter had just seen online. Turns out the media outlet broke our embargo (accidentally, but still broke) and published a story devoid of major details about the rebrand.

Now, faced with a situation like this, you can panic and exacerbate the problem, or you can adapt and, as the phrase goes, use the lemon to make lemonade. Our team was able to hustle and inform the client (their website wasn’t even live yet), get correct information to puzzled media and generally gain back control over a situation gone bad.

I’m sure there are many horror stories about similar situations out there. Feel free to share your best, or worst. Or, share what characteristic you think is most important for professional communicators.

In public relations we are told to do good and talk about it. Personally, that’s not my style so, instead, I’d like to talk about something good that a client, cargo largo, is doing.

Frequently, the challenge with companies choosing a charity is to find something that concerns the community. Dee Pack, president and CEO of cargo largo discovered that there are an estimated 700 students in the Independence School District who are considered homeless. With that, he and cargo largo created cargo for kids, a nonprofit initiative to help those kids get the right tools they need for success. The campaign will culminate with a daylong backpack stuffing party at the store.

This is great for a lot of reasons. First, kids who need help, get help. Second, cargo largo gets to engage their employees in the charity, thus, improving internal public relations. Third, the public – cargo largo’s customers, neighbors and community members – get to take part in the fun by donating their time to the stuffing and giving back to the community. Finally, sponsors such as Lafarge North America are involved by donating their resources to the cause.

This campaign does so much more than provide a quick fix and a photo op. It is rooted deep in both the geographical and business community. With so many touch points, it is sure to raise awareness about this troubling issue.

**It is cargo largo's brand style not to capitalize its name.

I recently enjoyed a second hardhat tour of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It will be amazing…a true world-class venue that will house The Kansas City Symphony, The Lyric Opera and The Kansas City Ballet, as well as dozens of other shows annually.

The Center itself is a nearly 285,000-square-foot facility with two performance venues: the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre and the 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall. It is sure to become the newest architectural icon for Kansas City and will be counted among the finest performing arts centers.

Scheduled to open in Fall, 2011, the construction is 71% complete and the fundraising is 90% done. In addition to traditional donations, there are two innovative giving vehicles to “name” a seat and have a child’s handprint immortalized on The Children’s Wall. Please help, as you can.

Featuring a 5,548 piece pipe organ, innovative acoustics, and the grand lobby (pictured here looking through what will be the glass wall with vistas of Webster House and Crown Center), the international acclaim for this Moshe Safdie-led design team is already underway.

I can hardly wait for the performances to begin.  And I’ll leave my hardhat at home.

Onward and upward.

As the devastation in Haiti has caused us all to examine what’s important in our personal lives, it has also caused us to look for ways we can use our core business skills and practices to help those in need. Commonly referred to as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), evolving a business focus so it simultaneously supports public interest is a booming trend across the business community.

Some will disagree, but I believe it is up to all of us to leave our community and the world better than we found it. And more times than not, it is our business savvy and resources that allow us all to do so.

Take for instance the way the wireless industry has banded together to allow customers to text “Haiti” to 90999  in order to donate directly to the American Red Cross. The adoption of mobile giving has raised nearly $30 million in relief funds for Haiti. Many wireless carriers have provided this service free of charge, because it’s a simple way they can use business infrastructure to serve a common goal.

And beyond providing services that enhance a greater cause, CSR is also about taking responsibility for a business’ impact on society. We all leave a mark somehow, so it’s important to find a way to repair the damage we cause, often through sustainability practices.

But don’t assume CSR comes at the cost of successful business – at its core a good CSR policy should bolster your bottom line and the community at once. Yes, there are critics of this type of business practice, but at the end of the day if any person or company is striving to better our community then I’m all about it.

Business schools are teaching it, global enterprises are adopting it. To learn more about CSR I recommend visiting the CSRwire and reading the 2009 Year in Review.