Morningstar Communications Luminary Blog

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.

We all play several roles in our lives. However, many of these roles create a conflict of interest. My roles include being a husband, father, son, sibling, friend, business owner, civic leader, a lay leader in the Jewish community, a Kansas Citian (who, by-the-way, lives and located our business in Overland Park), an industry and professional leader, etc…

It’s hard to always know which role comes first. And each situation demands a different priority.

In balance with my family, my goal is to make a positive difference with enthusiasm and integrity in four areas: our company, the Kansas City community, the marketing and communications profession and Judaism.

But sometimes, those loyalties cause conflict.

Today’s example comes from a recent Board Meeting for The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. We discuss big issues that have a huge impact on our entire community. These issues range from education to transportation to crime, while sprinkling in much conversation about policies, development, collaboration and engagement.

One recent, contentious topic had board members choosing sides. And then one of our colleagues made an impassioned appeal that helped sway many opinions. On one hand, that’s exactly how due process should work. But upon reflection, this person may have had re-ordered their loyalties for this specific discussion.

My friend, Rick Hughes, the President & CEO of the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association, explained his concept of “First Loyalties.” He says we all have many responsibilities, but each of us owes it to organizations that we serve to be sure we always put our “first loyalty” to the mission of that respective organization. In other words, when we’re at a Chamber board meeting, or any other board meeting, our roles as individual business owners must be subservient to our “first” loyalty to help that organization make the best decisions based on its purpose, even if this is contrary to what would be best for our individual businesses.

Rick’s point makes great sense to me, and I’m proud to share it with you in this blogpost. I used to say that I wore many “hats” and I had to be sure I was sporting the proper headgear for each moment. Rick has a better way to approach these challenges. Instead of taking off one hat and putting on another, I will now keep all of those hats with me 24 x 7, and will simply re-sequence my headwear.
Thanks, Rick, for sharing your great perspective, and helping me ensure that I am “first” with the proper loyalties at all times.

I hope this post helps you to consciously determine your “first” loyalty in each situation.

Onward and upward.

Chinese Symbol for Loyalty

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.

There’s only one quote on display in my office: “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do. Do it now.”

Too many people think that trust comes as a byproduct of exposure and awareness. Not true. (Trust, according to Dictionery.com, is the culmination of reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.) Whether you’re positioning your business or yourself, trust is the gateway to success. Without the trust of your customers, clients, and employees, how successful do you think you’d really be?

So, how do we gain trust? Through actions, not just words. And definitely not with promises. Trust is earned by deeds.

You build trust by what you’ve done, not by what you’re going to do.

Our clients hire us to grow their business or organization. We help them grow through a wide variety of marketing and communications activities, and, as we build their brands, we push them along the path towards trust.

There is a four-step path to creating a position of trust. While this applies to all business and personal relationships, it’s perhaps easier to understand if we talk about a particular (fictitious) Italian restaurant, Anthony’s.

It’s time to decide where to go for dinner. If you’ve never heard of Anthony’s (awareness), you have zero chance of going there for dinner. But awareness is only the first of four steps.

Once you’ve heard of Anthony’s, the question becomes one of familiarity: what do you know about Anthony’s? Do they have a diverse wine list? Live music on the weekends? Eggplant Parmesan to die for? When someone mentions Anthony’s, what comes to mind? That’s familiarity.

But familiarity is still not enough. The next step is getting into the final selection set (consideration). “Do you want to go to ABC, DEF or Anthony’s for dinner,” she asked. Once you’re in their consideration set, you have a chance of getting them as customers. You’re making headway, but the magic happens when you attain the final level.

“Let’s go to Anthony’s tonight…I know we’ll have a great dining experience,” she said. That’s trust. When you finally attain the default position, you have arrived. This special moment happens when your prospects already know that you are their best choice, before they call for reservations. Isn’t that exactly how we want all of our prospects to think: we are their best choice?

There are many other great Italian restaurants. Some are fancy with big wine lists; some have red-and-white plastic checkered tablecloths and table wine pre-poured in carafes. No two are exactly alike. But when the phone rings for reservations, you have won.

Build your reputation by doing, not just talking about it. And, when the time comes, your prospects will call you for reservations.

Onward and upward.

The best editor in the world, our own SVP Sheri Johnson, has coached me dozens of times during the past ten years to avoid linking verbs (is, be, am…) like the plague.

She’s right. They are wimpy verbs, particularly when crafting persuasive copy. Active verbs bring life and vibrancy to the written word.

But as far as a wish, or a state-of-mind, I beg to differ with my esteemed colleague.

Be well – What a powerful phrase.

Be well. It’s instructive. Each of us should “live” each day in the present tense, and not dwell about the past or worry too much about the future. Today is all we know we have, and all we can impact right now.

Be well. It’s a salutation. There’s no greater gift than peace and contentment. Telling someone to “be well” is both a suggestion and an aspiration.

Be well. It’s an affirmation of life. Looking at the world from the “glass half full” point-of-view gives us a positive mental outlook as we meet life’s challenges.

Rabbi Mark Levin once mentioned that he thought people may have been mis-named. We’re called, “human beings.” But more often than not, we’re more like “human doings.” All day long, we “do, do, do.” He implored us to find time to just “be” instead of always “doing.”

The importance of reflection and thoughtfulness sometimes gets lost in the everyday, frenetic pace of business. I often find that my best insight comes when I let the solutions bubble up to my conscious mind – being, instead of when I focus my efforts on it – doing.

So, with all of that, I’ll end this post with a simple wish to all of you: Be well.

Onward and upward.

 As much as we’d like it, you can’t give credit to the marketers and communicators for creating the meteoric rise of social media.

Even as a collective, our industry simply doesn’t have the clout to create such a powerful new toolset.

Nope. Think bigger, and think about your mobile “phone,” and the people you “call.”

Social media will stay because of the fundamental evolution in both technology and sociology.

Most of us now carry a portable personal digital assistant (PDA).  We used to call this device a cell phone or mobile phone.  Today’s device not only provides voice connections virtually anywhere in world, but many of us have a device that also connects us via texting, email, our calendar and database, a camera (perhaps even video), speedy internet access, and a host of productive and fun “apps.”

Virtually none of us had such a mobile device just five years ago.  Back then, we were happy if we could get our phone to work inside buildings. Imagine what the “phone” or PDA of 2015 will be able to do!

Now, think about how “trust” has evolved in the last five years. At an all-time low for many traditional sources,  people simply don’t trust corporate America, elected officials, sports team owners, celebrities, etc

We used to listen to whomever the experts dubbed as a trustworthy source. Not anymore

The most trusted source today is “people like me.”  (While I’d like to think everyone is actually “like me,” the phrase really creates a reference set for each one of us).

“We” go to Mommy bloggers (the number one source of information for new Moms), look up information in Wikipedia (not the official encyclopedia), and visit YouTube to learn how to do just about anything.

We can connect today with virtually anyone or anything at anytime.  Consider this connectivity in conjunction with those we trust.  When you blend these two trends, you quickly realize why social media is here to stay.

But which social media tools will stand the test of time?

Two years ago, we’d be discussing MySpace and Second Life.  Today, the conversation encompasses Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.  In a few years, it will be “new and improved” social networking tools.  The tools will continue to evolve, as they always have. But those cows aren’t going back in the barn.

People will continue to embrace enhanced PDAs at the same time we expand our social networking to connect with even more people “like us.”

Today’s businesses and organizations simply must have an active presence in social media.  Pretty soon, your absence will be quite noticeable (remember the businesses who were late to building their initial websites in the late 1990s?

As traditional media crumbles, it’s the social media space where today’s conversations are happening.

It’s time to adopt this four-step process to move forward with social media:

Observe.  Participate.  Create.  Integrate.

Everyone can do it.  And very likely, there’s a part of the social media spectrum that’s right for you and your organization.  Do your research.  Ensure your presence focuses on achieving a business goal and embrace the change.

Your competitors are there.  Your friends are there.  Virtually everyone needs to be there.

Social media is here to stay.

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http://www.cool-cellphones.com/mobile-news/mobile-phone-evolution.html

 Numerous components make up an effective communications program. In the past, the best planning always started with the intended recipient at the forefront, i.e., the “target audiences” or “key influencer groups” or the like.

Not anymore.

It’s time we all stopped focusing on “target audiences” and start communicating with the People Who Matter Most.

First of all, the phrase, “target audiences” doesn’t test well with target audiences. No surprise. None of us want to be viewed as an audience; we all expect to be treated as individuals.

In fact, it’s human nature to resist being lumped into a group. I’m actually a lot of things: an entrepreneur, a marketer, a communicator, a Kansas City advocate, an Overland Park resident, a husband, father, brother and son, a KU alum and a die-hard Chiefs and Royals fan. All of those make for convenient “target audiences”…but please don’t just put me inside a group and think “one-size-fits-all” outbound communications will work for me as well as others.

The fundamental power of the renaissance underway in the communications industry is that we are no longer relegated to one-way communications from a corporate entity to a “group.” Now, it’s all about engaging conversation, creating influence and preference, and interactive communications; witness the meteoric rise of social media.

Change your approach. Stop thinking mass distribution as your primary communications method. One-to-many simply isn’t very effective in today’s world.

Instead, talk directly with the People Who Matter Most (employees, customers / clients, investors, suppliers / distributors, influencers, community, industry, etc…) on an individualized basis and everyone wins. With a clear message, you connect with the people who matter most, and change attitudes or behaviors.

This change won’t happen overnight. But if you start focusing on “people” and not “target audiences,” you’ll be much farther ahead.

Onward and upward.