I became a fan of Detroit by leaving

Sometimes you just have to take a break. I didn’t realize that until after I had taken that much-needed time away from defending my home town. I define my “home town” as Detroit, even though I grew up in Royal Oak, a suburb just north of Detroit, back in the 70s and 80s. Royal Oak was a ghost town with a few die-hard businesses like Frentz and Sons Hardware, Hagelstein’s Bakery, the Kite Shop and a lonely Baskin Robin’s 31 Flavors on the corner.

Political corruption and economic downturns had grown a huge helplessness in me.

“I can’t change anything.”

So, after years of thinking that way, we decided to leave, and “go where the jobs are.” Unfortunately, with strong automotive backgrounds, we naturally and subconsciously followed the automotive industry. From that view, the move didn’t work out so well, as the most recent downturn left no automotive town unscathed. Greenville, South Carolina, weathered that downturn well because it’s core business is not automotive. But, all that growth has basically contracted, leaving Greenville where it was a few years ago, which isn’t a bad place at all. But, for all of us “automotive people,” we’ve had to move on in one form or another. We spent two years in Greenville, and we learned a ton. Mostly, that we love Detroit.

We love Greenville, definitely.

The public schools are the best I’ve seen, handling the drain that poverty creates and accelerated programs in the same buildings gracefully. Greenville schools know how to recruit and retain excellent teachers, young and old. They’ve also mastered a way to bridge between “regular” public schools and charter schools with a “magnet” concept that overlays a specialization for a school that’s at risk for losing students to other schools-of-choice initiatives. For example, our local elementary school was also a magnet school with a fine/performing arts focus. Being an urban school, it was losing students in the 90s, and downtown Greenville was growing a strong performing arts center that partnered with the school to develop ways to integrate the arts into everyday lesson plans; the school district secured funding for a drama teacher and a dance teacher. Now, students compete for the magnet slots each year. The school still has a “residency area” it serves, like any other public school, so the number of new magnet slots offered is calculated after the residency requirements are met.

Downtown is a model for revitalization. They started with a 20-year plan, and executed. It didn’t go perfectly, but they kept at it. I won’t pretend to know what planners and the community went through to do so much of this work, because we were only there for two years. But, from what I understand, it took many people to transform what used to be what we’d call “downtown Pontiac” or “Flint” into a thriving community with a strong arts community and developing business community. The downtown park is spectacular. If you’ve read previous posts here, you’ve seen pictures of the Reedy River Falls, which run through downtown. The Liberty Bridge spans the river, and the park surrounding all this is a constant in downtown life. A local theater group stages summer Shakespeare performances for free.

Okay, so why do we still love Detroit? Because for how enamored we are with all the great things in Greenville, we realized that Detroit has them. It’s just more spread-out geographically. And, frankly, after taking a break from defending Detroit and the automotive industry, I’m ready to actually do something. It helps that I learned that no matter what the situation is, I can do something.

Stuff I did that I didn’t think I could do:

• Invite neighbors over for Thanksgiving dinner.
• Become a Library Clerk and help kids develop a love of reading.
• Serve on (and chair!) a School Improvement Council.
• Coach a LEGO robotics team.
• Be a backstage wrangler of child actors.
• Knit baby booties to be auctioned to support school funding.
• Help promote a new chiropractic office by creating a place for local artists to display their work.
• Help Cinderella do a quick change into a ball gown in under 30 seconds.
• Lend a good word to support local businesses and products.

Now I know I love this city and I know I can do stuff. Normally I would want a plan. Tough. I didn’t have a plan for the things I did in Greenville. Heck, I don’t even really remember how I got involved in most of the things on that list. I knew I wanted my son to have a LEGO robotics team; one didn’t exist, so we created one. I think I had a moment of madness during the PTA meeting when I volunteered to chair the School Improvement Council. But, at least I was at the meeting, right? Maybe the geography made it easier for me to dive in. After all, we lived one mile outside of downtown. The elementary school was four blocks away. But this is the Motor City, right? Let’s use those motors! Insert all the motivational crap you hear every day, and put it to use. I don’t need to repeat it, right?

I’m not sure what changed for me, specifically, that moved me to start doing stuff.  For sure, the less excuses we have, the better. But, there were still obstacles in Greenville, too. Sometimes that fabulous school district drove me nuts by stonewalling the effort to get a Mandarin teacher into my son’s middle school. And do you know how long it took the city to figure out that they should put recycling bins downtown? Too long. And now there’s a fight over a Waffle House that’s being built in an area that doesn’t want it. Not to mention the people scoffing up the property surrounding the developing Kroc Center, driving up taxes for the people who haven’t sold their homes.

When you stay long enough in paradise, you realize it has flaws, too. And maybe that’s at the root of the lesson I had to learn. I can pine away for a more perfect city in which to live, but it’s not going to bring me that satisfaction I seek. So, Detroit, you’re stuck with me. Except, this time, I have some ideas and some motivation.

People who DO stuff

It started while pondering one of the questions Stephanie Tardy had to handle from the Time Detroit Project reporter. Stephanie was being interviewed before the Detroit Urban Craft Fair (DUCF), and one of the questions asked, “Are you part of this ‘Creative Class’ that is supposed to save Detroit?”

Stephanie shared that question with me before answering. We had a great discussion on how people can talk problems to death without actually doing something about it. Others simply get down to the doing. Crafters do. Sometimes crafters do things to make money. Sometimes they do things to express themselves. Sometimes no one but the crafter knows the motivation. But crafters can DO stuff.

Before I read Stephanie’s answer in the Time Detroit Project blog, I had a moment. Driving to work. Stopped by a school bus. The bus stop had only two people: a girl, and an adult, clad in work clothes. As the girl boarded the bus, he hugged her and turned around. It was Grandpa. Or, at least an old face with a white beard and hands that have done a ton of work. He does stuff. And he’s there to make sure that girl gets on the bus safely. Because people who do stuff make sure people are okay. And there’s something about such a strong stock of people.

Stephanie’s answer and this man at the bus stop collided in my head. The people I choose to respect are those that DO stuff. That personal truth had never been more clear for me than at that moment. The choices I’ve made and the people I admire are based on this truth, whether I’ve been consciously aware of it or not.

I can’t share with you a photo of the man at the bus stop, but you can read Stephanie’s answer to the “Creative Class” question here: http://detroit.blogs.time.com/2009/11/19/a-creative-look-at-detroit/

Falling or flowing?

Reedy River Falls on Easter Sunday

Sure the water falls over the rocks, but it flows on. When you feel yourself falling, wait for the flowing.

Calling an end to Twitter’s Follow Friday madness

Silly String your mom! It's just as effective.

Damien Basile just wrote this great post on why Twitter’s Follow Friday (#followfriday) is completely anti-social. I totally agree. Please, go read his article. While I’ve been thinking that something about Follow Friday is off, I want to make sure he gets credit for spelling it out so succinctly.

So, we started chatting about why Follow Friday just isn’t the right approach. Doug Cone and I both felt like we participated because we knew people who were recommending us, and we appreciated that. They have the best in mind. Eric Miltsch elaborated on how to make #followfriday more effective.

Okay, I’m going to take it one step further. Before Follow Friday, I used to simply notice that two people were talking about similar stuff, or that one had the answer another for which another was looking. It doesn’t take much to craft a 140-character message that says, “Hey, @person1, you really need to meet @person2, because…”

Heck, Dr. Bernard Harris met Converge Magazine by my meager Twitter introduction, and now there’s an article in Converge Mag on Dr. Harris’s work bringing science workshops to middle schools. It works much better that way, because social media operates exactly the same way as any other social interaction.

Please stop shouting your advertisements at everyone, and simply wait for the right opportunity to make the introduction.

We learn by watching. Now lead the way!

Everyone needs a role model.

If you think you can come up with every great idea on your own, good luck. Sure, you’ll come up with a few, but eventually you’ll need to lean on someone. Make sure you find the right person who will help you clarify what you want to do and how to get there. Even if that person doesn’t know he’s doing it. (Chris had no idea how much impact he had on Garret during the SC Children’s Theatre’s production of Cinderella. Thanks, Chris.)

Memorial Day gratitude

Colonel William Moultrie's grave, Fort Moultrie, Charleston SC (2009)

Style guides aren’t just for logos

I can drive people crazy when they ask me to read over their copy. Detail oriented? You bet. I even went out on a limb and told people that, yes, punctuation matters in your blog posts. Most people assume that I’m just that way because I’m a perfectionist. Some days I’d accept that title, until you see my desk.

My bend for consistency has a minor point and a major point. On the minor side, junky punctuation or inconsistent capitalization is simply distracting to read, whether you’re conscious of it or not. How you punctuate a sentence dictates how it’s read.

The bigger view of consistency is intention. Those very punctuation marks can make the difference between a whisper and a scream; a non-chalant mention of a fact or a very dramatic stand on a soap box. You can craft a statement with drama in one case, but then bring it up again and it’s just a whisper if you’re not consistent. And there’s a difference between doing this as a device to create an emotion, but most likely the inconsistency is unintentional, and can have unexpected results.

Heck, this even goes beyond good spelling and punctuation. Preserve your tone so that you don’t sound like a punk one day and a Harvard snob the next. Okay, that’s a bit extreme, but you get the point. Diversity is great, but for most forms of communication, you want to maintain a similar tone and timbre throughout. I’ve mostly worked with communication “campaigns,” where sounding the same from message to message is critical, as in an advertising campaign. But this holds true for most communication. The idea of a style guide comes from the land of publishing, and it’s a very valid concept for business and blogging as well.

The most familiar style guide is the one I was taught in college: The Associated Press Style Guide, or AP Style Guide. There’s the more formal style guide for book publishing, the Chicago Manual of Style. News agencies usually have their own version of the AP Style Guide, or a completely custom version. For fun, I like to read the entries of The Economist Style Guide. I can’t explain it; you simply have to run over there and see for yourself. Danged funny and gets the point across quite well.

How does a style guide work in business communication? I have a couple great examples from corporate publishing. Both involve big companies that have “divisions,” and have evolved into what some call “silos.” Essentially, there are multiple brand managers, each responsible for how his or her own brand is expressed. Sure, there are inherent problems on an organizational level, but this creates an additional issue when the company as a whole wants to communicate something that applies to all brands.

For General Motors, the challenge was to communicate its sustainability plan for the entire company. Lots of smart people had already begun the mind meld and shared best practices on how to run manufacturing facilities efficiently, with very little waste. Unfortunately, they all talked about their efforts in many different ways. It made sense for facilities in Brazil to speak differently of waste than those facilities in the U.S. With some feedback from a non-profit organization that grades corporate sustainability reports, GM was able to spot ways to speak consistently throughout the report. While having diverse voices may seem like a good thing, the report was stronger when the diversity was communicated through the actions reported, rather than sounding like 50 people were talking all at once.

GM, with the help of a top-notch public relations firm, did a great job at establishing a set of guidelines for when to explain jargon in context, and when to relegate explanatory content to a call-out or end notes. The result was a report that impressed the unified front the company has adopted to reduce carbon emissions and waste in manufacturing facilities, but also appreciates how differences in economy, environment and social climate resulted in creative thinking to solve problems unique to each location. A style guide pulls common threads throughout multiple stories and creates a cohesive message, rather than a scattered set of stories.
Another company had the same challenge, different audience, but a much worse starting point. Given the same organizational structure, a lighting company realized that many of its products already were “green,” long before it was cool to be so. It sounded like a great idea to create a web site and brochures to present certain products from multiple brands, illustrating how these particular products reduce energy use. The agency charged with writing the materials spotted a problem right away, but couldn’t quite put their finger on what it was. At first glance, the differences in how products are detailed jumped out at me. Sure, it’s a minor consistency thing that can be fixed, but after some coaching, we all saw how the tone and style changed throughout the content. Sure, one brand of fixtures was targeted to industrial buildings, while another was targeted to hospitals and civil installations. Finding a common ground on sustainability footing helped shore up all the content.

Ideally, you’d start with a style guide. But, if you’ve found yourself with meandering content, try creating an abbreviated guide. Start with a goal for how you’d like to communicate. While a publishing style guide is much more rigorous than what I’m about to outline, start with something. A style guide grows as you more clearly define your… yes, style.

• Set some standards for tone and voice. Use samples of what you like and don’t like, even if you don’t have words to describe yet.
• Catalog language the company has already established into categories of “like” and “don’t like.” At Quicken Loans, they are passionate about not using the term, “department.” Instead, everyone is a “team.”
• Take a stand on variations. Do you want to use “website,” “web site” or “Web site”? No one really cares, as long as you’re consistent.
• Start with an existing guides, and consider adopting one, then customizing with your own specific entries. A wiki is a great place to do this. Simply reference the starting guide, then add entries on the wiki as you canonize them. Be sure everyone knows where to find the starting guide.
• Document all industry-specific terms, and include definitions. Include exact spelling, capitalization, punctuation and word order. Be sure to document all trademarks and registration marks owned by your company.
• Use your style guide to root out jargon. Establish ways to define jargon, and when to be “educational,” explaining terms that might be unfamiliar to your reader.

This may sound like an exercise in stating the obvious, but when you have large amounts of content, it will definitely help keep you on track. It is easier than you think to change tone, voice, usage and consistency as you write and edit copy. And don’t think that you should be the only person writing and editing! Everyone needs an editor, and establishing a guide will help an editor both focus on your goals and provide a great outside perspective on whether or not you’re really meeting them.

Authentic. Passionate. Friend. Brains on Fire.

Sure, you go to a “seminar” and get all fired up to do whatever it is you’re supposed to do. But have you ever spent a day with true kindred spirits and walked away knowing that you’re supposed to be doing exactly what you’re doing? I just spent the day with a bunch of really smart people. No, I didn’t spend the day learning how to do a new thing, but I learned a ton. There were no tips, tricks or fixes. Simply a bunch of smart people sharing what has worked for them and what hasn’t. That’s the Brains on Fire FIRE Sessions. 

This year, we were treated to a wonderful surprise: We met on the stage of the Peace Center! If you’ve never been on a stage, this is the place to first experience. Olivier and I took a moment to appreciate the view of the seats and balconies, and marveled at how close people would feel if the seats were filled. Not an intimidating close, but intimate. The stage was significant for me, because the stage can signal fear for many. And we talked about fear a lot today. Fear of engaging in conversations. Fear of losing control. Fear of the unknown.

Geno Church challenged us to let go of traditional definitions of ROI. We all know that investing money, especially today, is scary. And, so, many look to the numbers for a guarantee that the money will be spent well. But, with all the “trust numbers” showing that real people trust companies less than they ever have, companies need to rethink marketing as rebuilding trust through conversations. Then, redefine ROI with more intrinsic measures of success. Dare to do it. Don’t be afraid.

Big lesson: Talk. And listen. You might learn something more valuable than tracking leads.

Jake McKee of Ant’s Eye View spoke of his days with LEGO, building online and offline communities that had a direct line of communication with LEGO. Looking at LEGO today, it’s hard for me to remember that LEGO operated like “Fort Business,” with no consumer communication coming in or going out. I know the LEGO that gladly accepts photos of my kids’ creations, even though not one has made LEGO Magazine yet. I also know the LEGO that has created some fabulous games and the model maker that we all love to play.

LEGO has come a long way by thinking of itself as a company with a higher calling: Providing a creative medium. They also took another look at their “numbers” a bit differently, and found that a market they had been marginalizing (ages 18+) actually spent a lot more on LEGO sets than they thought. That’s why you’re now seeing bigger, more complicated sets focused on things like Star Wars. People at LEGO had to work very hard to change their mindset not only about the adult vs. child markets, but also about the value of “weird” people who dress in character and spend big bucks on a child’s toy. Jake talked a lot about how long it took to change people’s minds, but he kept at it. And he had a VP behind him, willing to support him and back him up. Two necessary ingredients for making change happen among fearful people.

Big lesson: LEGO went from struggling financially to doing better than it dreamed during the same period of time it shed the fear of talking and listening to its customers. Coincidence?

The Fiskars Fiskateers are crafting rock stars. Really. The top five Fiskateers shared how people drive hours to meet them at product demonstrations. Yes, these women are passionate about their craft, and just happen to sometimes use Fiskars products. The amazing part is that these women (are there any male Fiskateers?) are not required to show any Fiskars products. They are not exclusive to Fiskars. And they can say anything they want, including whether a Fiskars product stinks. Scary? You bet! But it works. The Fiskateers already loved Fiskars products before they became brand ambassadors, so naturally they will show off Fiskars products when it makes sense. And because it happens naturally, people adore these women. They’re honest, and Fiskars is selling more products because of the Fiskateers.

Big lesson: Yes, people will jump up and down and scream and shout good stuff about you. Even if they look weird doing it.

Mr. Made To Stick, Dan Heath, talked about sticky ideas. Sure, you can read his book, but it’s different hearing his tales in the context of the FIRE Sessions. We’ve talked about fear and letting go, and getting in on the conversation. Dan helped us figure out what makes a good “how.” Emotion triggers conversation. Use that emotion. What’s behind it? Passion. “Passion is easily squandered.” Yup, that’s a quote from Dan. Figure out how to connect through that passion, and give people a clear way to respond.  So many “campaigns” fail, despite the assumption that it has a crafty “call to action.” There is no one way to choose a next step, but think in terms of showing people how to behave, you’re on the right track. Oh, and don’t forget the Curse of Knowledge when showing them how to behave. Grab the book. It’s better that way. Finally, don’t try to be everything to everyone, because you’ll alienate them all. Dan used a great saying he heard long ago: “If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.” Suddenly I’m thinking of a certain purple cow. (Or, as Olivier might say, a purple splotch.)

Big lesson: Know who you are and stay true to it. Have a heart, share it, and use that to bring people along with you. Don’t forget to show them the way, and give them a great reason to follow you.

After a fabulous coffee break with West End Coffee brewed on the spot, Jake McKee, Dan Heath, Susanne Fanning from Fiskars and Jamie Plesser from Best Buy joined Geno Church and Carol Reese Rage Against the Haze on the couches to talk about building communities. 

Fans vs. friends: Fans will shout, “I love you!” all the way home. Friends will tell you when you have spinach in your teeth. Build your community with friends.

Hearing the bad stuff (Susanne Fanning): You gotta hear the bad stuff. Really. You think you’re in control. Control of your comfort and economic stability. Really, you’re not. You can regain some of that control by joining the conversation.

On finding community leaders: Rage Against the Haze hand-picks teenagers that are willing to stand up in the face of opposition and stick by a pledge to resist smoking, drinking and drugs. Carol is gentle, but pushes to test resolve when interviewing in person. Susanne said that 60-65% of requests to become a Fiskateer fall off when they get the email asking why they want to become a Fiskateer. It wasn’t intended to be a deliberate barrier to entry, but rather to get to know each and every Fiskateer. Jake was glad to hear that there weren’t any automated processes.

Does a community really need a leader? Absolutely. There is no way to manage communication between the community and the right people within the company. Remember “Fort Business”? Jake adds that the natural tendency for any human is to default to needs of the self and the company first. The community manager steps in to ensure that the community doesn’t get left out. Draw the line and preserve the relationship. Besides, just because you’re done with one implementation project for the community doesn’t mean you’re “done.” Always look to improvement.

These are tactics that speak to a bigger movement: changing the inner-workings of a company to think about customers as a community, not as a number. It’s a huge shift, but it can be done. Jake had some great tactics for involving people from all walks of a company, and the end goal is to engage people “inside” with people “outside.” Eventually the culture of community builds.

Last year, I attended the FIRE Sessions as a “corporate insider,” evaluating Brains on Fire. It didn’t work out with that particular employer at the time, but they invited me back this year. I’m not working for anyone that would engage Brains on Fire, but they’re not casting me out. Evidence that they live by what we learned today. We’ve developed a bit of community, BoF and me, and they brought me into the FIRE Session to keep making connections. I met some great people and got to greet people I met last year. Stick together. Friends. No matter who I talk to, if they ask about ROI and word-of-mouth, identity or social media tactics, I’m pointing them in the direction of Brains on Fire. I’m a fan. I’ll even go out on a limb and call these people my friends. That’s what the FIRE Session is all about.

Bank On Rain: Catching rain for clean water in Africa

Lake Huron shore at Mackinac

In 2000, the U.S. used 408 billion gallons of water each day. That’s 1,430 gallons each day for each of us. I can’t wrap my head around that number, until I think about my daily shower. Then there’s the dishes. Laundry. And, of course, the toilet. Washing hands, especially during flu season. I’m picturing 1,430 gallons of milk stacked up in my kitchen, and now it’s sounding about right.

There’s an organization called Bank-On-Rain that has been looking at water use in developing areas, especially extremely dry areas of Africa. We were bouncing some ideas around on Caroline Di Diego’s blog, Inclined to Design and Mike Williamson quoted average daily water use at 15 gallons each day for a family of 6. It’s clear these families are focusing on using the water strictly for cooking and very minimal sanitation.

Let’s run with this 15-gallon-per-day average for a minute, rather than trying to change the daily habits of these families. There is a fascinating way to meet that need using recycled materials. Better, it doesn’t require an infrastructure. Bank-On-Rain created a simple way to catch rainwater and keep it clean and potable using recycled containers. In Rwanda, there are two major rainfalls each year, yielding about 32″ of rain. The idea of Bank On Rain is to catch that water when it comes and store it for the dry season. The alternative? Women spending all day walking to the nearest watering hole just to come back with a few buckets of water each.

Bank On Rain uses shipping containers to catch the rain that falls on the roof of a structure. So, a 200-square-foot roof can collect 3,840 gallons of water, if it’s funneled into containers. That’s about 256 days of water. From a 200-square-foot roof.

Mike Williamson has found a readily available type of shipping container, called a “fish tote.” Each fish tote can hold 250 gallons of water. Simply creating a downspout system out of simple PVC pipe can fill 15 of these fish totes. While it won’t provide all the water needed for an entire year, it covers two-thirds of the year. That’s better than spending your entire life chasing after water. And possibly not having enough.

The cost for one rainfall catchment system looks to be around $300 each, if purchased. Inclined to Design and Bank On Rain are working with shippers that may donate clean fish totes, since those make up $270 of that cost. At $30 per catchment system, Bank On Rain becomes a fabulous way to help families get the water they need.

So, what are we supposed to do with this information? Well, first, check out the official statement of goals on www.bank-on-rain.com. If you know anyone who can help connect Bank On Rain with others who can donate shipping containers, all the contact information is on the web site. Please take that step. They’re also looking for people who have existing contacts in Rwanda and other parts of Africa who can help with delivering and setting up these systems once they arrive.

You’ll find further discussion on how Bank On Rain fits with larger water and infrastructure solutions, as well as the social implications of clean water on the Inclined to Design blog and the Bank On Rain Twine central.

I’m not passionate about social media; I’m passionate about people

Reaching out to listen and learn

I’ve been a bit of a Twitter addict lately, chatting away every chance I can with my new friends here in Greenville, and with people across the country who chit-chat about cars, sustainable practices and whatever happens to sound interesting. There are so many great ideas out there, and so many smart people.

Some people have looked to me for help with social media tools and plans. While this seems to make sense, I manage to throw people off when I tell them that maybe Twitter isn’t the best place to make connections. Whaaa?? Right. In fact, I manage to resist new technologies until there’s a really compelling reason to jump in. I resisted blogging for a very long time, even for client solutions.

It was great to watch the discussions for and against GM’s FastLane blog, and whether to use ghost writers, managing editors, or simply have Bob Lutz post and comment without moderation. In the end, it was a combination guest writers, Bob’s own words, an editor and moderators for comments that made FastLane as successful as it was. Sure, it worked for GM. But it wasn’t an all-inclusive solution. Even after a year, many interviews and a funny t-shirt, some still didn’t believe Lutz really sat down at a computer and typed his own words into a document that was posted to the blog mostly unedited. GM still needed to use traditional channels to reinforce its message. And that’s still true today. The people who buy GM cars aren’t necessarily reading blogs or following Twitter accounts.

And that’s okay. The idea is to open and manage as many lines of communication as you can. Listen and respond. Heck, chatter, too, if that’s what you need to do to get the conversation going.

You of all people know best where your fans are. Find your critics and give them as many ways as you can to let them voice their opinions. Social media is simply one way to get people talking. It’s the conversation, not the tool, that helps people open up.