The Power of Storytelling
Anyone who knows me well has probably heard me say this, more than once: “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. And, when someone else tells your story, it certainly won’t be the story you want told.” More times than not, when others bring your story to the surface, it’s not told the right way. Information might be missing, or inaccurate. The most important points might be left out. You lose control, per say. Don’t want that to happen? Step up and tell the story in your own words, first. Only you have the ability to get people to think, feel and act differently – with you as the storytelling guide. During the past decade, Fallston Group has helped our clients tell stories of all sizes, scopes and depths. Stories are powerful. Some are told proactively; others are told reactively. They can spark emotion. They can educate. They can inspire and motivate. They define who you are, what your purpose is, and the benefits you offer to others, from both inside and outside perspectives. Simply put, they are worth telling, every day. Without a doubt, COVID-19 has presented plenty of new challenges, for just about every person I know. But along with obstacles, the crisis has presented opportunities for business owners to tell new stories, or everyday-kind-of-stories, in a different-kind-of way. Here are some favorite examples I’ve come across recently: Uber Eats waived their delivery fees, making it more affordable for people to utilize their services. The story demonstrates how this company made adjustments to meet the needs of its customers and attract new ones, too. Distilleries started using their supplies to make and sell hand sanitizer rather than spirits. The story demonstrates how these companies embraced creativity, and launched a new product to “stay alive” during the crisis while also meeting market demands. Dunkin Donuts offered free donuts on Fridays throughout the month of April for their DD Perks members. The story showcased a nice gesture for Dunkin’s repeat customers while also subtly encouraging others in the community to join their loyalty program. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden has been offering daily Facebook LIVE events for weeks on end. Their story focuses on how they are giving people a chance to see what their animals are up to at a time when the Zoo is closed, while also offering valuable educational opportunities for thousands of kids across the country who are being homeschooled. Grateful families have responded to this story by participating the Zoo’s fundraising efforts to support upkeep of facilities and ongoing care for the animals who live there. Zappos.com, known for its superior approach to customer service, has positioned itself as a resource for answers on literally anything people need help with during this pandemic. You can contact them to ask for guidance on things like who in your area is offering online grocery services, or what is new on Netflix. The story here is that Zappos cares about its customers, even at times when sales are not the priority. Nursing homes have identified ways to keep their residents active and engaged, while still maintain social distancing. They’ve implemented their own version of “Hungry Hippos” using broom sticks, laundry baskets, and dozens of plastic balls. The real message here is these vulnerable facilities are thinking creatively to create fun opportunities for their residents, which has been especially important at a time when visitors have not been permitted to come in. It’s a feel-good story, that also demonstrates a clear level of care and compassion that is sought after in this industry. As the world slowly but surely begins to re-open, consider how these examples can inspire new story sharing opportunities for YOUR business. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your business and what unique adjustments have you been? How has your team shown courage and resiliency? How have you given back to your customers or your community, or how will you in the future? What valuable lessons have you learned, and how will you apply that knowledge to your business model, as you move forward? The storytelling options are literally endless right now, and I encourage you to seize the opportunity. Need help determining a set of stories your business can create and share in the coming weeks? Reach out to Fallston Group. We’d love to help you think strategically about the messages you can share with your audiences, how to best share them, and what appropriate call-to-actions can be. Telling stories is one of the things I think our firm does best, and we’re here to support you.
Be Mindful of Rumors and Misinformation During Times of Crisis
New information about COVID-19 is literally dispersed around the clock, filling our newsfeeds with facts and stats, opinions, recaps and projections, photos and graphics, and even a few memes to ground us and give us a laugh here and there. As expected, there is a lot of misinformation floating around out there, too; rumors and hearsay that lead to days if not weeks of news coverage, spark public debates and generate more shares on Facebook than can be counted, despite the fact that they may be unwarranted. Among the ones I have heard most recently: Kids are immune. If I’m young and healthy, I don’t have to worry as much about contracting the virus. I don’t need to wear a mask because I am not sick. Using a mask and gloves is making people sicker. If I test positive for the virus, I don’t have to worry about getting it again. The flu shot increased my chances for getting COVID-19. When I got the flu shot, I was injected with a coronavirus. This will all go away once the weather is warm. Ingested/injected beach and disinfectants can kill the virus. A mixture of saline, garlic and sesame oil can prevent COVID-19. Hospitals get more money from the government if they treat a lot of COVID-19 patients. The number of deaths being reported is being deliberately falsified. And, the list goes on … The volume of rumors and misinformation surrounding this global health pandemic is so significant that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has even added a page to its website with the headline “Stop the Spread of Rumors.” It provides five sound and solid facts in response to some of the most common rumors circulating. Click here to access it. Along with the CDC’s guidance, I would like to offer five recommendations of my own, with a goal to help you navigate and process the information overload you are likely experiencing. Separate facts from potential facts. Don’t interpret everything you hear to be research or evidence-based. Know that sometimes an idea that is being considered or contemplated, or an opinion that is rallying a great deal of discussion ends up being reported as fact or even breaking news. Be selective in who you identify as your trusted sources of information and try to avoid being consumed by the countless topics being discussed under the premise of “possible, maybe and potential.” Use social media cautiously. As you scroll through your newsfeeds, you will be able to gather a sense of what the court of public opinion is on many, many issues. Although valuable news can be found and shared on these platforms, in some cases, opinion is presented as fact. Tread cautiously as you take in information and especially as you share information on your social media pages. Expect misinformation and rumors. When an issue consumes our lives and changes the world as we know it, misinformation and rumors will absolutely be in the mix. What we are seeing in the mist of COVID-19 is just one example of that. Knowing this and accepting this will impact how you consume, process and act on information. Know that opinions vary. At all times, but especially during times of crisis, it is important to recognize that the court of public opinion weighs heavily on our perceptions, our reactions and how we decipher fact from fiction. Opinions are literally all over the board. Keep this in mind as you digest and internalize what you see and hear. Again, trust your source and understand their sources of truth. Make decisions based on what is right for you. We all have a lot of decisions to make as we attempt to transition our lives back to some level of normalcy. If you hear something reported that is especially concerning, or that has the potential to impact you greatly and you need to know more, practice due diligence. Tap into those trusted sources for information and do some digging to find more information so that you can make decisions based on fact, rather than opinion, and focused on what is right for you.
Understanding New Norms as We Re-Open
For the past few months, “when will things go back to normal” has been the number one, most top-of-mind question, for just about every person I know. A long line of considerations come into play regarding when we will re-open our businesses, our community, our states, and our world. That’s where the work of our elected officials comes into the spotlight. I believe nearly all are doing their best to weigh the pros and cons, the benefits and the risks, as they make these critically important decisions that impact every one of us. And while the question of “when” is the one we want answered quickly, right behind it is the question of “how.” How will we gradually re-open, in a way that is safe, and doesn’t elevate our risk for exposure to COVID-19? Obviously, our elected officials will also be providing guidance on how to re-open. In-line with that direction, I encourage every business owner to take a step back to consider the new norms we will be living with as the world begins to reopen. It’s about more than just understanding them; it is about a willingness to embrace them as we attempt to resume “business as usual,” one day at a time. Inc. recently published an insightful article, offering some strategies for safe opening. Click here to read it. In addition to the recommendations made by Inc. to maximize staff safety, I’ve heard some commentary about “the classic business handshake” and the very real possibility that many people will forgo the gesture, for the sake of public safety, as we move forward. It makes sense, but will certainly change the tone of our encounters as we meet and greet colleagues, and network. From a business development standpoint, we need to come to terms with the fact that people will make decisions very differently moving forward about how, when, where, and why to make purchases or subscribe to services that they once considered essential. Yesterday, CNN reported that 20.5 million Americans lost their jobs in the month of April alone; the steepest plunge in national payroll status since the Great Depression. In tandem, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics released data about the current unemployment rate, now standing at a record-setting 14.7 percent. Clearly, budgets – both personal and corporate – have been thrown for a loop. Needs have changed. Priorities will be different. These factors will impact every business, of every size, in the months and perhaps even the years to come. And they need to be accounted for as you are thinking about how your business can re-open efficiently and recover positively from COVID-19. The changes that lie ahead will not be entirely evident until we make the shift and the gradual process of re-opening is in full swing. Yes, we will all be adjusting to new norms. It will be important to be patient and kind, flexible and resilient, in both our personal and business encounters. Perhaps this is when we will all acknowledge that our need to remain distant over the past several months has actually brought us all closer together, than ever before.
Press the Pause Button, Now
The impact of COVID-19 on businesses of all sizes is substantial. It’s safe to say that no one is operating on May 1, 2020 the same way they were operating just four months ago. Some have closed-up shop, temporarily. Others are still operational but in a slightly or significant downsized capacity. And then there are those whose core products and services naturally meet a need during this health crisis. Presumably, they are busier than ever before. That said, even they are thinking about what a post COVID-19 marketplace looks like. A few weeks ago, an insightful article was published by Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm that focuses on organization problem solving, emphasizing just how important it is to “remember the needs of followers during COVID-19.” It stated that humans experience life about 30 percent rationally and 70 percent emotionally, which tells us a lot about what people truly need from their leaders, in this moment. In fact, it inspired today’s blog post. Regardless of where your business stands on the spectrum of COVID-19 impact, there is value in pressing the pause button, and the time to do it is now. Schedule a conference call or Zoom meeting with your entire team, or with a series of small groups or individuals, with the only agenda items being “how are we doing, as a company,” and “how are you doing, as a member of our team, that I genuinely care about?” In other words, what are we doing well and what do we need to do a little bit better? Leave your ego at the door because this is a real growth opportunity, for everyone. Last week, I pursued this exercise myself. I am supporting a very large team of healthcare system marketing and communications executives as they work through countless operational issues related to COVID-19, and the continuation of patient care and services as the current crisis evolves. The team joins on conference calls daily, and we go around the horn, giving each person on the line a chance to report updates, pose questions and resource issues to the team. It’s efficient and useful, but I decided to press the pause button. Instead of focusing on our normal operational updates, we shifted gears, and instead focused on what we are doing, what is working, what is not, what we are “missing,” and how everyone on the line can better support one another. It was clear that the floor was open for a very open, transparent dialogue, and that everyone could feel safe being 100 percent honest. And the truth is, they were safe. We heard a lot of good things. We heard some bad things. We learned a lot about each other and about the opportunities this team has to truly shine during this crisis. We clarified what to continue, status quo, and we also identified a handful of things to change, for the good of all. But most importantly, weaved into it all was a sense of mutual understanding, connection, and appreciation. There was an overall sense of “let’s keep going; we’ve got this!” It was powerful and uplifting. When the call ended, I was confident that hitting the pause button was in fact, an extremely valuable use of time. If embraced in the proper spirit and mindset, the mirror can be your most valuable resource. I share this example because I think even the best leaders can get so caught up in the daily grind that they oversee the fact that what their people might need the most is a meaningful pause; a conversation that reminds them that the person at the helm truly cares about them and values their perspective, that they have support, and that they are not alone, no matter how long and hard each day feels. No one knows for sure how long COVID-19 will be part of our lives. We are all looking forward to the day when we can get back to normalcy. But until that day comes, I believe that setting some time aside for a few healthy “pauses” will go a long way as your business manages the crisis, and then eventually transitions into recovery, then prosperity mode. Go ahead. Press pause. You’ll be glad you did.
Ready, Set, Reposition
Conversations are starting to take place about how we begin to slowly and gradually re-open America, the State of Maryland, and the communities that we live in and call our own. As expected, the court of public opinion on this decision is all over the board, with some feeling like it’s simply too early to begin this process, and others standing firm that the right thing to do is establish normalcy, now. Regardless of where you stand within the spectrum of opinions, and regardless of the exact timing by which the re-opening process will occur, as a business owner or manager, you’ve got some critical thinking to do. People have been changed by COVID-19. Their perceptions, priorities, decision-making processes, and needs will not be the same once they can venture out of their homes and start putting the pieces of their lives back together, one step at a time. They will be desperate to get back to their normal, standard, every-day routines, but they will also face new limitations and challenges. The best thing you can do to help your business thrive as this transition occurs is to think about how to reposition. This doesn’t necessarily mean changing your core products and services. It might mean considering new ways to position, promote, and deliver them. How will your business fill a need or void that your loyal and potential clients and customers have, and will have, as we move forward? What can you say or do differently, that will resonate in a meaningful way? And remember, what was meaningful in November 2019 might be different from what is meaningful now or will be in July 2020. Here is a suggested exercise that might be helpful. Take out a few sheets of paper and jot down some thoughts and notes about each of your clients, one at a time. Some things to consider … If your client is an individual consumer: How have they been impacted by COVID-19? How has their family been affected? How did they spend their time during quarantine? What is special to them, that has perhaps but put on “pause” as a result of the pandemic? What will their most immediate needs be, as the re-opening process begins? What will their needs be a few months down the road, after re-opening occurs? How can YOU support them or help them? If your client is a business owner or manager: How might their business have been impacted as a result of COVID-19? How was their staff / team affected? How might their customers have been impacted? Could/should/will their core product and service offerings change? What are some things this company should consider doing to reposition? Do they or will they face any supply chain issues that can impact their operations? How can YOU support them or help them? These notes will likely be helpful in guiding your conversation with your clients, as we all work together to reposition. It certainly will not be an easy process, but I believe it will be a worthwhile one.
Crisis Calls for Taking Care of You, Too
Well-respected and well-liked leaders tend to be those who put the needs of others ahead of their own. They are the leaders who shine exceptionally brightly during times of crisis. They take extra steps, every day, to make sure their people have what they need. They answer questions openly and honestly, provide direction, and offer healthy doses of encouragement and hope, too. They rally people together. They lay in bed awake, late at night, thinking of how they can better support their people. Then they wake up in the morning and act. But, it’s important for those same leaders to also take a serious pause, and think about their own health, wellness, and needs, too. They also need to be able to carve out time in the day to sit down for meals, exercise, and get a good night’s sleep. Self-care is always important, but its even more essential during times of crisis, when the scope of work changes and stress levels are peaked. Yes, I am talking about you. COVID-19 has changed everything about the world we live in. We are all adapting and adjusting every day. The future is less certain than it’s ever been before. The unknown is scary, especially for leaders and business owners. Taking care of yourself will go a long way in helping you maintain focus, strike a balance between realism and optimism, and stay in the game, mentally. Remember, those people who need your support right now are going to need it even more as the world eventually transitions back to some form of normalcy. Stay well. It’s one of the most important commitments you can make right now, as a good leader. Remember, our collective strength is our ability to stay in the game!
Getting Command of the Facts During Criss
By Rob Weinhold, Fallston Group Chief Executive You may have heard me say in the course of our discussions on past occasions: during times of crisis, we must first get command of the facts. In my opinion, that statement rings especially true right now. It’s safe to say we are all in “information overload mode,” as the COVID-19 story continues to evolve and be told in a hundred (or more) different ways. Differentiating between what is true, what is partially true, what is false, and what is an opinion presented as a fact, can become seriously challenging. Credit is due to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and his team for their attempt to set the facts straight once and for all, and educate the public to the best of their ability. In case you haven’t already seen it, the State has launched a new page on its web site focused on “Rumor Control.” Here is the link. It gives Marylanders a source for the truth, outlining government orders, organized by category, to provide clarity and minimize confusion. There is also a button on the right-hand side of the page that asks viewers to “submit a rumor.” If you are questioning if something you are hearing is true, the government wants to hear about it and is committing to addressing it. That’s what I call good leadership. I also believe it’s a model we can all learn from. Let me be clear, this is not a politically-based comment, rather a sound leadership observation. This pandemic should never be about politics, rather public health. Saving lives matter and we all play a part. What kinds of similar open communication forums could you implement within your own businesses to keep your people accurately informed? I encourage you to think of tools that will help today, not just in the midst of this global health pandemic, but those that will also be applicable once this is all over. Need help brainstorming ideas or coming up with a strategy for open internal communications? Reach out to your friends at the Fallston Group. That is what we are here for.
Getting Into the Growth Zone During COVID-19
We came across this graphic (original source unknown) and think it delivers an important message for people who are living through COVID-19. Yes, this absolutely is a time of great uncertainty. But we all have choices when it comes to perspective and the action we take day-in and day-out, as we muddle through these truly unprecedented times. We can fear, or we can learn and grow. And yes, it’s a choice. Strong leaders know the value of the lightest blue zone, all the way to the right – the growth zone. They know from experience that when they adopt these mindsets and approaches, others tend to follow. When leaders look for opportunities to help others and are empathetic, nine times out of ten, they inspire their teams to do the same. When leaders focus on the future, the people who work alongside them naturally tend to follow suit. When leaders are thankful, appreciative, and happy, they set the tone for positive organizational culture. And when leaders approach the idea of change with optimism, patience, and creativity? You got it. Most of the time, so do the people who surround them. We hope that as leaders, we can all come together and strive to land in the lightest blue zone – the growth zone – despite the fact that what we are all living through is without a doubt, incredibly hard. We encourage you to view and share this graphic as a reminder of how some shifts in perspective and the actions we take today will end up playing out in our future. Our choices can impact our businesses, our communities, and our world. We are all in this together. Remember to focus on what you can control versus what you can’t. Let’s choose to park ourselves in the growth zone.
The Time to Build Your Strategic Recovery Plan is NOW
Recently, The Washington Post reported more than 10 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in March 2020. A lot of people are referencing what is happening in the world right now as an “unprecedented time.” That term, while a bit overused, is absolutely spot on. Truly, nothing quite like this has ever happened before, and the record-squashing number of people filing for unemployment is one example that proves it. None of this is easy – on anyone. But it’s a particularly hard time for business owners: people who have invested their hearts and souls into building and growing companies that up until about a month ago, were quite successful. Many have closed shop temporarily, unable to sustain this time of turmoil or forced to take a hiatus in accordance with orders that all non-essential businesses close. Others have cut back hours, reduced their workforce, or halted production and delivery of standard goods and services. How will business owners recover from this? The time to think about building your business’ strategic recovery plan is NOW. Here are some thoughts on how you can do that: Communicate with your clients and customers throughout this crisis. Even if your doors are shut, your communication lines can remain open. Keep creating touchpoints with the people you work with, who support your business, and who have historically tapped into your product and service offerings. Use your social media pages. Push out a few emails. Make some phone calls, or offer to connect via video chat. Bottom line – invest in your relationships. Find the business plan you wrote when you were first starting out. Some of the same principles and ideas that guided you on day one can guide you again. Reread your original business plan and identify what still applies, what you can repeat, and what additional opportunities make sense to pursue as you get back up and running. Remember who you are at your core – your “why?” Create a timeline that is reasonable and feasible. The reality is no one knows for sure how long this crisis will put a freeze on our ordinary lives. So, while it may not be possible to designate a “start date” for your strategic recovery plan, you can still lay out a timeline for action that makes sense and is reasonable and feasible. What can you do right now? What will you do on the day you actually re-open your doors? What will week number one look like? What tasks will be the priority for the first month? Where do you hope to be by month number three? Six? Twelve? Plan now rather than waiting. Use this time to invest, not rest. Think about what your customers and clients will need, as they are ramping back up too. We are all in this together. As you are ramping back up, chances are, your customers and clients will be doing the same. Put some thought into how their businesses will be changed by COVID-19, and what THEIR recovery plans may look like, too. How can you be part of it? How can you help them? What new business opportunities may rise to the surface? In fact, call them now to let them know you are thinking about THEIR business and you want to be part of the solution. Consider who may need you now, who didn’t need or know about you before. Think out of the box about ways you can acquire new customers, clients and identify pathways to making new connections. As they say in the great game of hockey – skate to where the puck is going, not where it is now. Find a way to give back. Understandably, it is hard to think about giving at a time when you may be struggling. But remember, giving isn’t always about cutting a check and making a financial contribution. You can give your time. You can give your ideas. You can offer support. You can help someone else make meaningful connections. Help others out and demonstrate some goodwill, in whatever ways you can. When you do, it speaks volumes about your character. We would like to hear from you about how your strategic recovery plan will take shape. What actions will you take to guide your company’s future? We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us by sending an email to info@fallstongroup.com. Please include your name, title, and company name. We plan to post another blog soon, elaborating on this topic. With your permission, we would love to weave in your insights and ideas and share them with the rest of our followers. You can document it as your first act of goodwill and giving back, per #6 above!
Coming Together During Times of Adversity
More than 150,000 people across the U.S. have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. That’s more cases than any other country. The national death toll is 2,870, and rising by the hour. The numbers are just as frightening at the local level, with 1,413 diagnoses and 20 deaths reported in the state of Maryland. The impact on society, the economy, and human life as we know it is crippling, too. The number of people out of a job and consequently applying for unemployment is topping out at more than three million. Some school systems have already announced they will remain closed for the remainder of the academic years; others have extended their closure periods, causing parents of high school seniors to wonder if they will even get to see their kids walk across a stage and graduate. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are postponed. The NBA, NHL, and MLB are shut down. Walt Disney World is closed until further notice. And the stock market? If you are invested in it, you are probably spending time every day analyzing trends and trying to decide what to do and how much risk to take. Yes, it’s a time of great turmoil, a time of great fear, and unfortunately, a time of great loss. However, it can also be a time of great unity. Locally, many people are heeding to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s orders to remain at home as much as possible and practice social distancing when we must venture out. But something very interesting is happening during this time of “slowed pace.” Families are going for long walks and sitting down together for daily meals. The “daily grind” has but put on “pause” and suddenly, there are enough hours in the day. More and more people are also demonstrating acts of kindness to care for their community. There seems to be a gentle and genuine understanding that we are all in this together, and that humanity is one thing that can help us through. Now let’s apply that same principle to the business world. The Fallston Group was founded ten years ago with a primary goal to help companies plan for and manage times of adversity. Like many, we are working hard every day to manage this crisis, but we are also here to be a resource for you. We believe now is the time for business owners to come together, support one another, offer ideas and solutions, and perhaps most importantly, encouragement. Stay tuned for our next blog, which will be posted later this week and will offer some strategies and recommendations for business owners on the process of recovering from crisis.
