Arts-based brand consultancy On Your Feet explores a structure—“Story Plotter”—for organizational sto-
ries that help businesses and brands differentiate themselves from their competition and develop a culture of action.
1. Designing For Time
Editors’ Note: Arts-based brand consultancy On Your Feet explores a structure—“Story Plotter”—for organizational sto-
ries that help businesses and brands differentiate themselves from their competition and develop a culture of action.
Stories That Inspire Action
Gary Hirsch
On Your Feet | gary@oyf.com
Brad Robertson
On Your Feet | brad@oyf.com
We hear stories all the time. what the stories are about and then asked if the author had any skis.
We tell stories. We are stories. how the stories can help catalyze He squeezed his size-9.5 feet into the
Think about your own name, for action. This article explains how author’s downhill skis and skied the
example. Why did your parents we created the “Story Plotter” and package down the hill to the road. It
give you that name? Does your how you might use it to organize was delivered on time the next day.”
surname have special meaning? your stories and inspire action This story was news to most
Do you have a nickname, and if within your organization. of the people in the audience,
so, how did you get it? We have and someone on the other side
asked hundreds of people these A Snow Story of the auditorium even stood up
questions and have been capti- About three years ago we were and said, “We did that? That’s
vated by moving, funny, obscene, working with a large group of fantastic!”
sometimes unforgettable stories. managers at a global overnight The snow story got us think-
Here is one of our own: shipping and delivery company. ing: How many other stories
“When I was on the freshman They were talking about excel- were embedded in the company?
basketball team at Lincoln high lent personal customer service. How many other stories would
school, my teammates Rawlin Indeed, one of their stated brand generate a similar inspired
Nolte and Eddie Peterson gave me attributes is being personal. response? How could we help
the nickname ‘Doof.’ Mostly it was When asked what that meant, a get these stories told? And, once
because I walked around with my few people recited the tagline on told, how could they inspire
mouth open and a blank expression. the printed internal literature. similar action?
I somehow managed to turn this But when asked to tell a story
name into a huge compliment. For about this language in action, a The Use of “Fat Words”
four years people called me ‘Doof’ or woman in the back of the room Instead of utilizing stories, orga-
‘The Doofer.’ Somehow, though, I dif- grabbed the microphone: nizations often try to drive action
ferentiated those two names from the “I work in the Rocky Mountain by developing phrases or words
more pejorative ‘doofus.’ If anyone region. One of our carriers responded they hope will inspire and moti-
ever called me that, I would immedi- to a pickup call halfway up a moun- vate. The global overnight ship-
ately correct them and say, ‘Hey, it’s tain in a remote area. There was an ping and delivery company had
Doof.’”—Brad Robertson author who was working in one of developed a values-based lan-
Stories are told in business, the cabins who needed his manu- guage they hoped would inspire
July + August 2009
too: by managers, by co-workers script to get to New York the next good customer service. They used
around the water cooler, by day. The driver arrived just as a typi- words like “connecting, simplic-
consumers upon leaving a store. cal Rocky Mountain snowstorm was ity, and certainty.” Our friend
Stories are told pretty much assaulting the cabin. Indeed, when he Brian Lanahan (who was once a
everywhere except in those tried to start his truck in the cabin brand manager at Coke and now
silent elevators. driveway after picking up the pack- collaborates with us through a
But unorganized stories may age from the author, he discovered consultancy called Character)
not be enough to inspire either that his truck was quite stuck. The describes such language as “fat
interactions
internal or external organization- driver calmly looked at the author words;” words that are so uni-
al action. They need a structure, and asked, ‘What is your shoe size?’ versal that they can mean some-
so that people better understand The author replied, ‘9.’ The driver thing different to anyone using
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2. FEATURE
IMPROVISED STORIES
Our take on stories comes from the world of
improvised theater, where stories are made with no
script, plan, rehearsal, budget, or, on occasion, talent.
The job of the improviser is to instantly create stories
them. These words don’t arrive in zation that wanted to bring its
and scenes that engage and enthrall the audience.
a vacuum; they can be based on brand values to life by finding
One of the many skills that help an improv actor
real beliefs, founder visions, and distinctive actions to exemplify
survive under these seemingly impossible conditions
organizational philosophy. But the these values throughout every
is an ability to create vivid and authentic characters. It
words alone fall short for several level of the organization. A few
is vital that the audience knows as much as possible
reasons: years ago we helped a global
about these instant characters so they can become
Often this language is aspi- advertising agency that was inter-
immersed in the story.
rational, describing what the ested in finding other ways for its
When I was first studying to be an improviser, I was
organization wants to be rather clients to communicate who they
convinced the best way to tell a story was to tell the
than who they currently are. are to their consumers, looking
audience all about my character; what was important
From company to company, beyond brand communication
to him, what he wanted, and so on. I might start a
the language all sounds alike (for and focusing on internal actions.
scene with another performer by proclaiming: “Hello, I
example, most advertising agen- We worked with our friend and
am the honest baker,” speaking more to audience than
cies say they value creativity). collaborator Arnie Jacobson and
to the other actor. “Welcome to the Honest Bakery.
So the language does not help his research firm, QRC (they
Do you like our new uniforms with ‘HONEST’ written
differentiate the organization or bring to life a whole other set of
across the chest?” I figured if I simply told people who
brand from any other. stories, that of the consumer), to
I was, then I could get on to the funny stuff. One of my
This language doesn’t seem help a Hollywood studio find new
acting coaches pulled me aside and said:
to help the people internally actions for its character-based
“It’s not like your characters are an ad for floor
make decisions, respond, and act. consumer products division.
cleaner or running shoes. It’s not convincing or very
Last, the customer knows To assist these clients, we
engaging to say you are honest, or reliable, or nimble,
the difference between talk and asked them to tell stories of
or inspiring. Your characters need to communicate
action. Consumers in the infor- things that happen in the com-
who they are through what they do. If you are an
mation age are more knowledge- pany. We heard stories of gritty
honest baker, then behave honestly, tell people what’s
able and savvy, and they have reality, stories illustrating failure,
in the muffins, return the wallet that was left on the
access to more information than communicating learning, and
counter. Let the customer know that she has a piece of
ever before. The wall between acting as a warning. As these
spinach in her teeth. You don’t have to tell the audience
consumers and the brand has stories emerged, we asked our-
anything. They are smart. Simply be it.” —G.H.
become much more transparent. selves a question: Could there be
Consumers do not experience the a simple, sensible way of organiz-
intention of the brand no matter
how honorable; they experience
ing and classifying stories that
could be useful in helping orga-
STORIES OF ACTION
what the brand does. So if a com- nizations live their brand, find While waiting for luggage at the Phoenix airport, a
pany says they are caring but alignment, discover new actions, friend of mine had an encounter that inspired our
then underpay their employees, and look beyond language? The quest to find more stories of alignment. Here is what
the public will find out. Today a Story Plotter, a taxonomy for he told us:
brand is as strong as its relation- organizing stories, emerged from “At baggage claim I patiently watched the empty
ship with its customers. To cre- this inquiry. We identified four carousel go around when I suddenly heard a ‘clunk’
ate a strong relationship, there kinds of stories and designed the behind me. I turned around to see a large surfboard
must be alignment between what Plotter to help organizations and being unloaded at the oversize-baggage area. A
an individual, brand, or organiza- brands do the following: surfboard in a landlocked desert state? A gray-haired
tion says and what it does, In the Talk about who they are by older gentleman in a suit walked up to claim the
end (as the saying goes), actions telling stories of what they do. oblong baggage, and I asked him what he was doing
speak louder than words. Learn to be more of a listen- with the surfboard. He smiled at me and answered in
ing organization, by incorporat- a thick Australian accent, ‘Oh mate, not sure where
Story Plotter ing consumer stories and input I’ll surf but I’ll find someplace. I have to… it’s in my
We developed Story Plotter to into company communication. contract.’ He went on to explain that he was the CFO
help the handful of our clients Share knowledge internally of an Australian surfboard company and it is written
who had realized fat words are and externally. into every senior executive’s contract that they must
not enough. We worked with a Find meaningful new actions surf at least once a month. This gentleman was on a
professional basketball organi- for exemplifying values. three-week business trip, so he took his board.
3. Designing For Time
STORY PLOTTER
FACT POSSIBILITY
what really happens things we could do
positive But how honest was this? That
transmit culture idea generation meant that people were charged
gather new examples strategic insight
one minute for a five-second call.
By making this visible, the com-
pany had a choice: continue the
FEAR AND ANXIETY practice and be out of alignment,
CONTRADICTION
undesired futures or change the policy.
inconsistencies and failings
negative make fear visible Stories of contradiction point
gather feedback
actively work to make sure out areas of inconsistency and
make blind spots visible
these don’t come true
make them visible. They do not
always lead to reversible action.
what is what could be The NBA team we worked with
wanted to live the value of being
more open. However, they had
Develop aligned ideas, prod- stories capture actions that flesh no desire to reveal their draft
ucts, positioning, and commu- out and make real whatever considerations. They knew this
nication. language the company uses to contradicted their stated values
Discover new touch points describe itself. One company but decided that this was fine
with the audience. we worked with valued integ- and made good business sense.
Make conscious deliberate rity. A story of fact they told us Stories of Possibility and
choices instead of knee-jerk ones. described how they realized they Revolution. This is where brands
Follow through on promises. had made an error in a shipment. explore and play with the future.
Demonstrate authenticity. In this case the train had left the We ask a lot of “what if” ques-
Understand how internal station, literally, with thousands tions. Using a host of improv-
and external audiences see and of mislabeled packages. They had based exercises, ideas for new
understand the brand. a choice: ignore the mistake and actions and possible futures
Transmit their culture, espe- hope their retailers didn’t notice, spring to the fore. Stories of pos-
cially to new hires. or call the train back, unload it, sibility are “quick wins”; they
Identify areas of strength be a week behind in fulfillment, capture actions that really ought
and weakness. and fix the error. They also told to be happening and for some
Story Plotter emerged as a us that their retailers often made reason, possibly a trivial one,
structure for organizing stories similar labeling errors when aren’t. By asking people to cre-
and action. The left-hand column sending shipments back. Our ate new stories of possibility,
captures stories of the current client never complained. But of you can find the cheap and easy
reality, what is happening now. course, this is a factual story things that are obvious to some-
The stories in the right-hand about integrity. They turned the body in the organization but that
column capture what we would train around, relabeled the boxes, no one has yet put into action.
call future stories—stories of and apologized for the shipment Here is an example:
new possibility, new ideas, new being late without revealing the The baggage handlers at
action, and future fears and extra effort they put in to get the American Airlines knew some-
July + August 2009
anxiety. The top row describes shipment there correctly. thing no one else had realized:
stories and action worth keep- Stories of Contradiction. By The bags that go into the plane
ing and cultivating. The bottom contrast, these stories capture first are the last to come out of
row captures stories and actions actions that contradict or work the hold. The handlers suggested
that might be most constructive against what the organization that the first-class bags be put in
if stopped or discouraged from says it is. A manager at a large last so the first-class passengers
coming into fruition. U.K. mobile phone company could get their bags first upon
Stories of Fact. These are sto- recently told us a story of con- arrival. The company imple-
interactions
ries of things that have actually tradiction. The stated value mented the idea immediately.
happened (even if they have been was honesty. He noted that his Stories of revolution are sto-
embellished in the telling). These company charged by the minute. ries of what could be, not what
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