The Kelsey Roll

I don’t want to brag too much, but I’m related to a celebrity.

 

Well, a minor celebrity.  A minor, regional celebrity.  Ok, you’ve probably never heard of her.  But if you eat sushi regularly at a locally owned restaurant in my hometown and have ever asked for something that wasn’t on the menu, then you know my cousin, Kelsey.  Because she has a sushi roll named after her.  The Kelsey Roll.

 

So how does one rise to local sushi stardom?  Well, if you’re my cousin, you become the only 5-year-old regular at the counter.  Eventually the head chef will name the custom roll your mom orders for you in your honor.  And it is an honor, by the way.  Because it’s rare.

 

So how does a 5-year-old become a regular at the counter?  You can thank my aunt for that.  She’s a big sushi fan and a single mom.  So when she heads out to dinner she takes her daughter with her, and she becomes a fan too.  Because that’s what’s great about kids; they learn what we teach them.  Want your kid to appreciate sushi? You have to take them to a sushi place and not cave in when they want to order off the kids menu.  Because they will eat it; as long as you lead them there.

 

Now, that doesn’t work if you put sushi on their plate and then order lasagna for yourself.  They aren’t going to be courageous and open if you’re not.  But if you lead them, they will follow.

 

The same is true when absorbing a new hire to your company culture.  If you surround them with people who truly love it, and offer them no options but to embrace it, they will usually decide to at least give it a try.  And, assuming you have a tasty offering, they’ll quick become a regular, raving fan.  It takes effort, but so does getting a 5-year-old from the country to love sushi.  And I’ve see that happen before, so I know it works.