There are some absolute basics you should get under your belt to make the most of business storytelling. This presentation sets the groundwork for business storytelling success.
There are some absolute basics you should get under your belt to make the most of business storytelling. This presentation sets the groundwork for business storytelling success.
The first phone call was painful. No matter how hard I tried Pierre just wouldn’t tell me a story. He was so used to giving his opinion and this is what he gave me.\n
Then in the informal chat at the end of the conversation he told me the story of his son taking him to lunch to announce that he was getting married. With some excitement I said, “That’s a story Pierre.” He was surprised it was so simple but now he knew.\n
In our second phone call he told story after story. 12 months later we heard on the grapevine that he opened his address to all staff with a story and everyone was talking about it. \n
Most people don’t think they are storytellers. Robin Dunbar\n
Pierre didn’t\n
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Time marker or place marker\nThree months ago ...\nI was in the garage and Bob came by ...\n
The Essentials of Business StorytellingPresentation Transcript
e Essentials ofBusiness Storytelling by Shawn Callahan
is is Pierre(or at least what I imagined helooked like).He’s the CFO of theworld’s largestinsurance company.In 2005 I foundmyself on thephone with Pierreteaching him theart of businessstorytelling.
e first phone callwas painful. No matterhow hard I triedPierre just wouldn’ttell me a story.He was so used togiving his opinion andthat was all he gaveme.
en in the informalchat at the end of ourconversation he toldme the story of his sontaking him to lunch toannounce he wasgetting married.With some excitementI said, “at’s a storyPierre.” He wassurprised it was sosimple.
In our secondphone call he toldme story aerstory.12 months later weheard that heopened his addressto staff with a storyand everyone wastalking about it.
Most peopledon’t thinkthey arestorytellers
Pierre didn’t
ey’d be wrong
65% of the time we are speaking informally, we’re talking about who do did what to whom.* i.e. storytelling* Dunbar, R. (1996). Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution ofLanguage. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard UniversityPress.
It’s useful to view storytelling as a spectrum
Business peopleshould start wherethey are mostcomfortable, at thesmall ‘s’ end ofstorytelling. ey canthen inch their wayalong the storytellingspectrum.But don’t go too far.
Beware: No one wants to stumble into the uncanny valley of business storytelling Poor busine ssFor more on the uncanny valley of business storytellinghttp://www.anecdote.com.au/archives/2011/01/the_uncanny_val.html
Beware: No one wants to stumble into the uncanny valley of business storytelling ard o H To r y ’t T on e. D i. Poor busine ssFor more on the uncanny valley of business storytellinghttp://www.anecdote.com.au/archives/2011/01/the_uncanny_val.html
e first, andperhaps mostimportant,storytelling skill isthe ability tospot a story
Because ... you can’t get the benefits of telling stories unless you actually telling stories
Pop Quiz: Which one is a story?When one is vested with the role of a leader, Herb Kelleher [the longest-serving CEO ofhe inherits more freedom. e power of Southwest] once told someone, “I can teach youleadership endows him with rights to a the secret to running this airline in thirtygreater range of self-determination of his seconds. is is it: We are THE low-cost airline.own destiny. It is he who may determine the Once you understand that fact, you can make anywhat or the how and the when and the where decision about this company`s future as well as Iof important events. Yes, as with all rights, can.there is a commensurate, balancing group of “Here`s an example,” he said. “Tracy fromresponsibilities that impose upon his marketing comes into your office. She says herfreedom. e leader cannot avoid the act of surveys indicate that the passengers might enjoydetermining the what or the who or the a light entree on the Houston to Las Vegas flight.where. He cannot avoid being prepared to All we offer is peanuts, and she thinks a nicemake those determinations. He cannot avoid chicken Caesar salad would be popular. What dobeing prepared to make these terminations. you say?”He cannot avoid seeing to their e person stammered for a moment, so Kelleherimplementation. He cannot avoid living with responded: “You say, `Tracy, will adding thatthe consequences of his decisions on others chicken Caesar salad make us THE low-fareand the demands these consequences impose airline from Houston to Las Vegas? Because if iton him. Only time will prove the merit of his doesn’t help us become the unchallenged low-farestewardship. airline, we`re not serving any damn chicken salad.`”
Pop Quiz: Which one is a story?When one is vested with the role of a leader, Herb Kelleher [the longest-serving CEO ofhe inherits more freedom. e power of Southwest] once told someone, “I can teach youleadership endows him with rights to a the secret to running this airline in thirty ✓greater range of self-determination of his seconds. is is it: We are THE low-cost airline.own destiny. It is he who may determine the Once you understand that fact, you can make any ✗what or the how and the when and the where decision about this company`s future as well as Iof important events. Yes, as with all rights, can.there is a commensurate, balancing group of “Here`s an example,” he said. “Tracy fromresponsibilities that impose upon his marketing comes into your office. She says herfreedom. e leader cannot avoid the act of surveys indicate that the passengers might enjoydetermining the what or the who or the a light entree on the Houston to Las Vegas flight.where. He cannot avoid being prepared to All we offer is peanuts, and she thinks a nicemake those determinations. He cannot avoid chicken Caesar salad would be popular. What dobeing prepared to make these terminations. you say?”He cannot avoid seeing to their e person stammered for a moment, so Kelleherimplementation. He cannot avoid living with responded: “You say, `Tracy, will adding thatthe consequences of his decisions on others chicken Caesar salad make us THE low-fareand the demands these consequences impose airline from Houston to Las Vegas? Because if iton him. Only time will prove the merit of his doesn’t help us become the unchallenged low-farestewardship. airline, we`re not serving any damn chicken salad.`”
Four things to look for to spot a story
Time Marker
Time MarkersWhen one is vested with the role of a leader, Herb Kelleher [the longest-serving CEO ofhe inherits more freedom. e power of Southwest] once told someone, “I can teach youleadership endows him with rights to a the secret to running this airline in thirtygreater range of self-determination of his seconds. is is it: We are THE low-cost airline.own destiny. It is he who may determine the Once you understand that fact, you can make anywhat or the how and the when and the where decision about this company`s future as well as Iof important events. Yes, as with all rights, can.there is a commensurate, balancing group of “Here`s an example,” he said. “Tracy fromresponsibilities that impose upon his marketing comes into your office. She says herfreedom. e leader cannot avoid the act of surveys indicate that the passengers might enjoydetermining the what or the who or the a light entree on the Houston to Las Vegas flight.where. He cannot avoid being prepared to All we offer is peanuts, and she thinks a nicemake those determinations. He cannot avoid chicken Caesar salad would be popular. What dobeing prepared to make these terminations. you say?”He cannot avoid seeing to their e person stammered for a moment, so Kelleherimplementation. He cannot avoid living with responded: “You say, `Tracy, will adding thatthe consequences of his decisions on others chicken Caesar salad make us THE low-fareand the demands these consequences impose airline from Houston to Las Vegas? Because if iton him. Only time will prove the merit of his doesn’t help us become the unchallenged low-farestewardship. airline, we`re not serving any damn chicken salad.`”
Events
EventsWhen one is vested with the role of a leader, Herb Kelleher [the longest-serving CEO ofhe inherits more freedom. e power of Southwest] once (1) told someone, “I can teachleadership endows him with rights to a you the secret to running this airline in thirtygreater range of self-determination of his seconds. is is it: We are THE low-cost airline.own destiny. It is he who may determine the Once you understand that fact, you can make anywhat or the how and the when and the where decision about this company`s future as well as Iof important events. Yes, as with all rights, can.there is a commensurate, balancing group of (2) “Here`s an example,” he said. “Tracy fromresponsibilities that impose upon his marketing comes into your office. She says herfreedom. e leader cannot avoid the act of surveys indicate that the passengers might enjoydetermining the what or the who or the a light entree on the Houston to Las Vegas flight.where. He cannot avoid being prepared to All we offer is peanuts, and she thinks a nicemake those determinations. He cannot avoid chicken Caesar salad would be popular. What dobeing prepared to make these terminations. you say?”He cannot avoid seeing to their e person stammered for a moment, so Kelleherimplementation. He cannot avoid living with responded: “You say, `Tracy, will adding thatthe consequences of his decisions on others chicken Caesar salad make us THE low-fareand the demands these consequences impose airline from Houston to Las Vegas? Because if iton him. Only time will prove the merit of his doesn’t help us become the unchallenged low-farestewardship. airline, we`re not serving any damn chicken salad.`”
People
PeopleWhen one is vested with the role of a leader, Herb Kelleher [the longest-serving CEO ofhe inherits more freedom. e power of Southwest] once told someone, “I can teach youleadership endows him with rights to a the secret to running this airline in thirtygreater range of self-determination of his seconds. is is it: We are THE low-cost airline.own destiny. It is he who may determine the Once you understand that fact, you can make anywhat or the how and the when and the where decision about this company`s future as well as Iof important events. Yes, as with all rights, can.there is a commensurate, balancing group of “Here`s an example,” he said. “Tracy fromresponsibilities that impose upon his marketing comes into your office. She says herfreedom. e leader cannot avoid the act of surveys indicate that the passengers might enjoydetermining the what or the who or the a light entree on the Houston to Las Vegas flight.where. He cannot avoid being prepared to All we offer is peanuts, and she thinks a nicemake those determinations. He cannot avoid chicken Caesar salad would be popular. What dobeing prepared to make these terminations. you say?”He cannot avoid seeing to their e person stammered for a moment, so Kelleherimplementation. He cannot avoid living with responded: “You say, `Tracy, will adding thatthe consequences of his decisions on others chicken Caesar salad make us THE low-fareand the demands these consequences impose airline from Houston to Las Vegas? Because if iton him. Only time will prove the merit of his doesn’t help us become the unchallenged low-farestewardship. airline, we`re not serving any damn chicken salad.`”
You can see it happening
Seeing it happeningWhen one is vested with the role of a leader, Herb Kelleher [the longest-serving CEO ofhe inherits more freedom. e power of Southwest] once told someone, “I can teach youleadership endows him with rights to a the secret to running this airline in thirtygreater range of self-determination of his seconds. is is it: We are THE low-cost airline.own destiny. It is he who may determine the Once you understand that fact, you can make anywhat or the how and the when and the where decision about this company`s future as well as Iof important events. Yes, as with all rights, can.there is a commensurate, balancing group of “Here`s an example,” he said. “Tracy fromresponsibilities that impose upon his marketing comes into your office. She says herfreedom. e leader cannot avoid the act of surveys indicate that the passengers might enjoydetermining the what or the who or the a light entree on the Houston to Las Vegas flight.where. He cannot avoid being prepared to All we offer is peanuts, and she thinks a nicemake those determinations. He cannot avoid chicken Caesar salad would be popular. What dobeing prepared to make these terminations. you say?”He cannot avoid seeing to their e person stammered for a moment, so Kelleherimplementation. He cannot avoid living with responded: “You say, `Tracy, will adding thatthe consequences of his decisions on others chicken Caesar salad make us THE low-fareand the demands these consequences impose airline from Houston to Las Vegas? Because if iton him. Only time will prove the merit of his doesn’t help us become the unchallenged low-farestewardship. airline, we`re not serving any damn chicken salad.`”
We’ve built a web site to help build your story spotting skills
http://thestorytest.com
It’s difficult tofind a story whenyou need it.It’s better to buildyour story banknow for whenyou need it later.
ere are lots oftypes of stories totell that areimportant forbusiness, such as:Who am I storiesI’m like you storiesStrategic stories But the simplestLearning stories advice for beginners is to make a point, tell aand more ... story illustrating that point, then give your reasons, and then reiterate your point.
If you would like to learn more, why not comealong to one of our one day public workshops.http://www.anecdote.com/public-workshops
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