The document discusses using stories rather than just ideas to engage communities more effectively. It explains that stories can create stronger connections between people. It also presents a framework that categorizes different types of situations as simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic and how the approach should differ depending on the situation. The framework suggests that in simple situations, established procedures work best, while in chaotic situations, new actions may need to be taken across multiple domains.

1. Stop repeating yourself
Conveying much more
than ideas with stories
Shawn Callahan
Founding Director
Anecdote

6. Share a moment with your colleagues
about a time when you’ve experienced a
turning point in your efforts to engage a
community. What happened?

7. “The shortest distance between
two people is a story.”
Terrence Garguilo

8. Why?

13. simple
C=E
Standard Operating Procedures
Best practice
One or few good answers

14. complicated
C E
Analysis
Expert mindset
A range of possible answers
simple
C=E
Standard Operating Procedures
Best practice
One or few good answers

15. complex complicated
C C E
E
Analysis
Patterns
Never complete Expert mindset
The stakeholders decide A range of possible answers
what’s good
simple
C=E
Standard Operating Procedures
Best practice
One or few good answers

16. complex complicated
C C E
E
Analysis
Patterns
Never complete Expert mindset
The stakeholders decide A range of possible answers
what’s good
chaotic simple
C≠E C=E
Take action Standard Operating Procedures
Push into the other domains Best practice
One or few good answers
Snowden, D. J. and M. E. Boone (2007). quot;A Leader's Framework for Decision Making.quot; Harvard Business Review November.

20. Do
Remarkable Things

21. Shawn Callahan
shawn@anecdote.com.au
www.anecdote.com.au
twitter: unorder
slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/ShawnCallahan/stop-
repeating-yourself-conveying-much-more-than-ideas-with-
stories