Telling Stories - Can You Help?

[Doug Shaw]

I've been reading a lot about the power of story telling recently, and how it's under utilised in the business world. So - I've decided to have a go. This is fiction reflecting reality, at least that's the idea. Chapter One is up and running and sets the scene, focussing on the need for, and importance of employee engagement. I have a few more chapters lined up and I'm hoping people will give me real life stories that I can then rework and add to the book. If you have time to take a look, perhaps you could tell me what you think of this idea? Thanks so much - Doug

http://stopdoingdumbthingstocustomers.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/jp-wilsons-magical-customer-experience-maker/

[Doug Shaw]

Thanks for getting in touch. Realise I don't need fiction Eileen, was just trying to find something different. Will track down the book you mentioned. Mind you, as Brittney references, story telling is under utilised so maybe I'm trying too hard? I've got a few days off and then I'l lbe back with a couple of chapters, maybe I'll try different ways of telling the same story and see what you and others think.

Thanks for helping me on my journey

[BrittneyMaxfield]

Doug,

You might find this article interesting, It's titled, "The Power of Stories".

It's an edition of the Crucial Skills Newsletter that talks specifically about the power of stories. The author, Kerry Patterson, tells a fascinating story in the full article to really get his point across. However, here is the meat of the article that applies to you:

"I mention this because stories don’t get much attention in today’s world of management education, and they should. Terse expressions, bulleted lists, and Powerpoint slides, while brief and to the point, can never carry the punch of a well-told story. Stories are not only more believable than stark statements of opinion or fact but they also provide insight into the story teller’s character. Told well, stories provide both the intellectual and emotional Velcro required to help us connect to the other person as a living, breathing, vulnerable—and ultimately likeable—human being.

Nevertheless, you’ll probably never find a story-telling class taught in an MBA program, and leaders will continue to give speeches and pep talks that are bereft of the very details that would make their points both believable and interesting. Parents can also make better use of stories. For instance, preaching to your teenager about the evils of smoking is likely to be far less effective than telling the story about the time you visited the local cancer ward and watched a woman puff on a cigarette through a hole in her neck.

Some people have an intuitive sense for the power of stories. I’ll never forget the time I watched an executive fall under verbal attack in an all-hands meeting as an employee accused him of cutting and running. The senior leader had just announced that he would be taking an extended leave at a time when the company was in financial trouble. When the employees questioned the leader’s loyalty, rather than becoming defensive or shrugging off the accusation, the leader shared that he too was worried about the company’s stability. Then he broke from a hundred years of corporate tradition and talked human being to human being. He explained that he was also concerned that he and his son had been drifting apart. Consequently he had decided to take time away from work to travel with his boy as a way of reconnecting before it was too late.

Instead of giving the buttoned-down, corporate version of the importance of finding work/life balance, he told a highly personal and enlightening story. By the end everyone understood exactly why he had made his choice and nobody questioned his loyalty.

Stories can do that. "

[Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE]

One does not need fiction to hold an audience of readers or listeners. For over 25 years, I've been telling stories (professional and personal) with each teaching point. You might look at the book The Leader's Guide to Storytelling. Also, under your "recognition gone wrong" section--perhaps you and members of the network might want to post such stories at a new web site-- www.Boneheadmoves.com Just send your story to [e-mail] Links are also allowed.