Storytelling

How many times have you been

by a good story?

Why Tell a Story?

Stories can communicate ideas in the strongest possible way

Stories can uplift andinspire an audience

Storytelling infiltratesthe minds of audiencemembers and givesthem new insightsand perspectives

Storytelling is an essential skill

for leaders who want to capture the

imagination of their employees

and spur change

Communication & Perception

How many legs do

you see?

Definitioncom·mu·ni·ca·tion

•an act or instance of transmitting•a process by which information is

exchanged between individualsthrough a common system of symbols,

signs, or behavior

communication•c.1384, "to impart, share,“

lit. "to make common”

Strive first to understand, then be understood

Everyone wants to be heard and understood for who they are. Each person wants to be

appreciated and valued.

When you listen, magic happens.Listening allows a leader to been seen as a servant, not parent, judge, or critic. Listening

builds others. Listening builds trust.

Model for Communication

Model for Communication

OTHER SELF

message

responseperceive respond

respond

PersonalFilter

interpret

feeling

intentioninterpret

feeling

intention

PersonalFilter

perceive

Fission vs. FusionDivision of labour, separation,

split apart, individualism

Control ”over” others.

Clear boundaries, information andresponsibilities by levels and functions

Organizational goals, targets, rules, standards:

1.Hierarchy of authority 3. Organizational Control2.Bottom Line 4. Individual Incentives

Fission vs. FusionJoining, coming together, connection,

relationship, community.

Control ”with” others.

Absence of boundaries, sharing or informationand responsibility, unity, wholeness.

Common ground of shared vision,values, norms, outcomes.

1.Mindfulness2.Vision3.Heart

4.Communication5.Courage6. Integrity

Conventional1. Talk2. Persuade other to act3. Focus on work issues

4. Transmit data

5. Cultivate impersonality

Fusion1. Listen2. Discern other’s needs3. Focus on big picture, frame

of reference, meanings.4. Transmit symbolic images,

stories5. Cultivate face-to-face contact

Communication Shift

Conventional

6. Assign next task7. Direct message to “head” 8. Answer questions9. Controlled access

Fusion

6. Celebrate completed task7. Direct message to “heart”8. Ask questions 9. Flood information across

boundaries

Communication Shift

What are we really saying?

Words7%

Tone38%

Body Language

55%

Communication is 7% about WHAT you say and 93% about WHO you say it to!How do you think the communication pie is divided?

E.A.R.

16McKinley Solutions 2007 ©

E - EXPLORE using open-ended questions such as "What" and "How“

A - ACKNOWLEDGE by paraphrasing what you think the message was

R - RESPOND appropriately

17

Stages in the Listening Process

Hea

ring

Atte

ntio

n

Und

erst

andi

ng

Rem

embe

ring

Eval

uatin

g

Res

pond

ing

Harnessing The Power

• Shape how others see you

• Are tools of power

• Persuade

3 Reasons

• A goal• Grab attention• Engage• Enable

Successful Elements

Story Telling / Story SellingThe Center for Science in The Public Interest had to convey the message that the 37 grams of saturated

fat in a medium bag of movie buttered popcorn is unhealthy – the daily recommended max is 20 grams

The message - "A medium-sized 'butter' popcorn at a typical neighborhood movie theater contains more artery-clogging fat than a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, a Big Mac and fries for lunch, and a steak dinner with all the trimmings - combined!“

The message stuck!

Leadership is About Change…

It’s about taking people from where theyare now to where they need to be.

The best way to get people to venture into unknown terrain is to make it desirable by taking

them there in their imaginations.

When telling Your stories:

Be authentic

Pay attention to your audience

Practice

Create an experience

“Stories give people enough spaceto think for themselves.”

Annette Simmons

Categories of Stories

Tell different types of stories toachieve different outcomes.

Ignite Action

Leadership is about getting people to

change. Your story can be the spark that ignites the needed change in

your organization.

CommunicatingWho You Are

• Establish identity and trust

• Until people understand your identity and purpose, they cannot trust you.

• Your listeners’ ability to trust in whoyou are becomes the connection that serves as a conduit for your message.

Instill Organizational Values

Compelling stories engage people on a personal level and bring values to life.

Foster CollaborationMovingly recount a situation

that listeners have also experienced and thus prompts them to share their own

stories about the topic.

Neutralize Gossip& Rumour

Use a story to convince listeners that the gossip is either untrue or unreasonable.

Share Knowledge

People gather knowledge by translatingtheir stories and other people’s stories

into learning experiences.

Lead Peopleinto the Future

Leaders’ stories can enable employees toenvision the future. Tell a credible, compelling

story about the future and create a link between what is happening today and a positive result that

will happen tomorrow.

Nurture Innovation

Organizations must innovate to surviveand yet traditional corporate structure

often hinders innovation.

Build Your Brand

A brand is the relationship between a product or company and its stakeholders, such as

employees, suppliers, customers and investors.

“I Know What You are Thinking Stories”

Show empathy and diffuse those who would oppose you.

SITUATION

TACTIC

ACTION

RESULTS

S.T.A.R.

Story TellingStories are the creative conversion of life itself

into a more powerful, clearer, moremeaningful experience.

They are the currency of human contact. ~ Robert McKee ~

So how do you create stories that have an impact and ideas that stick with the listener?

In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heathoutline six basic principles

Six PrinciplesSix principles tend to be at work

when ideas stick:

• Simplicity• Unexpectedness• Concreteness• Credibility• Emotions• Stories

Simplicity

How do we find the core of our ideas?

Unexpectedness

How do we get ouraudience to pay attention

to our ideas?

Concreteness

How do we make our ideas clear?

Credibility

How do we make people believe our ideas?

Emotions

How do we get people tocare about our ideas?

Stories

How do we get people toact on our ideas?

The Curse of Knowledge

Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it's like not to know it.

Our knowledge has "cursed" us - it becomesdifficult for us to share our knowledge with

others, because we can't readily createour listeners' state of mind.

To beat the Curse of Knowledge, you musttake your ideas and transform them so they're

sticky for listeners, using the six principles.

StoryboardingStoryboards are graphic organizers such as a series

of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media

sequence, including website interactivity.

A common misconception is that storyboards are not used in theatre. They are frequently special tools that

directors and playwrights use to understand the layout of the scene.

Storyboards

Storyboards are used today in business for planning ad campaigns, commercials, a proposal or other business presentations intended to convince or compel to action

The technique is a valuable tool in the development of presentations.

Storyboarding Overview

Storyboards go back to the very beginnings of cinema, with Sergei Eisenstein using the technique. In

the world of animation, Walt Disney and his staff developed a Story

Board system in 1928

Storyboards Help to:

•Identify areas where more information is needed•Identify where more analysis is needed

•View the bigger picture•Easily communicate understanding

•Organize the work

Why use Storyboards?

When you put ideas up on Storyboards, you begin to see interconnections, how one idea

relates to another, and how all the pieces come together.

Storyboard Examples

The "brown paper technique”: taping mock-up presentation slides to a large piece of kraft paper

which can be rolled up for easy transport.

The initial storyboard may be as simple as slide titles on Post-It notes, which are then replaced

with draft presentation slides as they are created.

Topic Cards

Start with a topic card, and under the topic card, place header cards

containing general points, categories, considerations, etc

that will come up.

Creative Thinking …

Under the header cards you will put sub-heading cards containing the ideas that fall under each header;

these are the details, ideas generated in the creative-thinking session, ideas that develop or support the headers

Group Dynamics

Storyboarding works well in group sessions.

When developing a storyboard consider all ideas relevant, no

matter how impractical they appear.

• A storyboard is used to brainstorm and capture all the ideas before taking action. The process involves visual thinking and planning, placing ideas on the storyboard and then arranging the components of the storyboard.

The key points to remember are:• Capture all the ideas before taking action• Embrace visual thinking and planning

How to Use A Storyboard

Storyboards are good only if your project needs it.

It depends on the time at hand, the complexity of the business problem, the budget and the resources.

You can use the brown paper wall andstory cards to make a quick storyboard andthen decide which section to detail right now

and which section to pick up later.

When Should YouUse a Storyboard?

Storyboarding

Form small working groups

Using the index cards, start to write your script in storyboard format

Consider the audience

Share collective experiences

Identify subject matter experts within the room

Keep it simple

Break the story into scenes

Make it collaborative

Tell a good story

Points to Keep in Mind

Storyboarding

Mind Map

• A diagram to visually outline information• Condenses material into a concise and

memorable format• Anonymous collaboration• Individual expression of

creativity• Facilitates team building

and synergy• Enhances work morale

Storyboarding

Remember the six principles from Made to Stick

SimplicityUnexpectednessConcretenessCredibilityEmotionsStories

• “Transformational leaders” use communication to inspire and galvanize change

• Grab the audience’s attention by connecting emotionally in a pertinent, unexpected, tailored way

• Enable your audience to envision a better future by stimulating their hopes

• Make data more palatable to your audience by telling emotionally appealing stories

The Language of Leadership… Remember:

Get the audience’s attention

Elicit a desire for a different future

Present data that supports your ideas

Transformational Messages

1. Articulate a clear and inspiring change idea

2. Commit to the story of change

3. Master the audience’s story

Six Enablers (1-3)

4. Cultivate narrative intelligence

5. Make a commitment to telling authentically true stories

6.Deploy the body language of leadership

Six Enablers (4-6)

1. Surprise people with the unexpected2. Use specific examples3. Personalize your message4. Attract appropriate attention5. Tailor your communication approach6. Emphasize the negative

Getting Attention

Seeing is believing

Tell a positive story

Externalise the obstacles to change

Use a metaphor that points to a story

Tell the story of who we are

Offer a positive challenge

Inspire Passionand Commitment

• Stories convey change much more effectively than any Power Point presentation could

• Set your stories in the here and now, and keep them simple and neutral

• Use characters your audience can relate to and let each story build upon previous stories

• Stimulate conversation by asking questions, revealing their feelings, sharing stories, prompting others to tell their stories and being straightforward

The Conversationabout Change

Clear Direction?• Where are you going?

Clear Strategy?• How are you going to get there?

Clear set of Expectations?• What does your team expect

from you ?• What do you expect from the

team?

71McKinley Solutions Inc. ©

The Challenge of Change

1. Why are we changing?2. What is in it for me?3. What can we/I to do

differently?4. What tools/support do we

have?5. How will we be

measured?

© 2011 McKinley Solutions

Guiding Questions

STOP-START-CONTINUEIndividual & Group Challenge:

Use a Start-Stop-Continuetemplate to create specific

action for yourself

73McKinley Solutions Inc. ©

Take Action Now

Mark R. Thompson

w: www.mckinleysolutions.come: mark@mckinleysolutions.com

t: 888-769-1577

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