Business Storytelling - The # 1 Business Skill of the Future

Here is a link to a great article about the future of storytelling in business.  The article points out that storytelling is a current buzzword in business and marketing and yet it has been around for years.  I think we got away from true business storytelling when technology became easily accessible.  PowerPoint ruled the day with fact, figures and fatigue. 

Although I do not watch the show regularly, the article made me think of Shark Tank.  I wonder how many people get turned down because they spend their time trying to convince the sharks with facts and figures instead of a good story.  Something to think about if you are planning on trying out for the show.

Check out the article and let me know what you think.

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130802112108-7374576-this-will-be-the-1-business-skill-of-the-next-5-years?trk=mp-author-card

Business Storytelling - Now in the Wall Street Journal

A post in a LinkedIn group had the title,

You know corporate storytelling has been mainstreamed when it's in the Wall Street Journal.

 Well, that certainly is eye catching.  I then read the article about Paul Andrew Smith.  Mr. Smith has written a book, Lead With a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire.  Interesting title and different from other books I've read so far on the topic.  Normally books show how to use a story and when, very few attempt to teach how to craft a story.  

Here is a link to the WSJ article.  I have not read Mr. Smith's book yet so I cannot comment on its effectiveness but there are good tips in the article itself on how to create a compelling business story. 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303482504579177651982683162#!

Business Stories - Ten Tips Article

Just saw this blog about top 10 tips for Corporate Storytelling.  Many of the tips are right on.  Tip 3 about transformation is important to think about as you create your business story.  What was the transformation that occurred and why is it important to your audience.  Focusing on the change will help you choose the appropriate story for each situation. 

And tip one is crucial.  Robert McKee years ago covered this in an interview with Harvard Business Review.  If a leader only tells stories that are all positive about himself or the business the audience is easily turned off.  Real life has up and downs, the good comes with the bad to some degree.  Your stories should also have some good and bad.  What was the problem, how did you overcome it and what unforeseen obstacle got in the way. 

Check out the full ten tips here.  http://www.evolvingcareers.com/top-10-tips-to-corporate-storytelling

Business Stories: For Innovation

The following blog included some great points for creating and telling powerful business stories.  One point I might argue with is in the paragraph, What Comes First.  Unless you are a brand new company, a culture and values already exist.  You may think you know what those are and spend time outlining them for the stories however, if those values do not truly exist within the company the new stories will be suspect. 

First determine what informal stories are floating around that reflect the true values of the company.  Find out the stories of employees and clients.  Then determine if they are aligned with what you believe are the values.  If they are, go forth and create stories to reinforce your position.  If not, then you need different stories, stories of change.  How do you plan on getting from the company you are now to the company you envision. 

Take a look at the blog post, it is succinct and informative. 


http://www.affinnova.com/blog/bid/126332/The-Art-of-Storytelling-for-Innovation

Business Storytelling: Leadership Stories

Stephen Denning a leader in the corporate storytelling world is featured in the following TedX video.

http://pinterest.com/pin/43276846389989604/

Take a listen, like always he makes some great points.  His Titanic analogy is perfect. 

Business Stories: Are you struggling?

Getting started is tough.  Focusing the story is tough.  With these story rules from Pixar creating stories is made easier.  Check out the link.  Short, to the point tips for creating good stories.  Fiction or business it does not matter the story format is the same.

http://www.pixartouchbook.com/blog/2011/5/15/pixar-story-rules-one-version.html

Business Stories: Capture an Audience

From the blog 53 Mind-Blowing, Psychology-Proven Facts You Should Know About Yourself I found the following post "People Process Information Best in Story Form". Short and informative, give it a read.

Suan Weinschenk, of course, starts with a story about when she first realized the power of telling a good story to engage a rather reluctant audience. She then gives tips on story structure and lists several motifs.

Her first motif listed is The Great Journey. I sat in a Donald Davis workshop when he said ALL stories are about the journey. When you look at the other motifs you can see that indeed they all involve a journey of some kind, physical, emotional, or intellectual. Stories are powerful because they show a transformation giving hope that we too can change, improve, survive.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/100-things-you-should-know-about-people-part-2#people-process-information-best-in-story-form-9#ixzz1LNy75aj4
http://read.bi/iImfCE

Stories for Non-Profits

The following link has a brief article about the importance of stories in the non-profit world. Andy Goodman is the author and he not only discusses why stories but gives a brief overview on how to create a story and what type of story.


http://tinyurl.com/6xcl966

Business Stories: Tell to Win

Peter Guber is a hollywood giant who has written a book, Tell to Win. He was interviewed recently for Fast Company and said "I realized that the secret sauce to success is the ability to take facts, bullet points, and data and orchestrate them into an emotional offering so that your audience metabolizes them and then the information becomes resonant, memorable, and actionable."

Some where along the line people starting putting together presentations with fancy computer graphics, graphs, and charts thinking that numbers, ROI, would be enough to sell their ideas. Peter is right the ROI will never convince people, because let's face it it comes back to what's in it for them, that's a bit more emotional then just the numbers. Yeah, profit is for them but not the only motivating factor.

I especially like his commentary on stories in social media read on:

"Narratives that work in social networks are the exchange of stories that are told well. They get paid forward and go viral. And if you only have 140 characters, you have to be elegant in creating that emotion. And when emotion is bonded with information, it becomes more resonant and memorable. That's the way our brains work."

Read the whole piece here:http://www.fastcompany.com/1734124/peter-guber-tell-to-win?partner=leadership_newsletter

Business Stories: What Hollywood Says

Here is a link to an article "In Film and in Life, The Story is King". I found this paragraph a great summary.

....the stories that drive professional life — the narrative that is part of pitches, résumés, introductions and every conversation about business goals and achievements — work best when they are grounded in emotion. By and large, they require a hero. Dramatic tension and even a few props help.

There is no scientific data included in the article; it is what one man has determined after a lifetime of work in the entertainment business. He espouses the power of story and cites examples of how stories are used, especially in persuasion. He concludes we all use stories but those who take more care and use them purposefully get better results. Take a quick read, it is a short article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/27/business/27steal.html?_r=2&src=busln

Business Stories:The Healing Power of Stories

In Steve Denning's latest newsletter he refers to a recent article in the New York Times about a study done on the power of storytelling in the healing process. For years there has been anecdotal information about how powerful stories can be but no hard data, now there is. See the article at the link below, When Patients Share Their Stories, Health May Improve
By PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D.

In the article there is a link to the study conducted on a group of 300 high blood pressure sufferers.

I did not read the entire study results word for word, I skimmed, however there were some caveats about the results (test size, population locations etc) and I hope that means others will conduct larger studies to generate the data needed to convince skeptics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/health/views/10chen.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=health

Business Storytelling: Fairy Tales for A Sick Boy

I came across this short blog post by a Polish radio station looking to collect stories for a boy in a medically induced coma. Research has, for years, held that patients in comas are somewhat aware of what goes on around them and suggest keeping a positive atmosphere. Often families are encouraged to talk to the patient so that a loved one's voice is heard.

The article does not say if the plan is to record all the fairy tales collected and play a continuous loop in the boys room but I think it would be nice if the parents are able to tell the tales and have a recording play for the boy. It sounds like it could be a nice addition to the healing process offered at hospitals, especially children's hospitals. It could help the parents feel productive and helpful when they are worried and stressed about their child. And if the psychologists are right about the benefits of stories then the parents are contributing in a very positive way to their child's recovery.

See the link below for the short story.
http://www.thenews.pl/national/artykul138983_polish-radio-collects-fairy-tales-for-liver-transplant-boy.html

Business Storytelling: A Story on Stories

The following link was posted on a listserv I subscribe to http://tiny.cc/qd9js. The author Carol Ross wrote with a great deal of energy after a retreat she attended and recognized the power of story to connect. She has some good examples of how story can be used in the work place but the part I like is when she writes about the evolving story:

"Your story evolves, as you evolve. Many years ago, a mentor told the story of being raped. Initially, she told the story as a victim and eventually, after many years, she told the story as a conqueror. A well-known coach has the tag line, "It's all made up." Our stories don't end with one telling but change over many tellings, not because a new detail appears (although that can happen) but because our perspective changes of who we are. The same set of circumstances takes on different meaning, based on where we stand today, rather than five or ten or twenty years ago."

That truly is the healing power of story. When we share stories we spread the burden or the canopy of joy. In one the pain is lessened and the other the happiness is multiplied. Read the short blog post if you have a moment.

Business Storytelling: Stories for healing

Last week in Seascale England there was a shooting rampage that left numerous dead and several wounded. Besides the obvious physical wounds this small, usually peaceful rural community has psychological wounds to deal with.

The BBC interviewed a general practitioner doctor who was one of the first on the scene. He is obviously shaken by the events. In the interview he is asked how people will begin to cope. His answer, story. People need story. You can listen to the whole interview at this link. http://tiny.cc/9p2ty

The Dr. does not go on to explain what exactly he means by story but he mentions that it will help people to understand. Yes story might help them to understand or accept the craziness but story will also help to remember the lives of those lost. Stories of loved ones after a death are comforting, gone but not forgotten.

My sympathies go out to those affected by the shootings.

Business Storytelling: Interview Stories

I just read a great article by Michael Neece, CEO, InterviewMastery.com on the use of stories during the interview process. He gives a lot of the same advice I would give and he does it in a very organized way so that it is easy to follow. The piece that I loved is what he added to the end of his story format, tell them what you learned. That is a critical piece that I had never thought to add. It makes great sense, you explain the whole process and then like Aesop you give the moral. Nice, Michael thank you.

If you would like to read the whole article (if you are job hunting I think you should) the article title is Telling Structured Stories, here is the link:

http://www.net-temps.com/careerdev/career-tools/career-advice.html

Business Storytelling: Stories for the hire process

A friend just sent a link to an article on the use of stories in the job search. The link is https://sales.theladders.com/career-advice/life-story-boring. It is a quick read and basically encourages job seekers to think about their story and use it during an interview process.

I agree whole-heartedly but here are a couple of tips to keep in mind. The story should be short. My suggestion is about 2 minutes, no more. It is amazing how much you can say in 2 minutes when prepared so that your comments are focused.

Don't worry about bragging on what a great job you did on a project. The interview process is a time when you should feel free to talk about your accomplishments. Sometimes working with another person to get the story out and polished is the best tact. We don't always recognize the good stories; we think they are just run of the mill but a friend will let you know what really resonates.

Remember when the interviewer says "Tell me about a time when....", she is asking for a story so give her one.

Lawyers use stories

The following article was sent to me and I found it fascinating, lawyers admitting to telling stories to win. Actually the article is very good and focuses on the importance of telling stories from different perspectives. That's a great way to see holes in your arguments as well as learning to walk in someone elses shoes for awhile.

Here is the link. http://westallen.typepad.com/idealawg/2009/07/little-red-riding-hood-was-no-victim-the-wolf-was-framed.html

WOW Stories

Some time ago I read "The Elements of Persuasion: Use Storytelling to Pitch Better, Sell Faster & Win More Business" by Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman. A great book but one piece really stuck with me, the WOW stories from Ritz Carlton. Recently I had need to quote it and found a couple interesting links on the web. The first one listed here is from Business Week online and tells quite a bit about the management at the hotel
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2008/sb20080229_347490.htm

The other link is to a piece directly from the book. I highly recommend reading this book if you have ever been in the position of needing to persuade someone of something.
http://www.anecdote.com.au/archives/2008/08/imbuing_your_wo.html

Think about creating your own WOW stories, for customers, family, business start up, just about anything really.

The Use of Story in Video

Below is a link to a webiste for a video production company. The author makes great points about the need to tell your story when producing a video. If you are thinking of using video in your marketing then you absolutely should read the attached. Remember it's all about the story.

http://biznik.com/articles/make-video-work

5 Telling Tips

I just got a link to a New York Times blog article on "5 Tips for Telling Better Stories". The tips are interesting but what I liked was the note about the "increasingly popular storytelling movement". The article also talks about how we all use stories in our day-to-day happenings. If you get a chance check it out, it's cool that the New York Times is talking about storytelling and not just for kids. Try this link but if it doesn't work (I had a problem linking directly) just go to the New York Times site and type in the title.

http://shiftingcareers.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/5-tips-for-telling-better-stories/?scp=1&sq=5%20tips%20for%20telling%20better%20stories&st=cse