webinar - authentic storytelling with greenpeace: a 10 step process 09-14-2017

Authentic Storytelling with Greenpeace:

A 10 Step Process

With Tsering Lama, Greenpeace

September 14, 2017

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The Need Is Global – And So Are We

TechSoup’s mission is to build a dynamic bridge that enables civil society organizations and social

change agents around the world to gain effective access to the resources they need to design and

implement solutions for a more equitable planet.

Countries Served TechSoup Partner Location NetSquared Local Group

Where are you on the map?

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Presenters

Tsering Lama

Storytelling Advisor at

Greenpeace International

Host: Susan Hope Bard, Training and Education Manager

Assisting with chat: Molly Bacon, TechSoup

Lewis Haidt

Senior Manager, Social

Media and Online Community

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Ground-Up

Storytelling A 10-Step Process

Tsering Lama, Story Team

POLL QUESTION: What do we mean by “storytelling”?

A) It’s about presentation

A) It’s about connecting with values

A) It’s marketing/branding

A)No idea!

What do we mean by “storytelling”?

(a) Higher order: the foundational ideas/elements of our story

a. Meta or master-narratives b. Narratives & Counter-Narratives c. Visiond. Values e. Identityf. Frames & Metaphors

(b) The craft of storytelling: the

decisions we make about presentation

a. Messengers

b. Conflict

c. Characters

d. Medium

e. Structure/Plot

f. Language

g. Visuals

etc...

Storytelling is not window-dressing

We often think of storytelling as just the presentation (b). As the “last step.” Changing the language here

and there.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Our storytelling has to be grounded in something deeper.

Effective language or visuals begin with ideas -- reflecting our moral perspective, identity, values, vision,

and ways of working etc.

We cannot talk about storytelling

without thinking about power.

Storytelling = World-Building.

To become a storyteller is to

recognize, break apart, and critically

reshape the stories of our world.

How we come to our stories is an ethical

matter.

The process is as important as the outcome.

Ask: Who is at the table? Who isn’t?

Is the story going to be incomplete?

The process must be open, equitable,

and true to ourselves.

Gather a diverse and representative collection

of people in the room.

● Impacted Community Members, Supporters,

Volunteers, Alums, External Guests

Stories are not the domain of specific people.

Stories are everyone’s domain.

● The Problem: narratives we want to dismantle.

● The Solution: narratives we want to champion.

● The Vision: what the world will look like if we win.

● The Values/Frames: what is this project really about?

● The Delivery: how do we want to tell our stories.

● The Audience: who are we trying to reach.

● The Messenger: who is the right messenger to reach

our audience?

The Brief

• Story landscape analysis

• Our Identity

• Our Vision

• Positive trends

• Protagonists

• Antagonists

• Frames & defining the conflict(s)

• Central Questions

• Our Persona(s)

• Create the Story Arc

Our ProcessTo begin to co-articulate

the key elements of the narrative:

I. The Story Landscape:

Exercise to examine existing narratives.

Find stories from:

● Opponents

● Allies

● Other “neutral” powerful players

● Target audience

● Ourselves

Content

What they say

● How do they present the

problem?

● Is a solution possible? If so,

what is the solution?

● What point of entry do they

give to the audience?

Delivery

How they tell their story

● Messengers

● Target audience

● Language

● Imagery

● Symbolism

● Values

● Emotional force

II. Old & New Stories:

● Pull out the “old” or existing dominant narratives

from your analysis.

● Now collectively define the “new” or counter

narratives for each old story.

OLD STORIES VS NEW STORIES

• Cities are socially fragmented

• Experts and politicians know how to solve this. We just wait

• Disaster is unavoidable. The planet is dying.

• Only technology can save us

• Nature is a commodity

• The solutions will fit in the system

• Cities = data

● Cities are a community. Cities are the epicentre of

systemic change. Empathy is the way forward.

● The people have the knowledge and power to change

their cities

● Change is possible. There are possible solutions if we

work together

● People can save people and the planet

● We are part of nature

● Cities = people. We are more than data

II. Our Identity:

● Look at the delivery of the other stories in the landscape.

● Now collectively define how your organization’s way of

working is different.

● Positive but confrontational

● Grassroots

● Humble and listening to the people (bottom up solutions)

● Active change makers, not a think tank

● Brave, willing to fail and learn

● Creative but practical and realistic

● Understanding the human scale, emotions and stories.

We are...

What does “winning” look like for your organization? Do you have

a clear vision?

a) Yes, our organizational vision is concrete and inspiring.

b) Kind of, but it’s vague or underdeveloped.

c) No, our organizational vision is secondary to our day to day

work/problem-solving

d) Not sure!

POLL QUESTION: The Vision

We often skip this…

We think about problems we want to solve.

We think facts are enough to convince people.

III. Our Vision:

Visioning exercise: a day in the life after we “win”...

● What do we see?

● What do we hear?

● What do we smell?

● Who do we now know?

● Identify an individual/group/infrastructure impacted.

● How does it feel?

III. Our Vision:

What’s going right in _______?

What are the positive trends pushing us towards our vision?

IV. Positive Trends:

Who are the key actors pushing these positive trends?

What are their motivations/values?

● Mothers and fathers

● NGOs, movements and collectives

● Youth (students and young urbanists)

● Neighborhoods

V. Protagonists/Audiences*

Who are the opposing actors?

What are their motivations/values?

● Corrupt or captured politicians and their allies

● Urban development corporations

VI. Antagonists

● Frames are ways of looking at an issue, like a lens.

● Framing helps someone understand and interpret what ‘the conflict’ is about--

what is going on, what they should/can do about it, who’s involved, what

solutions are possible

● Frames already exist in our collective psyches, and have been promoted or not

by certain actors. They can often be triggered by a single word and they trigger

values.

VII. Frames

X is really an issue of...

Frames of The Dakota Pipeline:

- An environmental issue

- A human rights issue

- An illegal act

- A religious issue

- An act of colonial aggression

- “Defend the sacred”

- “Water protectors”

- “We are water”

- “Honor treaty rights”

- “Protect public health”

- “Water is life”

- “Stand with Standing Rock”

Climate Change as:

- An environmental

issue

- A security threat

- Violence

- An economic issue

- A moral issue

- A gendered issue

- A racial issue

- A technological issue

- An issue of economic

inequality

To work, frames must:

● Connect with the values of the audience(s) & the storyteller

● Make sense in terms of existing frames

● Work emotionally (must have emotional power)

● Be introduced in a communication system (spread over the target

population, repeated over time, and have the right messengers).

VII. Frames: X is really an issue of...

Stories can be complex, but the conflict at their heart should be simple.

A classic frame is a “Unity of Opposites”

● loneliness vs. human connection

● sick vs. healthy

● gray vs.colourful

● segregated vs. inclusive

● individualism vs. people power

VII Part Two: Define Your Conflict

Stories are about what

comes next.

Every story has a question: What is a central question in your

story?

What are some central questions in global dramas that are

unfolding right now?

i.e. Syria, climate change, Trump?

VIII. The Central Question:

The “voice” of the story. It is who we “hear.”

Every story has a speaker, even when it’s hidden.

The question is...who is the right speaker or persona for your

story?

Your persona should be consciously created based on your

identity.

IX. Your Organization’s Persona(s)

Pull out your cell phones/laptops:

● What is the most common persona that your organization uses?

● Why do you think we use it?

● What are its uses and limitations?

IX. Your Organization’s Persona(s)

Now we sound...

● Young, well-educated, liberal

● Demanding, condescending

● Expert, rational, judgmental

● Negative, problem-focused

● Concerned, worried, threatened

IX. Your Organization’s Persona(s)

We’d like to sound...

● Curious

● Humble

● Enabling, supportive. emotional

● Optimistic, ‘We’re one of you’

● Humourous

Our current persona is useful for:

● Dealing with politicians, corporations,

media, academics

● Inspiring activists

IX. Uses and limitations

The persona we want could be useful for:

● Working with allies

● Working with young people

● Inspiring new people

● Inviting learning

X. Create the Story Arc

Plot out your story now as 3-act structure:

1. Set Up2. Plot Points → Confrontation3. Resolution

X. Create the Story Arc

The Set Up:

● Write down the sequence of events from the past that led to

this moment of conflict.

● The key events that brought us to the present.

X. Create the Story Arc

The Plot Points: Write down the concrete events that you think will

mark your campaign.

1) Plot point I: what is the entry point for your audience?

2) Plot point II: again, what is the entry point for your audience?

Confrontation: Write down what you think will be the climax of your

story.

X. Create the Story Arc

Resolution: You don’t have one yet!*

But what is the dream ending? What is the vision

you’re selling?

Final Steps

Identify the “must-haves” of the narrative:

What are the negotiables and non-negotiables of

each narrative element?

Next Steps:

● Run this session

locally.

● Workshop your story.

● Research your

audience(s).

● Identify best messengers.

● Consider different

mediums of storytelling.

● Get feedback.

● Test! And return to your

story regularly.

Resources

The Stories We Live By: http://storiesweliveby.org.uk/

George Lakoff, Don’t Think of an Elephant: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Think-Elephant-

Debate-Progressives/dp/1931498717

The Art and Science of Framing an Issue:

https://www.lgbtmap.org/file/art-and-science-of-framing-an-issue.pdf

Narrative Stress Test:

http://centerformediajustice.org/resources/narrative-stress-test/

Narrative Initiative Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/588917781e5b6c5189c11818/t/594120b1cd0f68519

2dbb10f/1497440450094/TowardNewGravity-June2017.pdf

Temporary home of Greenpeace Story Team www.moon.greenpeace.org

Thank You!

Reach me via Twitter: @lippointer

Questions

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