story telling mckinley pcma 2014 montreal
TRANSCRIPT
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
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
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
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Stages in the Listening Process
Hea
ring
Atte
ntio
n
Und
erst
andi
ng
Rem
embe
ring
Eval
uatin
g
Res
pond
ing
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
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.
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
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
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: [email protected]
t: 888-769-1577
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