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How to Tell A Story (B): M-323 p. 2
or as groundwork on micro-blogging – to shed insight on what short sentences intrigue and
Good six-word stories fall into several structure types.
• Simple description
o Smart. Funny. Future oriented. Always felt different. (one student)
o Goofball. Jock. Happy-go-lucky. (another student)
• Evocative description
o Mind of its own. Damn lawnmower. (David Brin)
o Road to Boston begins in Napa. (one student)
• Shows development/change in a character or a situation
o Longed for him. Got him. Shit. (Margaret Atwood)
o Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket. (William Shatner)
• Sensationalistic/ attention grabbing
o Tick tock tick tock tick tick (Neal Stephenson)
o With bloody hands, I say good-bye. (Frank Miller)
There are six-word stories that incorporate several of these structures—but for the sake of this
exercise, attempt to craft one that is as specific to each category as possible. When constructing
your six-word stories, keep in mind that what you exclude is as important as what you include.
For further inspiration, see: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/sixwords.html. Also, for
another slice of mini-stories, see: http://www.wdydwyd.com/, where Tony Deifell, executive
director of the Institute for Public Media Arts, allows people to post a picture and an answer to
the question: “Why do you do what you do?” For example, Gloria Steinem, a feminist and
political activist holds up a piece of paper that says: “for the same reason little kids say, ‘It’s not
EXERCISE 2: CREATING A PERSONAL STORY BANK
Creating an inventory of personal stories – an exercise which will serve to get you familiar with
the type of stories you already tell about yourself, or others tell about you. Just focus on the
titles of each story. However, keep in mind that good stories should follow a template or
structure. For example:
Story = Situation/Desire - Complication/Obstacle - Solution/Outcome
Thus, for each of the story titles you write below, ensure the title refers to a story, and not just a
Stories you tell the most often (just write the titles)
How to Tell A Story (B): M-323 p. 3
Stories frequently told about you by a family member
Stories frequently told about you by a friend
EXERCISE 3: ADVOCATING FOR YOURSELF – TELLING THE “WHO I AM” STORY
In this exercise, you will tell a story that will illuminate who you are, what you stand for, why
you are here, and perhaps, hint at where you hope to be going. The goal of this story is to
advocate for yourself - such as trying to get hired or a promotion; transitioning to another role or
position; helping you get where you are going; or simply making it known what your career
vision is to your constituents around you (boss, colleagues, etc.). Thus, your target audience is
the people within your company or organization or those at a target company or organization.
Think of this story as a casual speech. It should have a conversational tone and be effective
without the use of visual aids.
In crafting your story, describe who you are, the path you took that got you where you are today,
and where you aspire to head in the future. Then, describe the organization, the path it took to
get where it is today, and where it aspires to head. Clinch by detailing the connection between
the two. Remember that a description without conflict or a challenge is not a story. And a story
without a resolution is not a story.
• What are your trying to achieve; what is your goal?
• Who is the audience of this story?
• How will the story help you achieve your goal?
• How unique is the story – could anyone have told it (or just you)?
EXERCISE 4: ADVOCATING FOR YOUR COMPANY – TELLING THE “HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT”
In this exercise, you will highlight the (unique) value that your company brings to its consumers.
Rather than using facts and data, and memorizing text, you will craft a story that sheds insight on
How to Tell A Story (B): M-323 p. 4
the unique value that your company or brand delivers. The goal is to sell the audience on your
company’s product/service or to positively influence perception of the company.
As discussed in the “How to Tell a Story” (A) case, one formula for good storytelling is:
Create one “use case story” with two parts: 1) one situation fraught with problems or injustice;
and 2) one where this tension becomes resolved due, in some way, to your company’s
contribution to the marketplace or the world at large. The use case subject could be relevant to a
company you have worked for; one you would like to work for; or for an innovative new
company you envision.
• Describe what life is like for a particular user without the product/service/social good
platform, and then with it.
• Raise the stakes as much as possible by identifying the most dramatic, yet realistic,
situations where the product/service/platform impacts the user’s life.
• Sharply define your user character; his/her situation; and what happens.
Example: If you were telling a story about the Microsoft Office product, you might start by
describing a day in the life of an office worker creating spreadsheets and slide decks before
personal computers existed (or an office worker who uses competing tools such as Google’s
Internet-based apps). You would vividly describe the office worker, his or her environment, and
situation. Then you would want to emphasize the headaches and inefficiencies, showing the
most dramatic consequences. Finally, you would describe the efficient, productive work life of
an Office user. Do the same with this person, her environment, and situation. You might even
connect the dots by showing how the first situation could be transformed into the second by
EXERCISE 5: SHARING BAD NEWS—TELLING THE APOLOGY AND RECOVERY STORY
The power of storytelling is not limited to helping you create positive impressions in your work.
It can also be used to effectively communicate unfortunate news and manage the damage that
can result. In this exercise you will create a story that does both of these.
Your story could deal with a transgression; poor company or team performance; or a broken
promise. The goal of the story is to explain an important turning point and/or re-cultivate trust.
Your story will likely have four parts that correspond to the following structure:
EffectCause SynthesisFuture Course of Action
How to Tell A Story (B): M-323 p. 5
• First, talk about the negative effect or the problem.
• Touch on what the cause of the situation is (in your candid estimation).
• Discuss your interpretation of the situation and what you (or company) learned from it.
• Detail the future course of action that you (or the company or organization) will take as a
Think of each of these four components as acts in a play about your bad news story. Give each
component a beginning, middle, and end—and ensure they flow into each other naturally.
EXERCISE 6: LEADING—TELLING THE “VISION” STORY
In this exercise, you will use the elements of effective storytelling within vision statements by
rewriting weaker vision statements and creating new settings to bring the vision statement alive
in story form.
First, peruse company websites to identify one “vision” statement that you deem especially
effective and one that you deem ineffective. Identify the points that make each statement
effective or ineffective.
Then, using insights from the effective statement, rewrite the ineffective statement to make it
better. Keep in mind your target audience is those inside your organization. Seek to optimally
share your vision for the future.
Finally, devise a clever and unique way, other than through a website, to deliver your message.
You do not need to actually create this medium, but describe it as specifically as possible. For
example, this could be anything from a video presentation featuring the CEO filmed in a location
where the company’s product/service is being used, to a message written in the sky by an
airplane above company headquarters on the day of a product launch.
Below are two short vision statements from Dupont and Nike, that take two different
approaches—one that talks about the company and then about the value provided to users; the
other only talks about the value to users. In this case, then, you could choose which approach
you think is best and then either add information about the company or remove it. Then, you
could detail how you would communicate the message in an innovative way. Perhaps this would
involve showing videos of now-healthy DuPont customers; athletically-inspired Nike employees
on television monitors in elevators within various offices; or video clips of every day people and
athletes that are inspired to train and focus on fitness.
DuPont: “Our vision is to be the world’s most dynamic science company, creating
sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer and healthier life for people everywhere.”
Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
How to Tell A Story (B): M-323 p. 6
Now create a story that illuminates this short vision statement—in a way that is authentic.
An alternative structure for the vision story: Create a story about the future written in the past
tense. That is, write a story about a company 10 years from now and how it has achieved its
vision. This story encapsulates challenges it faces and how it overcame them and can provide a
source of inspiration in the present to achieve the vision in the future. This type of story can be a
powerful tool in instigation change and inspiration, and be a vehicle for goal creation.
FOR FURTHER INSPIRATION
Leader's Guide to Storytelling
By Stephen Denning
The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations
By Stephen Denning
Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations
By Nancy Duarte
The Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture
By Robert Fulford
Storytelling as Best Practice
By Andy Goodman
Narrative Impact: Social and Cognitive Foundations
By Melanie C. Green, et al.
Listening is an Act of Love
By Dave Isay
Telling True Stories
By Mark Kramer & Wendy Call
Improving Your Storytelling
By Doug Lipman
The Power of Personal Storytelling
By Jack Maguire
Corporate Legends & Lore: The Power of Storytelling as a Management Tool
By Peg C. Neuhauser
Tales of a New America
By Robert Reich
How to Tell A Story (B): M-323 p. 7
What If? The Art of Scenario Thinking for Nonprofits
By Diana Scearce & Katherine Fulton
Tell Me a Story: Narrative & Intelligence
By Roger Schank
The Story Factor
By Annette Simmons
The Art of Storytelling: Easy Steps to Presenting an Unforgettable Story
By John Walsh
The Story Handbook—Language and Storytelling for Land Conservationists
By Helen Whybrow