Page 86 - Warwickers Communication Counts v2015
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86 COMMUNICATION SKILLS STORIES * stories
You can entice, inspire, cajole, stimulate and fascinate but
you cannot make anyone listen to anything. Embracing
this fact upfront lets us focus on what we can do. We want
to create curiosity.… not only do you want to be engaging,
but you want your story to be congruent.
Annette Simmons in ‘The Story Factor’
The Skill
How can you use stories to communicate more effectively? Learning how to tell a good story will
increase your ability to influence. To stay interesting as a storyteller stay connected to what is
interesting to your audience plus what is interesting about you and your story. Get specific on hopes,
dreams, annoyances, challenges or secret fears. Create curiosity and always leave them feeling
hopeful. Do not tell a story that is too long or goes nowhere so it is boring. If you are genuinely
interested and passionate you will be interesting.
It is not just about the narrative and being articulate – it is also about message delivery through
appropriate mannerisms, voice and body language.
Listening and learning
Listen to great presenters and how they weave stories and anecdotes into their content. A good place
to start is www.ted.com on ‘ideas worth spreading’.
Encourage storytelling and make sure you listen to others stories at work. Create a safe place for
people to talk and let the stories emerge naturally. Collect anecdotes and stories within the business.
Ask employees to identify patterns and themes from their stories. With large scale change initiatives
look at employing professional storytellers to support your programme.
* Rory’s Story Cubes are a great tool to help you develop your story telling skills – available to
buy at Amazon
You can entice, inspire, cajole, stimulate and fascinate but
you cannot make anyone listen to anything. Embracing
this fact upfront lets us focus on what we can do. We want
to create curiosity.… not only do you want to be engaging,
but you want your story to be congruent.
Annette Simmons in ‘The Story Factor’
The Skill
How can you use stories to communicate more effectively? Learning how to tell a good story will
increase your ability to influence. To stay interesting as a storyteller stay connected to what is
interesting to your audience plus what is interesting about you and your story. Get specific on hopes,
dreams, annoyances, challenges or secret fears. Create curiosity and always leave them feeling
hopeful. Do not tell a story that is too long or goes nowhere so it is boring. If you are genuinely
interested and passionate you will be interesting.
It is not just about the narrative and being articulate – it is also about message delivery through
appropriate mannerisms, voice and body language.
Listening and learning
Listen to great presenters and how they weave stories and anecdotes into their content. A good place
to start is www.ted.com on ‘ideas worth spreading’.
Encourage storytelling and make sure you listen to others stories at work. Create a safe place for
people to talk and let the stories emerge naturally. Collect anecdotes and stories within the business.
Ask employees to identify patterns and themes from their stories. With large scale change initiatives
look at employing professional storytellers to support your programme.
* Rory’s Story Cubes are a great tool to help you develop your story telling skills – available to
buy at Amazon
