When you share your story, do you prioritize continuity or curation of the narrative? Do you have a default mode, or does it depend on the audience? Does the purpose of the story matter? Are you entertaining or making a call to action?
One of Gary Larson’s superpowers was the ability to illustrate THE FAR SIDE from the perspective of ‘in media res’ (in the middle of things). Why The FAR SIDE is a masterclass in storytelling, provides a thoughtful YouTube example. He captures the actions that proceeded in his cartoon panel and suggests the ending.
Try this icebreaker exercise: provide a sheet of paper with three blank cartoon panels and ask team members from your organization to illustrate the enterprise’s strategic plan (or a big project, future expansion, major goal, etc.). When our space for storytelling is truncated, we tend to ground ourselves in the essential plot points. The results of this activity might assist us in telling better stories in the future when we paint a vision of where we want to go.
When is it worth complaining? Is it an emotional reaction, an opportunity to point out areas for improvement, a warning of pending danger, or to address a barrier that requires removal? You can stand in a stall easily if you are a horse that throws a shoe. If your horse is competing in a week-long endurance event trip, reshoeing is required since there is much terrain to cover. Complaining might be warranted in one situation and not as urgent in the other.
Complaining has become an expected or even acceptable form of communication. How might we prepare to respond to those who rely on complaining as their primary communication technique? Roy Kent’s press conference from the Ted Lasso series is a master class in using a story to add perspective to an emotional situation.
What content we project to our audience versus what we experience behind the scenes are often strikingly distinct realities. Some of us focus on the dip between the two existences. Others see the possibility to invest in creating the magic that makes our stories richer and more robust.
Which mindset is your default? How does it impact your approach?
Prioritizing a human-centered approach fundamentally transformed the fan base of F-1. Profiling drivers and their individual journeys provided an access point that previously was not easily accessible. The choice to pivot from the cars and technology to the driver unlocked a new level of engagement and storytelling.
The headline number is the attention grabber. The one that we will mention to a friend or colleague. Headline numbers are often shocking because they represent change our assumptions. They often create a new order of magnitude.
There is a story behind numbers. Scenarios to explore, more depth than the headline. How might you share the narrative that gives more meaning to the headline number? How does the most significant philanthropic gift in the organization’s lifetime become a catalyst for more engagement? How might a moment of unanticipated disruption to service delivery become the moment when your tribe gathers with unprecedented support? What if the headline number suggests it is time to shift your focus?
Headline numbers provide the moment between bounces on a diving board when your audience awaits the take-off and execution. How might you use headline numbers to amplify your work?
Sometimes we have to encounter moments that remind us why we do what we do. Occasionally, we stumble across a memory, place, or event. Other times the moment is created. Return to the summer camp of your youth and recognize the campfire songs and traditions. Immediately, you reclaim a formative experience.
How often do we query why people lack engagement with us? Why do only a few maintain the energy and passion of their first involvement? Perhaps we realize that our interactions are limited to a few unremarkable places at set intervals. What if we put them back on the ski trail and encouraged them to make another joyous run? What if more of our engagements started with anticipation and excitement? What if we thought of ourselves as storytellers who customize remarkable moments?
What-if-concepts 