Storytelling

The Headline Number

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?

Influence

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?