Why Storytelling Is The Ultimate Weapon
In business, storytelling is all the rage. Without a compelling story, we are told, our product, idea, or personal brand, is dead on arrival. In his book, Tell to Win, Peter Guber joins writers like Annette Simmons and Stephen Denning in evangelizing for the power of story in human affairs generally, and business in particular. Guber argues that humans simply aren’t moved to action by “data dumps,” dense PowerPoint slides, or spreadsheets packed with figures. Plausible enough. I think it’s a real insight. Until recently we’ve only been able to speculate about story’s persuasive effects. What is going on here? And, in this, there is an important lesson about the molding power of story. This is exactly Guber’s point. Guber tells us that stories can also function as Trojan Horses. Guber’s book is relentlessly optimistic about the power of story to persuade. So there are two big lessons to take from Guber’s book and from the new science of storytelling.
Einstein, music lessons and opening the mind
This story is from Jerome Weidman, with no known copyright info. Thanks to Akshar Smriti for posting it. I'm only re-posting to update the formatting. When I was a very young man, just beginning to make my way, I was invited to dine at the home of a distinguished New York philanthropist. After dinner our hostess led us to an enormous drawing room. Other guests were pouring in, and my eyes beheld two unnerving sights: servants were arranging small gilt chairs in long, neat rows; and up front, leaning against the wall, were musical instruments. I use the phrase “in for” because music meant nothing to me. After a while, becoming aware that the people around me were applauding, I concluded it was safe to unplug my ears. “You are fond of Bach?” I knew as much about Bach as I know about nuclear fission. “Well,” I said uncomfortably, and hesitated. “I don’t know anything about Bach,” I said awkwardly. A look of perplexed astonishment washed across Einstein’s mobile face. “Now,” he said. “So!”
Business Story-Telling - Communication Skills Training from MindTools
Using Stories to Inspire Learn how to tell stories that will help you sell products, build trust, or inspire your team. © iStockphoto How many times have you been enthralled by a good story? Maybe you stayed up late to read a novel that you couldn't put down, or watched a movie that you couldn't switch off? Perhaps you pushed yourself harder because you heard a story about a colleague's success, or you changed your opinion after reading a distressing story in a newspaper? Stories can change the way we think, act, and feel. Stories can be powerful business tools, and successful leaders use them to engage their teams. In this article, we'll look at business storytelling – we'll explore when you should use stories, and we'll think about what kind of story you should tell to get the results you want. What is Business Storytelling? People tell business stories to communicate and connect with employees, customers, colleagues, partners, suppliers, and the media. When to use Stories Types of Stories
