When I was 8 …
Designing a session that punches home a new skill in a safe fun space is always my aim.
Challenged with a short timeframe to visit the fundamentals of storytelling in business, I reached for one specific facilitation tool that would help fast-track trust and help with learning the key elements.
We commenced with impromptu story creation – using large CCS cards to quickly piece together a workplace story.
Then we used the individual decks and told a story using one card that sparked a memory … ‘When I was 8 …’
This powerful exercise enabled people to share (in small groups) what occurred when they were 8 and how it shows up in 2023.
Crafting workplace stories wasn’t as easy (they discovered) until we captured a company timeline, recording significant events which unearthed some amazing messages culminating in the comparison to the journey on the yellow brick road in The Wizard of OZ .
What were you doing when you were 8?
How does it connect with what you are doing or not doing now?
Storytelling in business is a powerful time-saving and meaningful skill to learn and practice.
These 5 elements guide story creation and delivery:
- Meaning – what needs to be communicated – why do they need to hear this – what’s the key reason
- Message – what keywords, phrases, word pictures, and moral wisdom would express this reason
- Motion – what movement are you seeking, what emotion and feeling will create action – what do you want the listener to feel/do/think/act on
- Memory – handwrite your thoughts, craft them into a story, and practise it to recite it
- Minute – deliver within one minute
What skills do your leaders need to effectively and efficiently communicate in business?