My Best Tip for More Effective Story Telling
Like everyone else...my life and career is made up of a series of vignettes. Some of these are one-off moments that left a lasting impression and others are like a thread connecting my overall journey.
Do YOU Suffer from Story Overload?
Early in my career I suffered from what can best be described as story overload. I was...and still am...an "over participator" at heart. For every one topic that comes up in a conversation my mind goes to at least10 stories that it wants me to share. I have been working very diligently over the years to "sit on my hands" to try and lay back... pick my spots... and ask questions to give others the space to share. For I am learning that it is more powerful to draw out the stories of others than to always be the story teller. It goes to the Maya Angelou quote....
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Having said that... I do find that story telling is very powerful if you pick your spot... deliver a story relevant to the topic...and that captures the hearts and minds of the audience. If you do it right...it gives others the courage to share theirs too.
The Benefits of Blogging for Story Tellers
One of the ways I have been learning to wrangle my story telling over the years is through blogging. It has enabled a number of benefits and here are a few...
Connecting the Dots. One of the early benefits of blogging was taking advantage of a moment that connected me to a personal or professional story. It was simply about writing it down and not worrying about if it made a lot of sense. Connecting the dots and capturing the story is what mattered most.
Focus & Brevity. Once I got into the habit of writing it all down....with almost reckless abandon...I made it a habit to share with a few folks for immediate feedback & perspective...then I let them sit. It was in the re-visiting the of stories that I was able to shed all the "extras" and cut it all down to the core of the message...learning or observation. I believe this focus and brevity enabled more effective story telling for in-person interactions.
It Cleared the Clutter. I view blogging and writing almost like "freeing up memory on your hard drive". Once you write the story down it makes space to capture more stories. You don't need to scroll through all the thoughts and memories to "get to the point" or choose what part of the story is most meaningful. You already "dealt with it". The story is on an "external device" and you can go grab it any time you want.
Created a Catalog to Draw From. I often say..."there is a blog post for everything". The benefit of this is that I can introduce the story and offer to send the blog post later. That way the audience can consume the story (or stories) at their leisure or not at all. It puts the topic in a neat package...wraps a personal narrative around it and it includes "Questions of the Week for YOU" to prompt stories from the reader.
In Closing
I think we can all agree...story telling can be a very powerful tool if used effectively. Like with most things it can also go serious wrong if not wrangled.
Who among us has not rolled our eyes when a story has gone on too long...is off topic or fails to get to the point?
What about those of us who ALWAYS seem to have a story and it quiets the crowd from telling stories of their own...thus missing an opportunity to learn from multiple voices?
What about those introverts among us where the story doesn't come to mind in the moment or they need more time to be comfortable in sharing?
I have found my comfort zone in blogging. YOU may find YOURs in videoing...vlogging...podcasting...etc... It is only once you "play back the tape" or read the story again a few months later....that you can objectively say "here is the core of what I was trying to say". It is in this practice and preparation that comes greater success.
For those of you who ARE more introverted and stories just don't come naturally...I do see YOU! YOUR stories are probably the most powerful of all... even if they don't immediately spring to mind in meetings or social settings. For this reason...preparation is most likely more important for you. Also the ability to follow up once you have processed a situation to feel comfortable in saying..."I gave the conversation more thought and here is something I would like to share".
Great story tellers WE admire didn't come by it without putting in the time and practice. They simply put themselves out there...kept trying until they found what worked best for them and their audience. They found mentors and coaches...sought feedback and found their groove. They are life long learners who continue to hone their craft.
How about YOU?
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
Can you think of a great story teller that you admire. What makes them good at it and what can YOU embrace to improve in YOUR journey?
Have YOU ever suffered from "story overload" or do you have the opposite problem? What advice would you give for someone in either situation?
Have YOU ever tried blogging or capturing your stories? What do YOU think of the benefits of writing? Would YOU add or change what is captured above?
Can you think of other ways to refine or practice YOUR story telling to be more effective in key moments?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite
