Story Telling - Steve Denning

 Be clear on why you are telling it

 Keep it simple and accessible

 Try using more than one medium

 Monitor how the story is received

 Hone your story-listening skills

 Sparking action (springboard stories)

Describe how a successful change was implemented in the

You will need a story that:
past, but allows listeners to imagine how it might work in their
situation.

In telling it, you will need to: Avoid excessive detail that will take the audience's mind off its
own challenge.

"Just imagine…"
Your story will inspire such phrases as:
"what if.."
 Communicating
Communicating who
who youyou
are are

You will need a story that: Provides audience- engaging drama and reveals some strength
or vulnerability from your past.

In telling it, you will need to: Provides meaningful details but also make sure the audience
has the time and inclination to hear your story.

"I didn’t know that about him!"

Your story will inspire such phrases as: "Now I see what she's driving at!"
 Transmitting values

You will need a story that: Feels familiar to the audience and will prompt discussion about
the issues raised by the value being promoted.

In telling it, you will need to: Use believable (though perhaps hypothetical) characters and
situations, and never forget that the story must be consistent
with your own actions.

"That's so right!"
Your story will inspire such phrases as: "Why don’t we do that all the
time !"
 Communicating who the firm is branding

You will need a story that: Is usually told by the product or service itself, by a credible
third party.

Be sure that the firm is actually delivering on the brand

In telling it, you will need to:
promise.

"Wow!"
Your story will inspire such phrases as: "I'm going to tell my friends about this!"
 Fostering collaboration

You will need a story that: Movingly recounts a situation that listeners have also
experienced and that prompts them share their own stories
about the topic.

In telling it, you will need to: Ensure that a set agenda doesn’t squelch this swapping of
stories- and that you have an action plan ready to tap the
energy unleashed by this narrative chain reaction.

Your story will inspire such phrases as: "That reminds me of the time that I…"
"Hey, I've got a story like that."
 Taming the grapevine

You will need a story that: Highlights, often through the use of gentle humor, some aspect
of a rumor that reveals it to be untrue or unreasonable.

Avoid the temptation to be mean- spirited- and be sure that

In telling it, you will need to: the rumor is indeed dales!

"No Kidding!"
Your story will inspire such phrases as:
"I'd never thought about it like that before!"
 Sharing Knowledge

You will need a story that: Focuses on mistakes made and shows, in some detail, how they
were corrected , with and explanation of why the solution
worked.

In telling it, you will need to: Solicit alternative- and possibly better- solutions

"There but for the grace of god..”

Your story will inspire such phrases as: "Gosh! We'd better watch out for that in future!"
 Leading people into the future

You will need a story that: Evokes the future you want to create without providing
excessive detail that will only turn out to be wrong

In telling it, you will need to: Be sure of your storytelling skills. (Otherwise, use a story in
which the past can serve as a springboard to the future.)

Your story will inspire such phrases as: "When do we start?"

"Let's do it!"
If your objective is : You will need a story that: In telling it, you will need to: Your story will inspire such phrases as:
Describe how a successful change
"Just imagine…"
Sparking action was implemented in the past, but Avoid excessive detail that will take the audience's mind off
(springboard stories) allows listeners to imagine how it its own challenge.
"what if.."
might work in their situation.
Provides audience- engaging "I didn’t know that about him!"
Communicating who you Provides meaningful details but also make sure the audience
drama and reveals some strength
are has the time and inclination to hear your story.
or vulnerability from your past. "Now I see what she's driving at!"
Feels familiar to the audience and
Use believable (though perhaps hypothetical) characters "That's so right!"
will prompt discussion about the
Transmitting values and situations, and never forget that the story must be
issues raised by the value being
consistent with your own actions. "Why don’t we do that all the time !"
promoted.
Is usually told by the product or "Wow!"
Communicating who the Be sure that the firm is actually delivering on the brand
service itself, by a credible third
firm is –branding promise.
party. "I'm going to tell my friends about this!"
Movingly reounts a situation that
Ensure that a set agenda doesn’t squelch this swapping of "That reminds me of the time that I…"
listeners have also experineced
Fostering collaboration stories- and that you have an action plan ready to tap the
and that promts them share their
energy unleashed by this narrative chain reaction. "Hey, I've got a story like that."
own stories about the topic.
Highlights, often through the use
"No Kidding!"
of gentle humor, some aspect of a Avoid the temptation to be mean- spirited- and be sure that
Taming the grapevine
rumor that reveals it to be untrue the rumor is indeed dales!
"I'd never thought about it like that before!"
or unreasonable.
Focuses on mistakes made and
"There but for the grace of god..”
shows, in some detail, how they
Sharing Knowledge were corrected , with and Solicit alternative- and possibly better- solutions.
"Gosh! We'd better watch out for that in
explanation of why the solution
future!"
worked.
evokes the future you want to
"When do we start?"
Leading people into the create without providing excessive Be sure of your storytelling skills. (Otherwise, use a story in
future detail that will only turn out to be which the past can serve as a springboard to the future.)
"Let's do it!"
wrong
Telling the Story Right
1. Characters – give life to people

2. Stress words & Pauses

3. Drama - feel & show the

emotion

4. Scenery - make it visual

5. Conversational

6. Time - crisp, short sentences

7. Rehearse but be spontaneous

8. Practice, Practice, Practice!