StorytellingforchangeAurélieSALVAIRE
@asalvaireTheAFactor
What is storytelling?Storytellingistheartofusinglanguage,vocalization,and/orphysicalmovementandgesturetorevealtheelementsandimagesofastorytoaspecific,liveaudience.
4elementsofstorytelling1. Storytellingisinteractive:two-wayinteractionbetweenastorytellerandoneormore
listeners:tightlyconnectthetellerandaudience.
2. Storytellingusesactions suchasvocalization,physicalmovementand/orgesture.
3. Storytellingalwaysinvolvesthepresentationofastory - anarrative.
4. Storytellingencouragestheactiveimagination ofthelisteners.
2essentialelements1. Story:narrativeaccountofarealorimaginedeventorevents
2. Telling:live,person-to-personoralandphysicalpresentationofastorytoanaudience
Storytelling predates writing• Storytellingisamongthemostancientofarts.
• Storiesor narratives havebeensharedineverycultureasameansofentertainment,education,culturalpreservationandinstilling moral values.
• Withtheadventof writing andtheuseofstable,portable media,storieswererecorded,transcribedandsharedoverwideregionsoftheworld.
Storytelling hasbeen here forever
• Storiesfunctionasatooltopassonknowledgeinasocialcontext.• Storytellingistheoldestformofpassingknowledge andmuchofhowwelookatwhatweliketocallfactsisinfluencedbystoriesandhowweinterpretthem.
• Storiesareuniversal inthattheycanbridgecultural,linguisticandage-relateddivides.
• Tohearastoryistobetouchedinheartandmind,inbodyandspirit.
Storytellingisameanforsharingandinterpretingexperiences
• Storiesareaprimevehicle forassessingandinterpretingevents,experiences,andconceptsfromminormomentsofdailylifetothegrandnatureofthehumancondition.
• Throughthissharing ofexperienceweusestoriestopassonaccumulatedwisdom,beliefs,andvalues.
• Throughstoriesweexplainhowthingsare,whytheyare,andourroleandpurpose.
• Metanarrative,sometimes also known asmasteror grand narrative,is ahigher-level culturalnarrative schema which orders andexplains knowledge andexperience you've had inlife.
Humans arestorytelling organisms• Humansleadstoriedlives,individuallyandsocially.
• Humanknowledgeisbasedonstoriesandthehumanbrainconsistsofcognitivemachinerynecessarytounderstand,rememberandtellstories.
• Storiesmirrorhumanthoughtashumansthinkinnarrativestructuresandmostoftenrememberfactsinstoryform.
• Factscanbeunderstoodassmallerversionsofalargerstory,thusstorytellingcansupplementanalyticalthinking.
Learning tolisten• Storiesareeffectiveeducationaltoolsbecauselistenersbecomeengagedandthereforeremember.
• Whilethestorylistener isengaged,theyareabletoimaginenewperspectives,invitingatransformativeandempatheticexperience.
• Becausestoriesoftenhavemultiplelayersofmeanings,listenershavetolistencloselyto identifytheunderlyingknowledgeinthestory.
• Storytellingisusedasatooltoteachchildrentheimportanceofrespectthroughthepracticeoflistening.
Stories toheal• Apersonalnarrative process is involved inaperson's sense of personal or culturalidentity,andinthe creation andconstruction of memories;it is thought by some tobethe fundamentalnature ofthe self.
• The breakdownofacoherent or positivenarrative hasbeen implicated inthe developmentof psychosis and mentaldisorder,andits repair said toplay an important roleinjourneysof recovery.
• Narrative Therapy is aschool ofpsychotherapy andtherapeutic storytellingistheactoftellingone'sstoryinanattempttobetterunderstandoneselforone'ssituation.
Stories toempower• Some approaches treat narratives aspolitically motivated stories,stories empoweringcertain groups andstories giving people agency.
• Political theorist, HannahArendt argues that storytelling transformsprivatemeaning topublicmeaning.
Stories asamarketingtool
• Formanymulti-mediacommunicationcomplexinstitutions,communicatingbyusingstorytellingtechniquescanbeamorecompellingandeffectiverouteofdeliveringinformationthanthatofusingonlydryfacts.
• Storytellingisincreasinglyusedinadvertisingtodayinordertobuildcustomerloyalty.
• Storiesareillustrative,easilymemorableandallowanyfirmtocreatestrongeremotionalbondswiththecustomers.
Ourbrainsarefarmoreengagedbystorytellingthanbycold,hardfacts.• Whenreadingstraightdata,onlythelanguagepartsofourbrainsworktodecodethemeaning.• Butwhenwereadastory,notonlydothelanguagepartsofourbrainslightup,butanyotherpartofthebrainthatwewoulduse ifwewereactuallyexperiencingwhatwe'rereadingaboutbecomesactivatedaswell.• Thismeans it'sfareasierforustorememberstoriesthanhardfacts.• Storiesallowustocaptureourlisteners’attention,buttheyalsomakeitmorelikelythattheywillremember whatwearetellingthem.
Storytelling helps you toremember the facts• Rememberthatgreatteacherthatusedtotellstoriesaboutwhathewasteachingandhowthosestoriesmadeyourememberbetterwhatyoulearnedascomparedwiththatboringteacherthatjust‘teached’andwhosenameyouhaveprobablyforgotten?
• Finallywearesocialanimalswithlanguageastheultimatewayofcommunicating,expressingemotions,perceivingtheworldaroundusandourselvesandevensimplybeing.
The importance ofmastering your narrative
Storytellingforchange
• Acumenbelievesthatstorytellingisanessentialtoolforchangingthewaytheworldtacklespovertybecauseitstartswithchangingconversations aroundwhatwesee,hear,feelandknowtobetrue.
• Changeleadersseetheworld'spotential,andtellpowerfulstoriesthatinspireaction.
Storytellingforchange• Objective:totell stories that illuminate the issues shaping our world and then invitethe audience tobecome engaged.(Jeff Skoll)
• Digitalplatform, TakePart.com:empirical evidence that you canboth entertain andaccelerate positive socialchange.
• Participant Media is aleading media company dedicated toentertainment that inspires andcompels socialchange.
• Participant’s morethan 70films, including Spotlight, Contagion, Lincoln, The Help, HeNamed MeMalala, The LookofSilence, CITIZENFOUR, Food, Inc., and An Inconvenient Truth, have collectively earned 50Academy Award®nominations and11wins, including Best Picturefor Spotlight.
What is astory?• If anarrative is basically what happened,astory takes it tothe nextlevel.
• It creates astructure toseek andhold far moresignificance.
• It hasameaning.
Whatisagoodstory?• Astoryisaselectivebatchofinformation.• Don’ttrytosay too much!
• Simple• Catchy• Personal• Authentic• Relevant
Thehero’sjourney
HowtoStructureAStory:TheEight-PointArc1. Stasis:normallife2. Trigger:when…3. Thequest4. Surprise5. Criticalchoice6. Climax:highesttension7. Reversal8. Resolution
Mixing3keyelements
How towrite agood story• Clearmoralorpurpose – there’sareasonwhyyou’retellingthisstory,tothisaudience,atthistime.
• Personalconnection – thestoryinvolveseitheryou,orsomeoneyoufeelconnectedto.
• Commonreferencepoints – theaudienceunderstandsthecontextandsituationofthestory.
• Detailedcharactersandimagery – haveenoughvisualdescriptionthatwecanseewhatyou’reseeing.
• Conflict,vulnerability,orachievementwecan relate to – showusthechallenges.
• Pacing – there’saclearbeginning,ending,andseguewaybacktothetopic.
Exposing your vulnerability
How towrite agood story• Keepalogofstorycontent.• Whenyouhaveimportantpoints,matchthemwithastory.• Practicethem.• Don’ttrytobeperfect.Allowyourselftobevulnerable.• Usegoodstorystructure.
How towrite agood story• Startwiththemessage• MineyourownexperiencesThebeststorytellers looktotheirownmemoriesandlifeexperiences forwaystoillustratetheirmessage.Whatevents inyourlifemakeyoubelieve inthe ideayouaretryingtoshare?• Don’tmakeyourselfthehero• Highlightastruggle• Keepitsimple.Lessismore:choose!• Practicemakesperfect
How towrite agood story• Paintthescene. Toomuchdetailcanbore,andthesamegoesfortoolittledetail.• Includeyourreactionstotheeventsthatunfolded.• Adddialogue.• Establishthenorm,andthencontrastthatwithhowaneventdidn'tgoasexpected.• Onceyouestablishthenormofthestory,describetheturningpoint.• Post-CommentaryWrappingUp. Youcanrecovermanybadstoriesbyaddinggoodpost-commentary.Thepost-commentaryallowsyoutoreflectbackonwhathappenedandmakewittycommentsaboutit.
How towrite agood story:5elements1. Setting(whereyourstorytakesplace)2. Character(thehero/heroine/protagonistwhohasadventures)3. Plot(theeventsthatunfold,thearcofwhathappens)4. Conflict(theobstaclesthecharactersencounter)5. Theme(theresolutionoftheconflict,what'sbeenlearnedalong
theway)
Thestoryofme,thestoryofus,thestoryofnow“…publicnarrativeiscomposedofthreeelements: astoryofself,astoryofus,andastoryofnow.
AstoryofselfcommunicateswhoIam– myvalues,myexperience,whyIdowhatIdo.
Astoryofuscommunicateswhoweare– oursharedvalues,oursharedexperience,andwhywedowhatwedo.
Andastoryofnowtransformsthepresentintoamomentofchallenge,hope,andchoice.”
Thegoodnews
• Youalreadyknowhowtotellagoodstory. Youdo.You'vebeentellingstoriesyourentirelife.
• Storytellingiswhatpsychologistsrefertoasan"unconsciouscompetence"-- askill,likewalking,eating,orcomplainingthathasbecomesecondnaturetous.
Solet’s doit!
First:find your why!
Identifyyourmessage
Identifyyourmessage
WHAT:neo-cortex (language)
WHY:limbic brain- decision, behaviour change
Identifyyourmessage:drawyourgoldencircle
Second:pickastory!• Whatisthestoryandnarrativebehindeverythingyoudo asabrand,rangingfromwhatyoustandfortothereasonwhyyoudevelopedsolutionXordecidedtosupport‘goodcauseY’?
• Think about how your brand was born,what inspired you tocreatethe company andwhat your personalmission is.
Findinspirationinyourlifeexperiences
Third.Structure the whole speech!• TheGrabber. Grabyouraudience’sattentionwithananecdote,aquestion,astartlingstatisticorathought-provokingquotation.• TheMessage. Followthegrabberwithaone-linestatementthatsuccinctlytellstheaudiencewhatyourpresentation isabout.• TheClosure. Sumupyourmainpointsinonesentenceandgiveyourcalltoaction.• Thiscouldbeadirectclosesuchas“visitourwebsite”oranindirectclosethatremindspeopleofthehardshiptheywillendureiftheydon’ttakeaction.Reallypowerfulspeechesalsoreconnectwiththebeginningofthespeechinsomeway.Thisalsoavoidstheembarrassmentofhavingtotelltheaudiencethatyouhavefinished.Thechallengeistohaveagrabberthatallowsaneasyreferralback.
Third.Structure the whole speech!
QuestionWordPhraseStat
Grabber
WhoWhatWhenWhereImpactConclusion
Story
StatsNumbers
Impact
YourproductOrservice
Solution
Whatdoyou expectfromtheaudience
Calltoaction
1clearslogan/1summary phrase/Tweet /headline
Andnow the telling!
Andnow the telling!• Anchoryourself• Openyourshouldersandarms• Makeeyecontactwiththeaudience• Usefacialexpressionstoconveyyourfeelings• Enunciateandvaryyourrateofspeech• Powerposebeforegettingonstage
• SMILE!
Stories aretold,not read.• ThestorytellerconnectswiththeaudiencewhenthereisnoPAGEbetweenthem!
• Pleaseknowyourstory“byheart”butnotbyrotememorization.
• Astoryteller learns/internalizesthestoryandthenrecreatesitfrommemory,usingvoiceandbodytoconveyhisorherunderstandingofthestory'smeaningandnuances.
Start andend with aboom!• Startintheaction.Haveagreatfirstlinethatsetsupthestakesorgrabsattention.
• SteerclearofmeanderingendingsTheykillastory!Yourlastlineshouldbeclearinyourheadbeforeyoustart.
• Knowyourstorywellenoughsoyoucanhavefun!
Alwaysassumethatyouraudienceconsistsofgood,thoughtfulpeople
Leverage mindfulness toovercome stage fear
Leverage mindfulness toovercome stage fear
Leverage mindfulness toovercome stage fear