The Corporate Storyteller

At the center of a person's character is his/her value system, according to the Singapore Ministry of Education's new education plan. I couldn't agree more. Values are at the core of any culture--country, ethnic group, corporate, family, etc., which is why values-based stories are the heart of the Corporate Storytelling system.

The Ministry based its goals for education on the assumption that values "shape a person's beliefs, attitudes and actions"..."and therefore form the core of the framework of 21st century competencies." Do you agree?  















6The middle ring signifies the Social and Emotional Competencies—skills necessary for children to recognise and manage their emotions, develop care and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, as well as to handle challenging situations effectively.















7The outer ring of the framework represents the 21st century skills necessary for the globalised world we live in. These are:













5Knowledge and skills must be underpinned by values. Values define a person’s character. They shape the beliefs, attitudes and actions of a person, and therefore form the core of the framework of 21st century competencies.















6The middle ring signifies the Social and Emotional Competencies—skills necessary for children to recognise and manage their emotions, develop care and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, as well as to handle challenging situations effectively.















7The outer ring of the framework represents the 21st century skills necessary for the globalised world we live in. These are:

Information and communication skills are among three core competencies for success in the global environment of the 21st Century, as identified by Singapore's Ministry of Education. The other two essential skills are:

• Civic literacy, global awareness and cross-cultural skills
• Critical and inventive thinking

Do you agree that these are essential, or are there other skills you believe would help students prepare for careers? If you agree with the skills identified by Singapore's education leaders, how well do you think U.S. schools are preparing students in these areas? Let us know what you think.

Need more sales? Got stories? If you need to boost sales and help your sales staff sharpen their presentation skills, be sure to reserve a spot for a free webinar tomorrow on storytelling to fuel sales. I'll deliver a one-hour introductory session of my trademarked Corporate Storytelling system.


Sponsored by Wright Mature Market Services specifically for owners of senior care facilities, the webinar will cover fundamental points that apply to any type of organization.

You will learn how you can leverage the power of story to engage, inform, inspire and, most of all, illustrate to your prospects exactly how they will benefit from working with you.

The webinar starts at 10 AM Pacific time (11 Mountain, Noon Central, 1 PM Eastern). Be sure to get a seat; space is filling up fast! Register now: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/450066246

Have you heard about storytelling for business but aren't sure how to use it? One powerful way is to tell stories to fire up sales--and you can learn how in a *free* one-hour webinar I'm presenting next Tuesday, March 22. It's at 10AM PDT (11 Mountain, Noon Central, 1 PM Eastern).

Sponsored by Wright Mature Market Services, this presentation is targeted to senior services businesses, but the storytelling tips are applicable to any business in any marketer. And you'll learn three ways to start using values-based stories right away.

Space is limited, so reserve your seat now!

Register here:  https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/450066246

Long before storytelling was an accepted as an essential business tool, Tom Peters was a believer--and his conviction gave me hope! "Symbols, dramas, stories, vision and love--these are the stuff of effective leadership, much more so than formal processes or structures," he said in one of his management books, A Passion for Excellence.

Fueled by a passion for helping organizations craft more effective marketing messages and leadership stories, I re-read Peters' statement frequently. It was included in my own marketing materials as a testimonial to the work I had committed to, and it kept me going when the going was tough.

How about you? Who or what inspires you? Share the stories that feed you and will encourage the rest of us!

If you've been wondering how storytelling can help your organization stand out from the crowd and fuel sales, you won't want to miss the free one-hour webinar I'm presenting next Tuesday, March 22.

Aimed specifically at those in senior services businesses, the presentation will deliver storytelling tips that any business owner or marketer can apply right away. Learn how to:
*clarify your values
*identify authentic stories to tell
*tell different kinds of stories for various purposes
*develop a collection of captivating stories
*tell your stories consistently to engage your markets

The webinar is from 10-11 AM Pacific Daylight Time (11 Mountain, Noon Central, 1 PM Eastern). Space is limited, so reserve your seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/450066246

In the current issue of AARP Bulletin, a column by Consumer Cellular's CEO invites entries to the company's upcoming story contest. Entries will be accepted beginning in August, so entrants have plenty of time to develop their stories--and to get inspiration from some of last year's essays. Hundreds responded to the question, What does it mean to be a grandparent?

Even if you're not planning to enter what's now known as the Grandparent of the Year competition, you may want to check out the 2011 winner, "The Grandparent I Want to Be." Go to www.consumercellular.com

If you need to boost sales and help your sales staff sharpen their presentation skills, you'll want to reserve a spot for a free sales storytelling webinar I'll be presenting March 22. I'll deliver a one-hour introductory session of my trademarked Corporate Storytelling system.

This particular webinar is being offered on behalf of Mature Marketing Services specifically for owners of senior care facilities, but the fundamental points that I'll be covering apply to any type of organization.

You will learn how you can leverage the power of story to engage, inform, inspire and, most of all, illustrate to your prospects exactly how they will benefit from working with you.

The webinar starts at 10 AM Pacific time (11 Mountain, Noon Central, 1 PM Eastern). Space is limited, so register now:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/450066246

When jobless rates are high across the U.S., it seems contradictory to report that many jobs go unfilled. But that's the case, and it's in large part due to a lack of job-skills training.

In an op-ed piece in the Seattle Times, a Seattle-area leader whose resume includes positions as a Boeing executive and deputy Seattle mayor, reports sobering findings of a recent study:
1) one-third of manufacturing companies experienced shortages of qualified workers even at the height of the recession
2) one-half of all new jobs created in the next seven years will require more than a high school education, and
3) the rate of high school graduation in the U.S. ranks in the bottom third among developed nations

Bob Watt advocates for increased allocation of resources for retraining of current workers, for K-12 education, and particularly among at-risk populations, early education from pre-school on. He says starting early is crucial to "lay the foundation for the skills businesses will need" in the future.

Do you agree? Tell us what you think the best solution is to improving job skills training.

Stories from places around the globe are now available at the push of a button through an exciting new social-media platform, Broadcastr.com. It's like having a guided tour with you wherever you go and whenever you feel like hearing about someone's experience in another part of the world. And it's free!

Katherine Boehret reports on the new platform in today's "Wall Street Journal," describing how the company has partnered with a number of organizations that supply stories about specific locations pinpointed on a world map.

Listeners can share their favorites with friends via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter. Individuals also can upload stories although the reporter didn't meet with success on her two efforts to contribute to the collection.

Currently the service is available as a browser-based app that uses Adobe Flash, but a mobile app for Android and iPhone users will be released later this month.