The Corporate Storyteller

Storytelling Article in Reader's Digest

2007-12-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

It was a thrill when the editor of Reader's Digest-Asia asked me to write an article on Corporate Storytelling in conjunction with my presentations at the Singapore Storytelling Festival and Asian Congress of Storytellers last fall. It was even more thrilling to see the published article in the September issue.

I hope you agree that the graphics are terrific! The content is based on my book, Around the Corporate Campfire, and includes new material, such as an interview with a sales and marketing executive at Microsoft, where a major storytelling initiative was launched in FY2007. The article is at http://www.corpstory.com/Storytelling.pdf

Storytelling in Singapore

2007-12-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Appearances at the Singapore Storytelling Festival and Asian Storytellers Congress kicked off a particulary busy fall season in the world of Corporate Storytelling. I had a crowded schedule for my first trip to Singapore, presenting three full-day workshops and delivering a keynote address between August 28th and September 6. During that time our client and host, the National Book Development Council, not only treated all the presenters to a number of lunches and dinners featuring favorite specialties of Asian cuisine, but also took us on a city tour.

Interest in organizational storytelling is exploding worldwide, and even though most people in Singapore work for the government, they're eager to learn how U.S.-based companies are using stories as a management tool--and how they can, too. All three of the Corporate Storytelling workshops packed the room to nearly overflow crowds, and the participants were fully engaged and totally delightful.

Media coverage of the events included broadcast and print interviews, including an article I authored for a local newspaper. One interview is poste online at: http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/byot/byot74.html

If you'd like to attend next year's storytelling events in Singapore, the dates are set for August 22 - September 7. Information on this year's festival will be supplemented with the new brochure as soon as next year's offerings are booked. To learn more, go to: www.bookcouncil.sg/sisf

Death by PowerPoint

2007-08-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

A helpful tool when used properly, Micrcosoft PowerPoint has been abused so much that the mere mention of the program causes eyes to roll. Who hasn't sat through countless presentations in which the speaker relied on PowerPoint to prompt every word? It can make your eyes glaze over just thinking about how utterly boring that is!

On the contrary, an especially effective presentation is one that engages all three learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. That's what stories do--and that's one of the key reaosns they're powerful. Stories also help the speaker get away from a nervous dependence notes. Once a person begins telling a familiar story, he/she begins talking in a natural manner--and that facilitates personal connections with individuals in the audience.

If you're among those who dread slide presentations, or if you simply want to have a good laugh, take a look at comedian Don McMillan's entertaining parody of the most common abuses of PowerPoint, "Life After Death by PowerPoint". Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLpjrHzgSRM

Tips on Assessing Corporate Culture

2007-08-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

UK-based Melcrum Communications regularly produces reports that help organizations power up their communications, and a recent publication should be especially useful for those who are unsure about the most effective ways to power up performance. Entitled "Driving a High-Performance Corporate Culture", the report features case studies from companies such as IBM, Dell, Ford Motor Credit Company, Gap and Pitney Bowes.

The full report is currently being offered at a reduced rate of $660 (normally a report like this would be $775). An Executive Summary can be downloaded free at http://www.melcrum.com/offer/culture/07d/

Interest in Personal Storybooks Exploding

2007-05-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

Publication of personal memoir books is exploding, according to an article in the Ontario Business Edge. The article features two Canadian women whose businesses specialize in personal memoirs, both of whom entered the business after losing loved ones whose life stories they never knew in depth. Now they both help others capture the stories of loved ones--or themselves--before it's too late.

According to the Association of Personal Historians, thera re 79 million people in the U.S. appraoching retirement, and 37 million are at least 67 years old. "Many feel compelled to capture the stories of their aging parents before it is too late," says Jeanne Arthur, president of APH. Those who have already lost parents regret they didn't capture their stories and are motivated to record their own.

How about you? Have you thought about interviewing your loved ones so you have a better understanding of their life experiences and can create a family legacy? You may want to check out the services of APH members near you. Or like me, you may choose to record your own interviews with one or both parents or other loved ones.

To read the entire Business Edge article, go to http://http://www.businessedge.ca/article.cfm/
newsID/15418.cfm

Storytelling for Stress Relief

2007-05-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

If, like me, you've never thought of storytelling as a therapeutic practice, you also may find a press release from a media company in Toronto to be of interest. CNW Group issued a release last week about the increasing stress levels among the population of the B.C. interior region as flood warnings continue to be issued.

The threats of flooding "put many people under high levels of duress and anxiety at the prospect of displacement, evacuation and damage to personal property", the release says. One official recommends talking with outers as an effective stress reliever. "Storytelling is the natural human way of processing stress andprocessing an event", says Gerry Smith,Vice President of Organizational Health at Shepell-fgi. "It may seem simple, but communicating what we're feeling, what we're going through is our automatic coping mechanism and helps us a great deal."

To read the entire release, go to http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/
May2007/10/c7125.html

The Halo Effect

2007-04-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

An interesting new business book, The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig, advises readers to take most business books (other than his, I assume!) with a grain of salt. His assertion: Information offered in most books of business advice claim to be insights on the findings of scientific research, but instead, he says, the information is little more than good storytelling. The authors relate what happened and make specious connections between supposed causes and the results.

Rosenzweig says that good companies run by effective leaders do many things right, so everything they do benefits from the halo effect of the whole. As a result, it's difficult, without appropriately scientific study, to point to any one practice as the reason for their successes. I agree. In my book, Around the Corporate Campfire: How Great Leaders Use Stories to Inspire Success, http://www.aroundthecorporatecampfire.com celebrates the successful practices of widely admired companies, many of which deliberately use stories to convey their values.

Stories help leaders paint a clear picture of thier vision and how individual employees can succeed in their organizations. The stories make it easy for employees to understand how they can enact the values and support the vision in their own particular jobs. But storytelling is just one leadership tool from an array of practices that collectively produce the desired results. What's exciting to me is that many of the most admired business leaders point to storytelling as one of the keys to their success.

Ad Dollars: Print vs. Online

2007-04-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

I just ran across an interesting report about the shifting allocation of advertising expenditures, particulary in weighting print vs. online advertising placements. In an online article on B to B entitled "The Great Migration", Matthew Schwartz reports major shifts by companies such as Sun Microsystems, which has rebalanced its advertising budget from 70% print/30% online to just 10% print and a whopping 90% online.

Corporate executives quoted in the article are quick to point out that print isn't exactly decreasing in importance; rather, the media mix is being given more strategic thought, with print still considered a key part of the allocation. As newspapers continue to lose readers and ponder their own mix of online publishing vs. print in the circulation mix, it will be fascinating to watch what happens.

For B to B's full article, go to http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/FREE/70330006&SearchID=73281271897867

Top 30 CEOs

2007-04-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Among the Top 30 CEOs in America named today by Barron's are the leaders of two companies featured in http://www.aroundthecorporatecampfire.com: Costco Wholesale's Jim Sinegal and FedEx's Fred Smith. It's really no surprise that these two are singled out, given their consistently extraordinary performance. What's particularly remarkable is their adherence to their founding values despite the changing conditions in the marketplace--and their determination to stick to their own sense of what makes a good business model.

Smith developed his business plan while a student at Harvard. His professor told him his ideas would never fly (pun intended)! Sinegal has been taken to task for being too good to employees, paying higher wages for comparable jobs elsewhere and providing generous benefits.

To read the complete article posted today on msn.com, go to
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/
TheWorldsBestCEOs.aspx

Insights on That Ovewhelmed Feeling

2007-02-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

Is it just me--or do a lot of you, too, feel overwhelmed with all the demands on your time? Why does it seem that life only gets more pressured rather than less so as time goes on--and we get wiser, as I have always expected!

An insight from today's news made me feel better instantly. Christina Wall, a grad student Eastern Michigan University, decided to do her master's thesis on what life was like before it was infused with everything high tech. She's living with devices that were in existence prior to 1950. That means no TV (yes, it existed but wasn't a common home device), no computers, no e-mail, no cell phones, etc.

What she's found is that each day seems to have 40 hours! Wall is amazed to discover that she has much more time to read, play the piano, and connect with friends both in person and on the phone (a rotary dial, naturally). She also says she's spending less; without a debit card to mindlessly slide through the checkout, she thinks more about what she buys.

What a relief to know it isn't my imagination! (Of course, I knew I wasn't imagining it, but it's always great to get confirmation.)

Ritz-Carlton Creates Committed Customers with Stories

2007-02-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

It's always gratifying to learn of another company whose leaders appreciate--and effectively use--the power of storytelling. And it's particularly exciting to learn that an organization respected as a leader in a luxury market is dedicated to the practice I've been "preaching" for nearly 14 years.

So imagine how delighted I was to see an article today in BusinessWeek.com about Ritz-Carlton's use of stories. The highlight of the article relates how daily employee meetings at every hotel around the world features the sharing of a "wow" story--the same story at every hotel--that exemplifies the extraordinary level of service the hotel strives for.

New Powerhouse Branding Company

2007-02-01T16:34:00.001-08:00

One of best things about being a consultant is the opportunity to work with people I enjoy and admire who are bright, successful and creative. Among the most innovative of all the people I've ever worked with are two entrepreneurs named Kevin Young and Bill Span, who are based in a popular, sophisticated, hip, beautiful--and just plain fun--suburb of Seattle called Kirkland, my former home for 16 years.

I've had the pleasure of working with Kevin and Bill as they've launched several companies, contributing my skills in helping them tell their corporate story to prospective investors and customers. The latest is perhaps the most exciting venture. It's called The Branding Foundry, and it's got a powerhouse executive team. Chief among them is Rowland Hanson, the marketing genius behind Microsoft's Windows brand. Rowland was written up in a blog by the Seattle P-I's venture capital reporter today, which you can read by going to the February 1, 2007 posting at http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/

The new company brings together a team of experts in consumer product branding and direct TV marketing (based on infomercial creation and placement) with major retail partners ready to sell the selected products and services after customer demand has reached prime levels. It's an inventor's dream! To read more about The Branding Foundry, go to http://www.thebrandingfoundry.com

Key Messages Especially Crucial when Lobbying

2007-01-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

My first experience with lobbying last week confirmed my expectation that meeting with legislators isn't so different from any other type of business communication. In fact, it can be fun, especially when you're part of a contingent swooping into the state capital on behalf of an organization you care deeply about. The only difference from other business meetings is that it's especially crucial to be clear about your (no more than) three key messages because your time with each legislator is very limited.

For our group the meetings with representatives and senators was especially gratifying because we there on behalf of the Northwest Kidney Centers (NKC), the world pioneer in home dialysis. My current connection to NKC is that I'm a member of the Board of Trustees. The reason I care about the organization is that first husband was a beneficiary of the then-new dialysis treatment in the late 60s and early 70s, and it extended his life seven years. We were newlyweds when he began treatment, and he eventually succumbed to septicemia, a major threat in those days. But I will forever be grateful for the extra years we had together, and I'm honored to have the opportunity to give back to an organization that gave us that time.

The facts of kidney disease are sobering: 1 in 9 people in this country have chronic kidney disease (CKD)--and most don't know it. It's a simple matter to have kidney function added to the screening criteria when you get a blood test as part of your annual exam. Ask your doctor to include it! For more information on CKD, go to www.nwkidney.org. And don't forget to fill out an organ donor card--or have the donor tag added on your driver's license. You could literally be a lifesaver even after your own comes to an end. To register as a donor go to www.livinglegacyregistry.org.

Hotel Resource Newsletter Article

2007-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hotel Resource's online newsletter has just published my article, "It's Time for Storytelling: A Proven Management Communication Tool. To read it, go to http://www.hotelresource.com/archive/issue2007-01-31.htm

Brain Branding

2006-12-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

What do Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, and Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner have in common? In a recent newsletter from professional speaker and consulant Vickie Sullivan, the common traits in all three books are that the authors put forth unique points of view--and validated their points through stories about representative companies and situations. As a result of their fresh thinking and their clear communications styles, Sullivan says, people can't wait to hear what they have to say next.

She calls this ability to distinguish one's ideas "brain branding." Apparently this is the next step beyond personal branding, a concept put forth by Tom Peters in The Brand You 50. What brand would you be comfortable with for your brain?

Workplace Jargon

2006-11-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Workplace jargon--and the degree to which employees dislike it--was the topic of a recent article on BBC News' Web site. According to the article, one-third of the 3,000 people surveyed by a company called Investors in People feel inadequate when their managers use trendy, wordy terms, such "blue-sky thinking", "out of the box", and "pushing the envelope". (One of my personal favorites is "drill down".) The corporate employees in the survey would prefer that their managers stick with basic language and forget the over-used jargon.

"Bosses need to lead by example, ditch needless jargon, and concentrate on communicating clearly with their employees," says Nicola Clark, a director of Investors in People. Amen!

To read the entire article, go to BBC News. I learned about the BBC report from Melcrum Communications, a UK-based publishing company that regularly conducts research and sponsors conferences on corporate communications. Their specialized publications are valuable resources for anyone whose main responsibility is communications--or who recognizes that all the people in any organization can benefit from their sharpening skills. Check out Melcrum's publications, research reports and services at Melcrum's Web site. A fun article on workplace jargon is in the Source for Communicators online newsletter.

Stories in Advertising

2006-11-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

I love Google's new employee recruitment advertising campaign. Aimed at finding exceptionally bright, "hip" engineers, the ads showcase employees who typify success in the Google culture.

Each full-page display ad (appearing in the news section, not the classifieds) briefly tells the personal story of an extraordinary individual. Today's ad in the Seattle Times features the story of Steve Yegge, who graduated from high school at age 14, then pursued his musical talents for several years before serving in the U.S. Navy and earning a college degree.

Each ad features a small photo of the employee as a child. In the call to action, Google invites people to check job listings on their Web site and submit a resume for any that seem a good fit. The ads end with a note that childhood pictures are optional. It's a perfect line for concluding an engaging ad that brings warmth and personality to the usually faceless aspect of large companies.

Connecting people on a personal level is one of the primary benefits of using stories in organizations. These ads are exceptionally fine examples of how to execute the concept.

Leadership Communications in Politics

2006-11-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

In media training sessions with my clients, I recommend that they use political interviews as "refresher" classes to sharpen their communication tools. Experienced politicians are often very skilled communicators who seamlessly make the point they want to make regardless of the question asked. It's a skill that any leader would do well to learn--and it's also a skill that can easily be misused to manipulate an audience.

During the recent campaign season, and especially as we enter the next prolonged presidential campaign, I find myself wondering if the electorate takes the time to evaluate the stories they're told, or if most merely respond to the story that makes an imprint on their emotions. What do you think?

Common Ties through Storytelling

2006-11-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of using stories in organizations is that sharing stories with a group of people helps to build connections. In any story you hear, there usually is a part that you identify with, even though the specific experience may not be the same.

When people discover their commonalities, they form bonds that lead to more effective relationships. Once they know one another better, co-workers find that they work together better and support one another more readily. The end result is that customers get better service because everyone in the organization is focused on team work rather than protecting individual interests.

The same principle is true when any group of people shares stories. Inspired by the community-building aspect of storytelling, the founders of a new Web site have created a forum for sharing personal stories. Check it out at www.commonties.com.

Made to Stick

2006-11-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

What makes one idea stick--and another just slide right through your mind without so much as a pause? That's the topic of a book to be released in January 2007 called Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die... The authors are brothers Chip Heath and Dan Heath, both with impressive academic and business credentials.

Their book identifies six common traits of ideas that are memorable. One of those traits is...guess what I'm going to say...the use of stories. To read an excerpt of the book, go to Made to Stick.
Write and tell me what you think about what they have to say. I'd also welcome your tales about your experiences of using stories as a communication tool, especially as a leader. Did storytelling make a discernible difference in getting your ideas across? Did you hear various versions of your own story come back to you? Did people still mention it weeks later? Do tell!

Special Program for United Way

2006-10-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

The special program organized by the International Storytelling Center for United Way agencies last week was a hit! A total of nine speakers delivered presentations on topics that ranged from using stories for bridging cultural gaps to demonstrating how to pose questions that elicit rich, valuable information. One of my presentations featured storytelling techniques practiced by companies featured in Around the Corporate Campfire: How Great Leaders Use Stories to Inspire Results, and the other shared insights about the use of storytelling as a team building tool.

Highly respected fundraiser Jerry Panas, executive partner of Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners, kicked the day off with a beautifully crafted keynote address that essentially was (appropriately enough!) a series of well-told, instructive stories that illustrate expert fundraising techniques. One of his most powerful stories made the point that a simple, personal phone call to thank a donor--rather than the standard, impersonal mail-merged letter--can make a dramatic difference in an individual's commitment, i.e., funding level.

Panas' story underscored the fact that in today's high-tech world, relationship-building is a more essential skill than ever; increasing the "high-touch" factor in your relationships will pay big dividends, both figuratively and literally. Another key point of discussion among the speakers during their "de-brief" session: People tend to think of communication as the practice of sending messages; very little attention is focused on the all-important skill of listening.

Who do you need to listen to more carefully?

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: The Importance of Values

2006-10-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

At today's chapter meeting of PRSA in Seattle, Monica Harrington of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation addressed the challenges that most foundations can only wish for: how to spend a more than $1 billion a year--and ensure that the funding produces the desired results. The #2 current challenge: planning an effective "ramp up" to begin spending at least $3 billion a year within the two years, a charge given by Warren Buffet when he announced early this year that he was entrusting most of his fortune to the Foundation.

Certainly, a foundation with $60 billion (approximately 50% from the Gates family, the rest from Bill's friend Warren) has a unique opportunity to make a significant difference in the world. One of Monica's points is at the heart of identifying your authentic corporate story. That is: the Foundation's core values are the key to effectively carrying out the mission. What's particularly impressive is that the Gates Foundation leaders are mindful of keeping the organization's core values "top of mind" for everyone involved.

The values themselves are equally impressive, both for their brevity and their clarity:

1) All lives—no matter where they are being led—have equal value.

2) To whom much has been given, much is expected.

Both are Gates family values, not surprisingly, given that it is a family foundation. One interesting insight is that these values are so important to the family, Bill's mother reminded Melinda of the second one on the day she and Bill were married. What a weighty comment to get from your new mother-in-law at your wedding celebration!

Are your organization's core values important enough for you to remind employees at every opportunity? As a leader, do you make it a priority to ensure that every new employee knows what the values are? Do you use the core values to drive decisions on a daily basis--and do you expect others to do the same? And on a personal level, Are you in an organization whose values you share?

New Book on Organizational Storytelling

2006-10-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

As a contributor to a new book on storytelling in organizations, I'm pleased to let you know that it's been launched--and you can get a great deal on it if you act now. The name of the book is Wake Me When the Data Is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results, published by Jossey-Bass.

Reflecting the explosive growth of business storytelling since Around the Corporate Campfire was published a little more than two years ago (when it was a challenge to find as many as 20 organizations using storytelling deliberately and systematically), the newly released book contains more than 70 examples of how organizations are using stories. Among the applications discussed are branding, strategy, customer service, dealing with difficult issues, organizational change, financial management, and leadership development--and all examples include tangible results achieved. Results include double-digit growth, double-digit reduction in turnover and significant increases in levels of employee engagement.

Until midnight on Monday, October 23, you can buy the book for less than $20--and receive over $500 worth of free items!

Here’s all you have to do:

Follow the link on my web site, www.corpstory.com.
After you buy the book, go to www.wakeupmycompany.com/promotion.htm for your free storytelling materials and services.

I hope you take advantage of this opportunity to get a great buy, benefit from a selection of valuable bonuses, and learn how you can apply the power of storytelling in your organization.

Executive Retreat, National Storytelling Festival

2006-10-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

A recent trip was a perfect blend of business and pleasure. It started with a retreat in New York state that I led for the Community Health Foundation's Health Leadership Fellows program. The group is composed of dedicated, caring healthcare executives (and their advisors), who worked hard, enjoyed their time together--and were very eager to learn how to power up their communications with storytelling. An energetic group, they displayed a high level of creativity in the stories they developed and told together as well as in the projects they've designed as demonstrations of cross-agency teamwork.

They are the first of three classes under an executive development program aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of healthcare agencies, their interactions with their communities, and their work with one another. They also are the kind of people that make my work extremely rewarding, and I'm excited that the co-leader I had invited, Doug Lipman, and I have been invited to work with the classes in 2007 and 2008 as well. I had the pleasure of working with Doug earlier this year at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and I'll be joining him and other organizational storytellers next week for a special program expressly for United Way agencies, to be held at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, TN, (http://www.storytellingcenter.net/)

On the way back to the Seattle area last week, I stopped in Jonesborough for the National Storytelling Festival. It was the first time I'd been able to attend the lively celebration of the art of storytelling in its various forms. The event is co-sponsored by the International Storytelling Center and National Storytelling Network (www.storynet.org), and it's managed by the ISC.

What struck me about the professional performers is that there are so many ways to tell a good story. You don't need to be dynamic, play an instrument, sing well, be an accomplished actor, or look glamorous. You do need to be authentic, construct a good tale, and be mindful of your audience. It also helps to inject a bit of gentle humor when appropriate.

The same is true for leaders who want to learn to use stories on a regular basis. I'm often asked, "Can storytelling be taught? I see others leaders who are naturals, but I'm not." My response: "Yes, you are a 'natural'. Telling stories is the way humans have traditionally communicated with one another. When someone asks you how a project is going, you usually don't recite stats; instead, you relate a story about something that just happened, something that was surprising or disappointing or frustrating or...." The point is, we tell stories all the time. Corporate storytelling is about learning how to tell them deliberately.

To learn more, you may want to check my web site, www.corpstory.com.

2006-10-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Corporate Storyteller's updated blog, with a revised "look" and a refreshed "first" posting.

It's exciting to be entering the wonderful world of blogging, where I'll be posting the latest tips, news and views on the power of storytelling: how organizations are leveraging the tool, how executives are using stories to keep everyone moving in the same direction, how The Corporate Storyteller works with leaders to help them sharpen their communication tools, and observations from others on the dynamic world of business communications.

I welcome your comments and look forward to an abundance of thought-provoking discussions.