Resources / Ripples & Wipeouts

Storytelling was one of the big topics discussed among communications professionals throughout 2011. Hot topics in the business seem to wax and wane and for some reason it was storytelling’s turn last year. If one aspires to leadership, the ability to tell a good story is an essential skill. But not just any story. A leadership story must have a clear point, and be applicable to a range of situations and a diverse audience. 

Storytelling is one of the communication techniques I use most. Whenever I am addressing a group or facilitating a meeting, I find that a good story can do many things.  It can set the tone for the meeting and whatever discussion follows, create a feeling of camaraderie among participants, make a theme easier to grasp or frame an issue in the way I find most advantageous. 

But for a story to be successful, it must be a “good” story, by which I mean it must evoke the desired response among most members of the audience.  Therefore I often try out my favorite stories on friends and colleagues before I put them into use.  Two of my most successful stories are below.  I have used these in one-on-one conversation, as well as to open a big speech or to make a point in a classroom. Read my two favorites and see if they spark any ideas that you can use in your own work. And please share your thoughts in our comments section.

The Stone Masons
A visiting priest was walking through a medieval village one morning and came upon a group of workers.  “What are you doing?” he asked one of the men.  “I’m carving this stone,” said the man.  The priest walked on.  “What are you doing?” he inquired of another fellow.  “I’m laying bricks,” said the laborer.  The priest walked on.  “What are you doing?” he asked another.  The man looked up from his work and replied, “I’m building a cathedral.”

I like to use the stone mason story to make the point that while members of a team may have different assignments in the end they are contributing to one, great mission or goal. And, while the mission is much larger than one individual’s work, the small efforts of every player on the team are necessary if the big goal is to be accomplished. And the mission, of course, is what inspires the workers to do their jobs well, not the smaller tasks themselves. Keeping a mission focus helps people feel important because they remember that they are part of something transcendent.

The Starfish
A woman was walking along a beach after a storm.  The sand was littered with starfish, which had been stranded on the beach by the ferocious waves.  As she walked, she occasionally bent down to pick up a starfish and toss it back into the sea.  Presently she saw another woman coming from the other direction, walking toward her.  Eventually they met.

The first woman thought a moment, then bent down, picked up a starfish and tossed it back into the ocean.  “It makes a difference to this one,” she said.

In some ways, the starfish story is the opposite of the cathedral story in that this narrative puts the emphasis on one individual’s efforts, rather than the combined effects of the group. I like to use this story to illustrate the importance of each person’s efforts, regardless of the ultimate outcome of events. Sometimes taking a very micro, local view is the only way an activist can keep a positive attitude. Just as it is important to be part of something larger than oneself, it’s also important to be mindful of what is, and is not, within one’s scope of influence.