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It’s time to exercise caution Of course it is sometimes in order to use story to motivate, to persuade, to impress, to trigger a modification of behaviour, feeling or thinking, but we advocate a wider focus and more noble intention. We like the idea of a self-regulatory traffic light system for storytellers:


How the system works Stories themselves are by nature in the neutral zone. However, with wrong intention, tactlessness or deliberate misuse we can end up in the potentially dangerous zone. In this zone we are in danger of trying to impose, being manipulative, self-serving, losing credibility. We rob listeners of their freedom to interpret. And in the neutral zone, caution is needed. An entertaining story or joke, for example, often is told with the intent and expectation of eliciting a pre-determined response from the listener.


Far better to strive to be often in the positive zone, where the


stories that are shared belong to both teller and listeners, create synergy. They invite the telling of stories in return; an exchange. They are non-directive. An open, honest, vulnerable, real sharing happens. Dialogue takes place. Snowden believes that “this is key to micro-narrative approaches, creating multiple interaction between many people and their stories.”1


together by listening and sharing, there is no need to impress, convince. A real emotional connection takes place. Things happen naturally. (a halo).


“People are best convinced by reasons they themselves discover.” Benjamin Franklin


“A parable never tries to convince you. It takes you unawares, it persuades by tickling you deep inside.” 2 “a parable always carries with it ambiguity.” 1


Snowden points out that


Thus before proceeding we need to ask ourselves: • What can we do to improve our approach? • Can we introduce elements or motives from the positive zone – for example can inspiration and motivation come via the promoting of re-framing, can we sell by bringing understanding, can we convince via the transfer of accurate, authentic purpose, information, knowledge and wisdom? • Is our aim or intent to gain or/and to share? • Can we move away from ‘journalistic-type’ one-way telling and instead create a space for dialogue, feedback?


comes down to maturity, an other-orientation, a clear intent to co-create and build, to “enlarge, enlighten, enliven” 3


This applies to all types of story, fictional or real, and situations. It and enable.


Authentic story sharing creates attention, interest, has impact, and attracts loyal clients and colleagues.


Two stories: A committed disciple travelled each day to be mentored by his Guru, crossing a stream to get there. One day the rains poured down, the stream flooded and became


a river. There was no way of getting across and the disciple sat down in despair, with his head between his hands. A sudden thought struck him: why not invoke the Guru’s power? And so he stood up, chanted “Guru, Guru, Guru………” and walked across the river.


The Guru was hugely impressed. When the disciple had left, he


went down to the river, chanted “Me, Me, Me…..”, stepped into the river and sank like a stone.


When people are glued


20 years ago, I was entranced by a Maggie Smith performance at the Globe Theatre in London. Lettice, a tour guide, shows people around 16th century Fustian House, one of its features being a Tudor staircase to which the public is denied access. The Fustian family motto is “by a fall I rise”, derived from an incident where the visiting Queen of England trips on the hem of her dress at the first stair at the top of the 15-step staircase and nearly falls, but her escort John Fustian takes hold of her arm and saves the day. Initially her descriptions are straightforward and factual, resulting


in disinterest and boredom. So she responds by embellishing the story. The staircase becomes


“The Staircase of Advancement!” Now the Queen’s dress has 100 precious pearls sewn in, a gift from a Sultan, and the heaviness of the dress caused her to stumble. Fustian rushes to the rescue, and is given a knighthood for his noble act.


Lettice’s story continues to grow as she succeeds in giving her


tourists a more interesting and memorable experience. The staircase becomes “indisputedly the most famous staircase in England!” The Virgin Queen of England is garlanded by diamonds gifted by Czar Ivan the Terrible. Now when she trips and is sure to be maimed or killed, John Fustian leaps from the bottom to the top in a single, mighty bound to save her, “catches her in his loyal arms, raises her high above his head, and rose-cheeked with triumph cries up to her: ‘Adored Majesty! Adored and Endored Majesty! Fear not! You are safe!”, much to the enjoyment of the tourists, who applaud loudly. Lettice is found out, and fired for her unethical behaviour.


And what matters most to me after all these years is the


unforgettable watchword handed down to Lettice by her mother: “Enlarge! Enliven! Enlighten!” 3


these are guiding principles for all corporate storytellers. As well as how we get there! Surely


References:


1.An email exchange with Dave Snowden, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Cognitive-Edge Pte Ltd 2. Osho The Man who Loved Seagulls St Martin’s Griffin NY 2008 3. Shaffer, Peter Lettice and Lovage Andre Deutsch, London 1998


Written in collaboration with Terrence Gargiulo of MakingStories.net 16 Halo and Noose | May 2012


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