1. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Stories at Work Storytelling for Group Facilitators How to Create, Tell, & Use Stories with Groups and Organizations

2. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC

3. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Only the Best is Good Enough

4. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC When Godtfred, son of LEGO's founder Ole Kirk, tried to save some money by finishing a shipment of toy ducks with two coats of paint instead of the usual three, his father said: “Go and get the ducks immediately, give them their last coat of paint … and do it all yourself - even if it takes you all night!”

5. Stories at Work Agenda Introductions – Tell your story Group dynamics/ Story dynamics Telling someone else’s story – Story pairs; STORY CAT; Learning the story Creating your own stories – Story elicitation cues – Answering questions with stories More on storytelling skills – The craft of storytelling Why tell a story: Three ways to make a point Telling your own stories – Learn, Listen, Feedback, Reflect Helping a group tell its story

6. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC My Father was a storyteller. It was his everyday way of communicating important values and ideas. I didn’t realize I’d followed his example until, a few years ago, I read the evaluation forms from a facilitation training session I conducted. In response to the question, "What did you like best about the program?" several people responded, "Sandy's stories." That's how I found out I was a storyteller. Stories at Work

7. Stories at Work The Story of How I Came to Group Facilitation In Two Minutes ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Chronology Biography IllustrativeRevealing

8. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Audience Teller Story Group Facilitator Purpose Story DynamicsGroup Dynamics Telling, Eliciting, Listening, Learning

9. Stories at Work Story Pairs The Meaning of Wilderness The Uncomfortable Participant

10. Stories at Work Learn the Story Read it. Find its “bones.” Identify the characters. Identify with Someone. Image-ine him or her. Identify with the place. Image-ine it. Identify with the Tension and Yearning. What’s the key Occurrence? How is the Tension Resolved? Beginning, Middle, End.

11. Stories at Work Learn the Story No. of Details Time/ experience telling the story

12. Stories at Work Tell the Story The Meaning of Wilderness The Uncomfortable Participant

13. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC STORY CAT S omeone – person, protagonist, character, object T ension – conflict, choices, consequences O ccurrence – incident, event, episode, problem R esolution – release of tension Y earning – use, purpose, function, meaning, message

14. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC STORY CAT C ontext – situation, setting, time & place, perspective A udience – identification, empathy T ruth – authenticity, detail, subtlety

15. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Practical Limitations Characters – 2, 3, or 4 (more is hard to keep track of) Setting – 1 or 2 locations – An image you can describe in detail Dialog – Use selectively (it can be hard to follow) Arc – Beginning, middle, end

16. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Eliciting Stories Feedback Cookies Great leader Weak leader Masking tape Latecomer Yelling Large group Small group Quiet participant Tables and chairs Well prepared Short notice Markers Big problems Dysfunctional Compliment Blame New technique Co-facilitator First one there Loss of control

17. Stories at Work Answering Questions with a Story

18. Stories at Work Learn the Story Write the whole story Outline Record & playback Key phrases Key images Tell aloud – alone and with others Story circle, story buddy Title, subtitle, blurb, hook

19. Stories at Work Appreciative Listening & Feedback Listen to the story Appreciations from listeners Teller’s questions Listener’s questions Suggestions Subject Matter Discussions

20. Stories at Work Reflection What does this story mean to you? What questions does it raise? To whom would you tell this story? Why? What does the story bring to mind regarding telling, eliciting, listening, and learning?

21. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC

22. Stories at Work Three ways to make a point Way #1 Baby boomers are aging People are living longer Proportion of elderly increasing More aging services needed

23. Stories at Work Three ways to make a point Way #2 Population trends 197520002025 Services for the elderly ? 85+ 65+

24. Stories at Work Three ways to make a point Way #3 At 83 years of age, Mrs. K doesn’t want to visit the Senior Center any more. It was great, back when her husband retired and she was 62, but now it’s crowded and deteriorated. Her friends agree.

25. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Group Dynamics Facilitator Purpose Group Learning Listening Learning Listening Telling Learning Eliciting Telling

26. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Story Dynamics Teller Story Audience Listening Learning Telling Learning Listening Telling Listening

27. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Learning Teller: What the story means How to tell the story About storytelling Listener: What the story means About self About teller About other listeners

28. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Listening Teller To listeners To story To self Listener: To teller To story To self

29. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Which prompts work? Which prompts generated the best/ most ideas? Which prompts would you add?

30. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Problem Solving? Managers had been trying to "problem-solve," but they remained mired in the problem. They were asked to tell stories about themselves – stories that showed who they really are – and then list their qualities as revealed by those stories. Then they were asked, "Would the characters in your stories have these problems? If no, why not? If yes, what would they do about them? – Based on a presentation by Madelyn Blair, "Harnessing the Power of the Positive Story." National Storytelling Conference, Denver Colorado, 2002.

31. Stories at Work ©2002 Sandor P. SchumanStories at Work® Executive Decision Services LLC Stories 'R' Us Steve Denning, at a cocktail reception: Look around the room, Sandy. When dogs get together, they smell each others tails. When people get together, they tell stories. I said: Perhaps that's why we call them "Tales!"

32. Stories at Work Learn the Story IMAGE MOVEMENT AUDIENCE GESTURE EMOTION, EXPRESSION