The Art of StorytellingWorkshop for Office of Career Development

April 18, 2012

Facilitated by:

Our Plot for Today

Overview and Character Intros Stories Warm Up The Art of Storytelling What’s My Story? Storytelling and OCD Debrief

Warming Up…

A Simple Story› Take a few moments to re-live your day so far

› Identify a few significant elements or events that would be part of a story about your morning

› Take 2 minutes and jot down your “morning story” as if it were going to be included in your biography

“The Art of Storytelling”

Story listening

Heads down. Listen to this storyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBe0VCso0qs

Heads up List 4 or 5 key elements of this story

Storytelling: mind + culture

Inherently human, relational behavior

Universal across cultures and

history

We make sense of the world via stories

Capture and share a part of ourselves

Appeal to emotions and empathy

Storytelling: mind + culture

Create an experience in narrative and images that evoke emotional response and shape how we connect to others

Stories: › Characters › Symbols › Plot

Plot Components

Setting Call to Action Initial Success Central Crisis Final Ordeal Final Union/Resolution

Characters + Symbols

Relatable Hero Mentor/Guide Sidekick/Motivator Bold Weapon Threatening Dragon End Prize

Stories in Business

Analyze› Helps deconstruct a situation or issue› There is no final ordeal or prize

Generate› Stimulates thought and create ideas› Focus on crisis and ordeal

Persuade› Communicates convincingly, leads to action› Emphasizes final union, a clear outcome

Why Stories?

Assumption: people are rational beings Reality: unconscious mind dominates

Power of stories: › Convey emotion and create connection› Appeal to instinctual human dimensions› Touch core source of our mindsets› Facts are meaningless without stories

providing context and generating empathy

Telling Your Story

Telling Your Story

Take 3 minutes to consider the question: “What is your greatest weakness?”

Pair up and take turns sharing your story (2 minutes each)

While your partner answers, jot down the story elements that stand out to you.

Take 2 minutes to share thoughts with your partner.

Partner with another pair and choose one person from each pair to tell the story of their partner’s greatest weakness, to practice the art of retelling a story.

Rate each story based on inclusion of story elements and excitement level.

OCD & Storytelling

OCD & Storytelling

Objective: › Appreciation for how storytelling can be

effectively applied to OCD’s mission marketing materials

OCD & Storytelling

Working the Pitch:› Step 1: Individual Brainstorming

What are the story components?

› Step 2: Group Pitch Development How are we going to tell the story?

› Step 3: PITCH! Tell the story

› Step 4: Reflect

Storytelling: Wrap Up

Recap our plot today

Stories are one of the best methods to communicate our view of reality to and build connections with others

Plot structure and character elements help your stories be more relatable, engaging, impactful and memorable

Call to Action

Initial Success

Central Crisis

Final Ordeal

Resolution

Storytelling: Wrap Up

“Stories help us smooth out some of the decisions we have made and create something that is meaningful and sensible out of the chaos of our lives”

Others who don’t know you well gain a deeper understanding through your stories of who you are and what makes you tick

The End