Michael Margolis

Don't start with the data! Data-first storytelling is often dead on arrival. Because your audience often has little context or emotional self-identification. Instead they are likely to become skeptical or defensive, especially if your data challenges the norm or their current beliefs. Instead, use the SFB Narrative Method. See it, Feel it, Believe it. Where data (believe it) comes last. Because people have to: see it and feel it -- in order to believe it. Here's how it goes (1) start with context, set the scene, provide the frame by which you want people to think. Then (2) humanize the topic with real characters and what's at the center. And finally (3) provide the data that validates the premise of your narrative.

The hardest story to tell is always your own. Because you take for granted what everyone else most wants or needs to know. Which is why you have to share your story with someone else to get perspective and feedback. Furthermore, if you want to get better at story-telling, you want to practice story listening. This power skill will allow you better observe and perceive how stories work, and in turn improve your own storytelling over time.

Culture literally ~ is the stories we share in common. If you want to learn about a culture, listen to the stories. If you want to change a culture, change the stories. So building a culture of storytelling is really about building a culture of high-context communications. Demonstrating commitment to telling stories that create shared context, shared empathy, and shared confidence in the future. This happens through an increased frequency or cadence of communications - whereby you elevate and focus on "what really matters" - whether that's about the future, the current moment, or past performance. Ultimately, the question becomes are we telling the right stories for the future we want to create?

A story without an audience, does the story exist? That's why you have to get clear about who your audience is. Because there's the story you tell, and then there's the story they hear. At the end of the day, all that matters is what they hear. Whether they resonate with your message or not. You are responsible for being understood. Of course, not everyone is your audience. So the more clear you can get, the better. You need to tell the story through the eyes and lens that matters to their motivations and interests. And not be blinded to your own. Think of their desires/motivations. But also think of their dilemmas. Where they are stuck or held back. Speak to this creative tension in a compassionate manner, without judgement. That's key.

The STAR Method is a bit transactional, and reductive. Works great if you need to describe a functional workflow, but caution it can also feel a bit de-humanizing. Of course, there's business to attend to. Alternatively: consider the 3 Cs of storytelling. Circumstance, Choice, Consequence. 1 - Circumstance is all about the set-up: where are we, what's the situation, orient the audience. 2 - Choice is all about the options, dilemmas, considerations, and ultimately choice to be made or has been made. 3 - Consequence is about the impact, reaction, net effect. Circumstance, Choice, Consequence - rinse and repeat. All of life follows this formula. Whether you're a telling a story looking backwards or presenting a story for looking forwards.

The hardest story to tell is always your own. Because you are too close to it. We all suffer from the curse of knowledge. You take for granted what everyone else most wants or needs to know. That’s why you have to work with someone on your own story. A coach, a peer, or a learning community. It’s close to impossible to re-story yourself without being witnessed by someone you trust and respect. Transformation requires a witness. So find people to share your stories with.