The Story Factor 3rd.ed. OCT2019
“Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board.”
Zora Neale Hurston
From a distance, storytelling also seems to have every man’s wish on board. There is an initial euphoria when you consider that once you learn how to tell stories that alter perceptions, conclusions, and actions you might become captain of all the ships and invent “Get out of jail free” cards for anyone who wants a story of absolution, whether they deserve it or not. Over time, like King Midas, you will discover that getting everything you want inevitably produces unintended consequences. When technology alters moral stories, it changes the meaning and the morals of those stories. King Midas did not anticipate that his golden touch would kill his daughter. In the story, his personal experience of watching the light in her eyes go out carries a sensory impact; we get the message. But when calculated on a spreadsheet, the promise of an infinite return on investment (ROI) after sacrificing just one person can seem like a viable investment strategy. What’s more, people who value utilitarian reasoning now use data distance to create enough emotional distance that they can characterize one person as a “small sacrifice” and therefore a reasonable price to pay. The question to ask ourselves is: "Are we at risk of letting this kind of thinking guide our storytelling?" (Excerpt from Chapter 11 of The Story Factor 3rd ed. out October 2019 )
Facilitation, Stakeholder & Community Engagement | Driving social impact | Energy transition
4yStory factor was the first book I read about storytelling and it really set up the basis of my own work. The intersection between technique and magic ( aka emotions) is the most difficult part of working with stories, but you rock it Annette in any single article or book! I've always thought that if we think in terms of results we can't see stories. To be able to find stories we need to be in touch with what matters to us and be open to be transformed by what is around us. Without cultivating openness and curiosity, it's difficult to find stories. And still, what matters at the end is what we create with our stories. Many stories can move us, but not all of them deserve our attention. So yes, what kind of thinking guides our stories is a great question, Annette!
Adjunct Professor at Trine University
5yDo I get a discount cuz???
Program Director | Slate Recovery
5yThe Story Factor has been instrumental in my work with others, and in my own process of self-discovery. Looking forward to the new edition!
I teach people how to tell stories more effectively. International keynote speaker. Best-selling author. Podcaster - Keeping it Real with Jac and Ral. Find out more at gabrielledolan.com
5yWell done Annette on the 3rd edition of The Story Factor. I purchased your first edition over 15 years ago and it inspired me when I first started teaching people how to effectively share stories in business. I cherish my copy you signed for me when we met up years ago in a Melbourne cafe. You, Steve Denning and Lori Silverman were so far ahead of your time talking about the power of storytelling in business. I owe the three of you a debt of gratitude to my success in this field.
Chief Marketing Officer | MBA, CEAE, OMCP
5y"Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board." So do stories. Did I get that right Annette?