Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work®

Executive Decision Services LLC

Storiesat

Work

Storytelling for Group Facilitators

How to Create, Tell, & Use Stories with Groups and Organizations

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work®

Executive Decision Services LLC

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work®

Executive Decision Services LLC

Only the Best is Good Enough

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories 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!”

Storiesat

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

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories 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.

Storiesat

Work

Storiesat

Work

The Story of How I Came to Group Facilitation

In Two Minutes

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

Chronology Biography

Illustrative Revealing

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work®

Executive Decision Services LLC

Audience

Teller

Story

Group

Facilitator

Purpose

Story DynamicsGroup Dynamics

Telling, Eliciting, Listening, Learning

Storiesat

Work

Story Pairs• The Meaning of Wilderness• The Uncomfortable Participant

Storiesat

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.

Storiesat

Work

Learn the StoryN

o. o

f Det

ails

Time/ experience telling the story

Storiesat

Work

Tell the Story

The Meaning of WildernessThe Uncomfortable

Participant

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work®

Executive Decision Services LLC

STORY CAT•Someone

– person, protagonist, character, object•Tension

– conflict, choices, consequences•Occurrence

– incident, event, episode, problem•Resolution

– release of tension•Yearning

– use, purpose, function, meaning, message

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work®

Executive Decision Services LLC

STORY CAT•Context

– situation, setting, time & place, perspective

•Audience– identification, empathy

•Truth– authenticity, detail, subtlety

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories 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

Storiesat

Work

Answering Questions with a Story

Storiesat

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

Storiesat

Work

Appreciative Listening & Feedback

• Listen to the story• Appreciations from listeners• Teller’s questions • Listener’s questions • Suggestions• Subject Matter Discussions

Storiesat

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?

Storiesat

Work©2002 Sandor P. Schuman Stories at Work®

Executive Decision Services LLC

Storiesat

Work

Three ways to make a pointWay #1

• Baby boomers are aging• People are living longer• Proportion of elderly

increasing• More aging services needed

Storiesat

Work

Three ways to make a pointWay #2

Population trends

1975 2000 2025

Services for the elderly?

85+

65+

65+

Storiesat

Work

Three ways to make a pointWay #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.

Storiesat

Work

Learn the StoryIMAGEMOVEMENTAUDIENCEGESTUREEMOTION, EXPRESSION