CORPORATE STORYTELLING:
Discovering Fire for the Second Time
Vol. 6, No. 8, 2006
Publisher: Evelyn Clark
evelyn@corpstory.com http://www.corpstory.com
(c) Clark & Company 2006
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"A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on."
-- Mark Twain
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. How to Make Your Ideas Sticky
5. Corporate Storytelling Live
1. How to Make Your Ideas Sticky
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die… is a new book (set for release January 16, 2007) that's getting a lot of media attention. Analyzing why some ideas generate excitement and others put people to sleep, authors (and brothers) Chip Heath and Dan Heath have identified a common set of six traits shared by effectively communicated ideas. One, not surprisingly, is the use of stories. Ideas communicated through stories, they found, are clear, easy to grasp…and memorable. Mmm, where have you heard that before?!
Picking up on the concept of "sticky" ideas expressed in Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, the Heath brothers' research was recently featured in "Time" Magazine, and the authors have been featured in a number of broadcast media.
To read an excerpt from the book, go to http://www.madetostick.com/thebook/excerpts.php
2. Interesting Perspectives
The authors of the book Made to Stick are interesting guys, as fascinating as their research. They began work on their book when they realized that they were approaching the same problem from different perspectives.
Chip, a professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, had spent years searching for the answer to questions such as:
Dan, now a consultant at Duke Corporate Education, the world's #1 provider of custom executive education, had earlier co-founded Thinkwell, a company that produces innovative new-media college texts. His interest is in finding ways to teach that engage students rather than bore them.
Another of Dan's proudest achievements (he says with tongue placed halfway-in-cheek) is winning the 2005 "New Yorker" Caption Contest. To see his winning entry, go to: http://www.thenewyorkerstore.com/product_details.asp?mscssid=KWCBQU1VBLW58HA4MEAR9TUMCCBEDSL3&sitetype=1&did=4&sid=120442&whichpage=1&sortBy=popular&keyword=squid§ion=cartoons
3. Time for Reflection
Admittedly not an early adapter, Evelyn recently jumped on the blog bandwagon—or at least dipped a toe in the water. Read her thoughts on storytelling, leadership and other related topics at www.corpstory.blogspot.com. She plans to add new posts several times a week and welcomes your comments.
Podcasts will be added as soon as she can master in-house recording on the USB mike!
4. Insights on Fundraising
One of the top fundraisers in the U.S., Jerry Panas, was the keynote speaker at a special one-day program recently for United Way agencies at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Panas is a masterful storyteller who captivated everyone in the room with a series of tales about his experiences in asking donors for their hard-earned money—something most of us feel uncomfortable with.
One of his insights: Donors give from the heart, so you must tap into their emotional connection to your organization. You must draw out their stories to remind them of how your organization made a difference in their lives. Then you must draw the connection to the value of that impact…and ask for an appropriately significant sum.
5. Corporate Storytelling Live
Evelyn presented two programs at the special storytelling event described above, one on The Power of Storytelling for Leaders and the other on Using Stories as a Recruitment Tool. Sponsored by Eastman Chemical and managed by the International Storytelling Center, the event was a roaring success, drawing twice as many attendees as expected. Stay tuned for information on the Storytelling Kit that will be developed from the day's presentations. The kit will be offered for sale early next year to not-for-profit organizations. It will contain audio recordings of all the sessions, videos of select sessions, a workbook and other materials.
The two-day executive retreat that Evelyn led in Buffalo, NY, was very productive—and very well received. She and her colleague, Doug Lipman, were immediately booked for next year's retreat as well as another one in 2008. Their timing was impeccable; they left Buffalo just week before an early snowstorm hit and dumped two feet on the area.
Coming up on next year's schedule are conference keynotes and workshops in locations including Birmingham, Dallas, Seattle, Tacoma, and Singapore.
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