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| Photo Credit Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2010 "Fireside"... |
The Fire Within... The Base of Your Story
When you listen to a great story, and get caught up in it, have you noticed that your mind turns that information into a movie? You automatically add your own interpretations to what your hear. The characters begin to live for you. As their personalities connect with yours, you find things in common, other things to question. How does that happen?
You can present the facts, AND you can spark imagination
through a series of emotional links.
through a series of emotional links.
Emotions fire up in...the right brain!
Imagination is right brain...
Facts are left brain...
Stories are born in the right brain...
Add your left brain: Facts and sequence.
Sequence your "facts" with an authentic emotionally-based "feeling" story.
Result?
You've reached everyone's thinking style at some point.
Grand Chief Stan Beardy's life story (right brain) held his whole presentation of 12 leadership tips (left brain list) together, didn't it?
Facts are left brain...
Stories are born in the right brain...
Add your left brain: Facts and sequence.
Sequence your "facts" with an authentic emotionally-based "feeling" story.
Result?
You've reached everyone's thinking style at some point.
Grand Chief Stan Beardy's life story (right brain) held his whole presentation of 12 leadership tips (left brain list) together, didn't it?
How's that for a HINT for your CAP presentations in December? Also, see note at end of the blog.
More Tips About Story Telling (U Tube version)
You can also tell your story from a personal base, which aims at developing a relationship with you. (Again, connecting personally to people - is a right brain function...)
Take 3 minutes to see an example of an "invitational story" that is based on one person's viewpoint, and then supported by other like-minded colleagues.
Click to this short video by Tonya Surman about "Social Innovation" here:
Click to this short video by Tonya Surman about "Social Innovation" here:
Guest Blog
I was a little overwhelmed and anxious at the beginning of this leadership journey. I wasn't sure that I had what was needed to be a successful leader; in fact, I didn’t see myself in that role.
So what happened?
First, I’m On Goal!
I am impressed by how all the different topics and exercises have all tied together for me.
Listening and reflecting have always been very important, but now, it’s different. On our weekend retreat I asked Maggie for some guidance while setting my goal and plan. For years I have been assisting clients to develop theirs, but for some reason I was expecting our exercise in goal setting to be more complicated - more difficult than it needed to be. I have explained to others so many times that having plans on paper rather than floating around in their head makes them so much more attainable. It has surprised me how much easier it is to stay focused on what you want to achieve. The twenty-one day challenge has not only helped me to stay more positive but it too has helped me to stay focused on my goal.
ReDiscovery: Let Me Read!
There hasn’t been enough time for reading recently. Reading "Good to Great" was not only a great book to understand success in a different way, but I found it enjoyable as well. It left me wondering if I was missing out on something not reading the other books on the reading list.
Having the "right people on the team" helped me to look at how frustrating and draining it can be to have the wrong people on the team. I had never considered that maybe those wrong people were just in the wrong position.
So, Let Me Think!
From there I considered the "Whole Brain Concept" which has helped me to look for the reason why someone might look at a situation differently than me. And that brings me to:
We Are A Team Already!
The most amazing part of this journey has been watching all of us begin to come together as a team, and grow and conquer some of our fears together. Being in such a positive environment, can make an enormous difference.
I remember hearing the first day "Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable". Yes, I was uncomfortable, and afraid - later I found out that most everyone else was too! It made me consider that some of the greatest days of my life have also been my most anxious moments. It is normal to feel anxious; most of us feel nervous about change even positive change. How could I forget! The day I married my husband I couldn't stop shaking.
I look forward to learning more and trying to tie all the information together as we continue this journey. LTB has helped me to look at the world and myself a little differently.
It is exciting to think how my life might be by June. It's happening already.
* * *
Important Note for CAP Presentations:
Your team presentations will be held in the McNaughton room at City Hall. It's not a space that works well for Power Point. Advice? Forget the technology.
* * *
As always, if you need help, just ask.
Have a wonderful week,
Maggie
"What you see depends on what you are looking for."
- Unknown Source
I was a little overwhelmed and anxious at the beginning of this leadership journey. I wasn't sure that I had what was needed to be a successful leader; in fact, I didn’t see myself in that role.
So what happened?
First, I’m On Goal!
I am impressed by how all the different topics and exercises have all tied together for me.
Listening and reflecting have always been very important, but now, it’s different. On our weekend retreat I asked Maggie for some guidance while setting my goal and plan. For years I have been assisting clients to develop theirs, but for some reason I was expecting our exercise in goal setting to be more complicated - more difficult than it needed to be. I have explained to others so many times that having plans on paper rather than floating around in their head makes them so much more attainable. It has surprised me how much easier it is to stay focused on what you want to achieve. The twenty-one day challenge has not only helped me to stay more positive but it too has helped me to stay focused on my goal.
ReDiscovery: Let Me Read!
There hasn’t been enough time for reading recently. Reading "Good to Great" was not only a great book to understand success in a different way, but I found it enjoyable as well. It left me wondering if I was missing out on something not reading the other books on the reading list.
Having the "right people on the team" helped me to look at how frustrating and draining it can be to have the wrong people on the team. I had never considered that maybe those wrong people were just in the wrong position.
So, Let Me Think!
From there I considered the "Whole Brain Concept" which has helped me to look for the reason why someone might look at a situation differently than me. And that brings me to:
We Are A Team Already!
The most amazing part of this journey has been watching all of us begin to come together as a team, and grow and conquer some of our fears together. Being in such a positive environment, can make an enormous difference.
I remember hearing the first day "Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable". Yes, I was uncomfortable, and afraid - later I found out that most everyone else was too! It made me consider that some of the greatest days of my life have also been my most anxious moments. It is normal to feel anxious; most of us feel nervous about change even positive change. How could I forget! The day I married my husband I couldn't stop shaking.
I look forward to learning more and trying to tie all the information together as we continue this journey. LTB has helped me to look at the world and myself a little differently.
It is exciting to think how my life might be by June. It's happening already.
" Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail." --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Evelyn Tuomi, Class of 2010-2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How To Tell A Story
Each person in the class will have the opportunity to be a XOWhat Guest Blogger.
We thought it might be fun to chat about whatever you like,
as long as the theme is "leadership".
I also offer to edit your work, if you so choose.
Evelyn gave me permission, so here's how I proceeded to make her story "sing".
I added "B" Quadrant - left brain Format -
in my edits to strengthen her writing.
We thought it might be fun to chat about whatever you like,
as long as the theme is "leadership".
I also offer to edit your work, if you so choose.
Evelyn gave me permission, so here's how I proceeded to make her story "sing".
I added "B" Quadrant - left brain Format -
in my edits to strengthen her writing.
1. Chunks of story
Highlight key themes with a sub-heading.
Guess what? People don't read on line, they scan... so make scanning more enjoyable.
2. Ask a Question, & then answer it
This involves the reader. This technique also works in presentations - if you pause long enough for people to answer the question "in their mind".
3. Use Quotes that are Relevant
Evelyn originally ended with 2 quotes.
I moved one to be the header/ subject line,
and used the other at the end to punch out her point.
4. Tie the Beginning to the End
This very easy technique makes your story more logical. I inserted "So what happened" into Evelyn's story at the beginning, and finished with "It's happening already".
Think about saying "hello" and also saying "good-bye".
5. Don't Write - Talk to Us
If you try to write, you end up sounding stifled - long sentences, proper grammar. I shortened some of Evelyn's prose and didn't lose the meaning. Emotion always works!
PS Look for "chunks" of Evelyn's story in next year's marketing for LTB. We loved it!
Thanks!
* Send Evelyn a comment! Everyone loves feedback... just click on "comments" on http://www.xowhat.blogspot.co/,
* * *
Important Note for CAP Presentations:
Your team presentations will be held in the McNaughton room at City Hall. It's not a space that works well for Power Point. Advice? Forget the technology.
* * *
As always, if you need help, just ask.
Have a wonderful week,
Maggie
4 comments:
Hi Evelyn!
That's a very cool Blog you wrote there! You're right, it's really easy to lose yourself sometimes when it's your responsibility to help others. Your insights into leadership and the lessons we are learning in LTB were great. It's very exciting that parts of your Blog will be used to market LTB in the future!
Thanks for sharing this with us!
John
Thank you, Evelyn, for having the courage to step up and put your thoughts out there in print.
Most of us carry what we think most deeply inside ourselves. It's a safe place because no one can go there, and we can only reveal that when we bring it out in words.
So the inner story, the one that we hold most personal and private, is the one that defines who we are and what we do and how we act.
But when we reveal just a little bit of that story by making it public in a story, in words, we share just a little bit of ourselves with others and invite them into a conversation about who we are and what we do and how we act.
And that conversation is what creates our experience and changes us.
Thank you
Stewart
Great Job Evelyn! It is wonderful that you are able to take your life experiences and merge them with the LTB learning to work towards achieving your goal.
Margot
Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts with us Evelyn. My thoughts certainly drift in the same direction as you have described and it feels great knowing that we are in the same boat :) Looking forward to the path ahead,
Krysta
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