What do you do if your executive coaching clients need to be engaged and inspired through storytelling?

Imagine your client, bored as a button in your usual coaching session. Suddenly, you grab a banana (because, why not?) and launch into a tale of a high-performing monkey frustrated by his repetitive tasks. As the story unfolds, the monkey stumbles upon a hidden jungle gym, a metaphor for untapped potential. You weave in challenges the monkey overcomes, mirroring your client's own goals. By the time the monkey conquers the gym's peak, your client is leaning forward, inspired. You connect the dots - the monkey's journey to your client's path to success. No dry lectures. The power of storytelling in coaching is it bypasses resistance, ignites imagination, and leaves your client with a roadmap for their own jungle gym conquest.

La narración de relatos es la más antigua técnica de aprendizaje e influencia. En coaching son muy poderosas, siempre y cuando NUNCA se le entregue al coachee la interpretación del cuento. Se debe dejar que sea el coachee quien consiga el mensaje que necesita en la historia.

Storytelling should be a core part of executive coaching both from the coach but more importantly from the client. The coach should build into the training a framework that helps the client learn how to frame their story focusing on the problems they solve, how they led that process, what were the results, and most importantly why it mattered ( what was the impact). It is this process form which the client will learn where they make a difference , their strengths, and what they are learning along the way.

Storytelling helps capture the attention of your client while bridging any gaps. This shows transparency and a willing ness to be vulnerable. By sharing experiences and anecdotes from others they begin to resonate and understand you on a different level. This helps them visualize their personal journey & share theirs.

Creo que lo importante es ponerse al servicio del Coachee, puede ser a través de historias o de experiencias, pero siempre estar al servicio y no en la posición narcisista y auto referencial. Con el coachee se pueden implementar diversas herramientas para captar su atención sin embargo el foco debe estar puesto y centrado en él y sus emociones y no en las historias. Pues él es el protagonista no la historia.

Ensuring that the story resonates with the client on an emotional level is useful in encouraging empathy. When we can place ourselves in the position of the character - holding their perspective and understanding their feelings in the situation - we can empathize with their position. Empathy is crucial to effective leadership and building factors around emotional intelligence.

Histórias que evocam emo??es tendem a ser mais impactantes e ficarem marcadas na memória portanto, temos que incluir elementos que provocam emo??es como empatia, compaix?o, e inspira??o

I'm a great believer in being internally motivated. Even if you normally are externally motivated, your Executive Coach can help you find ways that tap into your emotions and drive, to find internal inspiration. What do they love doing? What do they get the most enjoyment out of. Tell me about a time where you were excited about a work project - what did you get out of it - how did you celebrate it? What scares you (in a good way) about your job? Who ignites your enthusiasm? Tell me about them...?

Yo creo que se trata más de conexión emocional que de impacto. Hay historias que me impactan pero me alejan de lo que deseo. El relato me debe conectar con una emoción que me ayude a buscar y lograr mis objetivos.

In my experience, being emotionally present and vulnerable with my clients (while connecting on a personal level) has been most effective for me. It lets the client know that they are not alone which encourages emotional resonance. As they consider the positive outcomes and the relatability of the story, the lessons along with the results, create an acceleration in their growth season.

The best stories are real stories or as one of my coaching supervisors use to say, "life stories". Given the rich, complex and multifaceted lives most of our executive coaching clients live, they have a ton of stories already available. As relational coaching suggests what is out there (in client's world) is also in here (in the coaching room). To that extent life stories can be a fantastic source material to work with the clients and help not only get them engaged but also move the quality of coaching work.

I would looking at relating it to their hobbies, interest areas or some of their limiting beliefs. Use them as a springboard to do storytelling which will get my client to feel resourceful and help him/her visualise one small step they can take to make progress on your coaching goals

Characters resemble relatability. They should. Else, they will not add any value. Depending on the emotion, the character should be weaved into a story. If the character is known to the larger world (usually a celebrity), then that works best.

Make it realistic and relatable: when you keep it realistic, it keeps the example you use in the realm of achievable and possible, and when you make it relatable, you show them that everyone goes through the highs and lows and with that effort, they can effect positive change.

An example that’s worked well for me is sharing the ‘Hero’s Journey’. This narrative structure traces the path of a protagonist who embarks on an adventure, faces challenges and obstacles, undergoes a transformation, and ultimately emerges victorious. The hero’s journey resonates with us because it taps into the fundamental human experience of facing struggles, growing, and achieving self-actualization. By taking your ideal client on an emotional journey, you help them understand that they are not alone in their struggles, and that triumph over adversity is possible.

La estructura de un cuento, siempre es y será la misma: Inicio, drama y desenlace. Lo importante es saberlas usar. Hay un juego llamado "Cuentáforas" que ayuda notablemente a construir junto al coachee un buen relato.

This is a very common mistake that many people and storytellers make. They begin their story and often lose track or fail to connect the story to the outcome they were hoping for. The best way to ensure you are connecting everything, remember to start with the end in mind. Know the outcome and the takeaway of your story and that will help you maintain the salient points and to stay on track. This will keep your story more concise and more meaningful.

Uma boa estrutura inicia com a contextualiza?ao da história e seu propósito. Introduza o desafio ou conflito que o personagem precisa enfrentar e garanta um desenvolvimento fluido da historia. Toda historia tem um ponto alto, que é o ponto de maior tens?o e indica como o conflito será resolvido. Mostre como os personagens lidam com o desafio e quais as li??es aprendidas. Convide o coachee a fazer um reflexao sobre toda a historia e como se relaciona com sua realidade

The age old adage "The more I practice, the luckier I get" certainly applies here. Story telling is an 'Artful Science' involving structure, substance, timing, inflection, ethos, pathos & logos. While some are born with various of these attributes, the vast majority of great story tellers are the product of practice, study, observation, and more practice. For my career I pursued a degree in speech communication/theatre arts, along side of political science/pre-law. I did theatre, competitive debate, oral interpretation, impromptu, and extemporaneous speaking. Later I went to comedy school, learned joke structure, and stand up as well. But above all I've practiced by doing thousands of presentations, and I'm still at it. DO THE WORK!

If you are not sure about how to help your coachee craft their story, try this: 1. WHO: actors in the story 2. STAGE: where&when, give context 3. ACTION: what happens When in the Action part, you can then follow the classic narrative structure: Beginning, Disrupting event, Struggle/Rising action, "Final boss"/Climax, Outcome).

Involving clients in the storytelling process is a transformative strategy that enhances their engagement and deepens their understanding of personal and professional challenges. By encouraging clients to narrate their own experiences, they actively participate in their growth journey. This approach helps clients articulate their thoughts, identify patterns in their behavior, and recognize areas for improvement. Sharing their stories allows clients to reflect critically on past actions and decisions, fostering a deeper self-awareness and a stronger commitment to personal development. Moreover, involving clients in creating their narrative empowers them, giving them a sense of control and responsibility over their progress and outcomes.

As an executive coach, I've found storytelling to be a powerful tool in engaging and inspiring my clients. Universally, people respond to stories because they make concepts relatable, understandable, and inspirational. If they can articulate their experiences, and challenges in their own words, we uncover a wealth of insights and wisdom that might otherwise remain untapped. The magic lies in those "aha" moments when clients recognize patterns, uncover beliefs, or gain new perspectives through their own stories. It's not about prescribing solutions from the outside as a coach; rather, it's about encouraging individuals to discover their own paths forward. As they author their own storytelling, it can be the heart and soul of the process.

I like to have the client name their heroes and/or those they look up to. It doesn't have to be in the same job or even related. The heroes journey is universal and a client is more likely to relate to someone they respect vs. a generic example.

The thing I love most, and believe is the main purpose of stories is to involve the clients. Encouraging clients to take ownership of their narratives is a crucial step in empowering them. It reinforces the idea that they are not merely participants in their journey but the authors of their own success stories. This mindset shift can have a profound impact on how they approach challenges and opportunities alike.

Having a client create their own story by reflecting on the stories related can help the story to sink in but helps the client then put it into their specific context including their goals, challenges, and circumstances.

After storytelling sessions, empathically listen to clients as they reflect on the stories' lessons. Encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings about how the stories resonate with their own experiences. Then, collaboratively identify actionable steps that align with their professional development goals. This empathetic approach fosters a deeper understanding of clients' needs and empowers them to take meaningful actions towards growth and success.

Las historias nos inducen a reflexionar al respecto y a actuar en consecuencia. Por eso uno de los medios de comunicación más antiguos son historias a través de los seres humanos, historias que conducen a la reflexión y muestran como ha sido la evolución del ser humano. .

To engage and inspire executive coaching clients through storytelling, craft narratives that resonate with their experiences and aspirations. Share relatable anecdotes that illustrate key concepts or lessons learned. Use storytelling to evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and convey the relevance of coaching insights to real-life situations. Encourage clients to share their own stories and experiences, fostering a deeper connection and mutual understanding. By weaving storytelling into coaching sessions, coaches can create a dynamic and impactful learning experience that motivates clients to explore new perspectives and drive meaningful change.

Make them play. Why did the preschool class have a doll house in it? With dolls, kitchen toys, tiny blankets and cushions, small little windows with floral curtains. A bed to make the baby doll sleep , a cradle , a cot. If you were lucky like me to play in a doll house like this one , you would know what I mean. It initiates role play, story telling, social interaction. Similar can be applied to executives when under training. Give them a situation and let them loose to use ideas to create a story from the situation. Do not nudge, do not prompt. Just let conversations flow and collect around a story they create. This is be the best way to add to story telling amongst executives by making them play the situation.

For me, sometimes the best stories are the ones unspoken. Use pauses effectively. Let the silence after a story settle. Sometimes, a reflective silence can be as powerful as the story itself. It gives space for the story to breathe and for the lessons to sink in deeper. In all this, it’s the honesty and vulnerability in the stories you choose to tell and how you tell them that will truly engage and inspire.

Storytelling is a form of communication and integration. It should not come as a surprise to the coach if the prework is done beforehand. If the coach is competent in coaching through storytelling, there needs to be an agreement as to what that would entail. Is this the primary method or topical? The method must be structured and authentic and still evoke the awareness and growth needed for the client to turn insight into action. The coach must include the client in the story with questions that will draw towards meeting the agreement for the session. This form of coaching must not be taken lightly; a coach must be seasoned and competent in this method to be effective.