Saying goodbye to the old while preparing for the new.

Tips and Techniques

If you shy away from the idea of sharing your stories, or simply can't think of any, think of it as sharing your individual life experiences. Which parts of that experience are relevant to your content and what was the story around that experience?

Watch this short video for further explanation and ideas.

?

?

Story prompt of the week

What are the things you Always do or Never do? How does that play out for you?

At this time of year your ‘Always’ stories might be the traditions you follow, the people you spend the holiday period with or how you spend those precious days off.

What if you were to try something different, just for once? What would that mean for you?

‘Always’ means every single time, no deviation. ‘Never’ of course means the opposite.

While there’s nothing wrong with a well-loved tradition or a process that works, sticking to what you Always or Never do can leave you stuck in your ways, closed off to something new that you and yours might even come to enjoy more, that in business might even work more effectively.

Always and Never tend to bring a sense of right and wrong, of having to meet a standard. They’re finite terms and therefore restrictive.

Stepping into the realm of ‘sometimes’ opens you up for other opportunities and experiences. You can still revert to your Always or Never patterns from time to time if you want to.

Where in your life are you stuck in the land of Always or Never?

I dare you – just put a toe into Sometimes and see what happens.

?

How you could use your Always or Never stories.

This time I’ve chosen to write a narrative around the theme rather than a story, partly to explain why this prompt is included in the set.

We all have things that we always or never do but it’s a limiting way of thinking. Do we do or not do those things because we think that’s the best thing to do, because we’re scared of doing something different or because we’ve never thought of doing anything else?

Sharing your examples of this can inspire your audience to consider their own patterns of thought or behaviour and maybe step outside of those.

This is particularly effective when you tell a story of how you always or never did something until……something triggered you do something different. What was the outcome or learning?

When you explain that to your audience you’re giving them the opportunity to think differently too.

?

Different perspectives, different stories

This is a truly engaging example of how someone’s story can be virtually the entire speech leaving the audience wondering what the ‘idea worth sharing’ is ( if they didn’t already know it from the title of course).

The speaker has a ‘Big’ story to share and even using the entire 20 minutes can only skim the surface of it. In doing so he successfully shares enough to peak interest and to keep the audience listening intently.

As the story unfolds, the disconnect between the main character in the story and the one on stage with the academic title of Dr. makes it all the more engaging. We know that there must be a turning point coming but cannot imagine where or how that will come.

In terms of the story itself, some of the audience will likely see themselves in aspects of it, if not the actual detail. They will have experienced the emotions mentioned and possibly similar trauma.

Another section of the audience will be peeling back their own assumptions, thoughts and attitudes towards others who lived in a similar way to the speaker.

It’s a hard story to listen to for too long and just at the right time he brings in an element of humour which relieves the tension.

Then finally the underlying message is delivered in just the last sentence of the piece. Powerful yet simple storytelling.

?

Disclaimer:

Many of the videos I feature in this section are of TED or TEDx talks for which the underlying theme is ‘an idea worth sharing.’

I think it’s important to state that my reviews and suggestions are focused on the examples of storytelling in these talks and are NOT a review of the speech as a whole.

When making suggestions of how the story could be told differently, I’m in no way wanting to imply criticism of the speaker but rather to suggest how you, my reader could craft your stories into your talks, more likely for a business purpose which might be quite different from the TED/TEDx purpose.

?

Briefly speaking:

Visualising yourself delivering your presentation flawlessly sets you up for success.

?

?

In the spotlight

As business activity starts to slow down towards the holiday period, I start to make plans for Q’s 1 and 2 of next year, planning what needs to be done and where I’m going to put my energy and focus. I’m guessing you might do something similar.

If whatever you have planned for 2025 has anything to do with speaking more as part of your business activity or of getting clear on your brand stories, why not take a first step now towards that?

Why not simply book a call with me to explore how I could help you with either or both of those things? No commitment, just a call. In the remainder of this year or next year, your choice.

You can book your call here now.

?

How else I can help you:

?

Keynote speaker – Achieving approachable leadership through strategic storytelling. Leadership/wellbeing/organisational health/cultural change.

Book me to speak?

Story mining – helping you identify your ‘How’ and other stories.

Speech development – working with you on structuring, creating or tweaking your signature talks.

Trainer/facilitator – on public speaking and communication skills.

Away-day facilitator – running ice-breaker sessions for your team development events.

Speaker coach - one on one or group coaching.

Communication coach - one on one or group coaching.

Work with me

?

?