Since the time of humans sitting around the campfire swapping stories about the day's hunt, we've traded the verbal pictures and sequences of the day with those who will listen. The narratives tell more than the context and details of our experiences--who, what actions happened, the outcomes and direct lessons. They share emotions, values, judgments, beliefs and attitudes. Sometimes told once, and sometimes repeated to the point of legend, stories entertain us, evoke emotion, teach us, show us, change us and inspire us to act. Stories are everywhere.
Today's entry is the first of a three-part interview with Seth Kahan and Denise Lee, two people who are change agents in a movement that is reframing storytelling as a viable tool in organizations--not as a time-waster around the water cooler.
Seth Kahan is an organizational consultant working with CEOs and senior managers to improve performance. His specialty is accelerating strategic change through participation and engagement of key stakeholders. He can be reached through his web site:
www.sethkahan.com.
Denise Lee is a consultant and a contributor to the new book, "Wake Me Up When the Data is Over." She holds a Masters degree in Organizational Learning from George Mason University (Fairfax, VA).
Carol: Seth and Denise, Thanks for joining me today.
The two of you see storytelling as a viable, valuable tool to use in business - not just fluff. You appreciate aspects of storytelling that reach into human values, relationships and experiences. You have envisioned and realized ways to bring these positive aspects of storytelling to organizations that have enjoyed the results. (By the way, these are the three components of appreciative intelligence.)
What is it that you find most valuable about storytelling?
Seth: Storytelling emerges from people, just as conversation does. It is a reflection of their meaning-making. Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways I know to accelerate understanding and the building of rapport.
Denise: To me what is most valuable about storytelling is the energy that it brings to a conversation. When I use storytelling in my work, I find that in a one-on-one situation I feel more connected to the person and the issue we are discussing. Furthermore, in a group situation the whole room will start to buzz with the exchange of stories. This energy is very powerful when I am trying to build trust, get people to share lessons learned or just to share some type of knowledge.
(to be continued)
