Definition  Storytelling is:Oryteiling is the vivid description of ideas, beliefs, personal

the use of stories; that evoke powerful emotions and insights.  experiences, and life-lessons through stories or narratives  or narratives as  a communication  Advantages  tool to value, share,: Storytelling has advantages over the communication tech- and capitalize on : niques commonly used in organizations, be they electronic  the knowledge of : mail, reports, or formal speeches. First, it enables articula-  individuals.  tion of emotional aspects as well as factual content, allow  :ing expression of tacit knowledge (that is always dificult to  :convey). Second, by providing the broader context in which knowledge arises, it increases  :the potential for meaningful knowledge-sharing. Third, by grounding facts in a narrative  :structure, it augments the likelihood that leaning will take place and be passed on. Pur  poseful storytelling can deliver results that conventional, abstract modes of communica-  :tions such as those mentioned earlier cannot. Anyone can use it and become better at using  : it to reach many rapidly.

Communicating Naturally  The age-old practice of storytelling is one of the most effective tools that people can use.  Storytellers communicate naturally: analysis might excite the mind but it does not offer an  easy route to the heart, which is where one must go to motivate people. Working with stories  is one of the best ways to  Make abstract concepts meaningful.  Help connect people and ideas.  Inspire imagination and motivate action.  Give breathing space and allow different perspectives to emerge.

Create sense, coherence, and meaning  Develop valuable descriptions of the situations in which knowledge is applied and

solutions are found.  Examine organizational values and culture.  Communicate complex messages simply.  Operate effectively in networks.

Inspire change.

Table 1: The Difference Between a Report and a Story  Version A  Version B  In our evaluation of a project in Bangladesh, we noted a wide  variance in the competence of individual villages to develop  sustainable and effective solutions to problems encountered,  for example in replacing broken parts or developing low-cost  products such as new latrines. The lessons to be learned from this  evaluation are that we should:

Bangladesh is a really impressive place.. in a positive sense.  was in a village last year working in water and sanitation.  we were try1ng to promote the use of improved latrines, but  could not produce concrete slabs and rings locally for a low cost  Somebody told me to visit the latrines of a lady in the village  sol went along and said, "Can I see your latrines?" She had made  a latrine out of a clay pot with the bottom cut off. Then, with a  potter from the area, she developed a small local production of

bottomlesS pols, and they became the latrines. Ingenious.  A few weeks later I was in another village and saw a hand  pump: it was broken, just a small piece missing. So l said to the  Villagers,"Why don t you repair your pump?" And they said,  Oh, we just wait for another donor to bringa new pump." Sol  said, "Why don't you visit the lady in the village over there? She  finds ways of getting things done for herself."

work against over-dependence on development partners,  note and encourage entrepreneurial approaches to problems  identify existing and repeatable g0od practices,  build and strengthen communication between villages to assist  cross-fertilization of ideas at the grassroots level.

Source: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. 2005. Story Guide: Building Bridges Using Narrative Techniques. Berne.  Available: www.deza.admin.ch/ressources/resource_en_155620.pdt

Table 2: A Storytelling Catalogue

If your  You will need a story that  In telling it, you will need to  Your story will inspire  Such responses as  objective is to

Spark action  Describes how a successful change  Avoid excessive detail that will take  "Just imagine..."  was implemented in the past, but

allows listeners to imagine how it  the audience's mind off its own  What if..  challenge  might work in their situation

Provides audience-engaging drama  and reveals some strength or  Communicate  Include meaningful details, but also  "I didn't know that about him!  make sure the audience has the time  "Now I see what she's driving at"  and inclination to hear your story

who you are

vulnerability from your past  Transmit values  Feels familiar to the audience and  Use believable (though perhaps

hypothetical) characters and  situations, and never forget that the  story must be consistent with your

That's so right!"  Why don't we do that all the time?"  will prompt discussion about the

ISSues raised by the value being  promoted  own actions

Foster  Movingly recounts a situation that  listeners have also experienced and  Ensure that a set agenda does not  squelch this swapping of stones  that prompIs them to share their own  and that you have an action plan  ready to tap the energy unleashed by  this naratuve chain reaction

That reminds me of the time that  collaboration  ."  "Hey, I've got a story like that."  stories about the topic

Tame the  Highlights, often through the use  Avoid the temptation to be mean-  No kidding  T'd never thought about it like that  before!"  grapevir  of gentle humor, some aspect of a  rumor that reveals it to be untrue or  is indeed false  spinted, and be sure that the rumor

unlikely  Share knowledge  Focuses on mistakes made and  Solicit alternative and possibly  "There but for the grace of God .."  "Wow! We'd better watch that from  shows in some detail how they were  better-solutions  corrected, with an explanation of  why the solution worked

now o n.

Lead people  Evokes the future you want to create  Be sure of your storytelling skills  without providing excessive detail  that will only turn out to be wrong

"When do we start?"  into the future  (otherwise, use a story in which the  past can serve as a springboard to  the future)

"Let's do it!"

DESIGN A  STORYTELLING CANVAS  BETTER  BUSINESS

SUBJECT  GOAL  AUDIENCE

What is your story's  What do you want to  achieve with this story?  What is the story about?  audience? What are their  needs?

BEFORE  1.SETTHE SCENE  2. MAKE YOUR POINT  3. CONCLUSION  AFTER

The end of your story. What is the  conclusion? What is your call to  action?

What does your audience think,  feel, know, want, after they have  experienced your story?  The audience's A-Ha moment.  What does your audience think,  feel, know, want, before they have  experienced your story?

What do you need to introduce?  What should be set up or ex-  plained?

Table 3: Storytelling Template for Use in Workshops

The Title of the Story  The Name of the Original Teller:  The Name of the Listener or Understander:

Landscape  The scene in time (year) and space (country)  Dwelling Place:  The precise location where the action occurred

Characters:  The cast list, descriptive attrnbutes, and roles in story  Challenge  The problem or task that triggered the action  Action:  The sequence of events before, during, and after the turning point  The Turning Point:  The moment when the change happened  Resolution:  The ending, including the moral, lesson leamed, or message Key Visual Hooks:  Mnemonics to help partners re-tell the story

Source: Adapted from Sparknow Consuting. Available: www.sparknow.net.

Applications  Storytelling is used to identify and exchange learning episodes, explore values and inspire people toward the  possibility of change, enrich quantitative information with qualitative evidence, make out connections and  create common purpose, and improve the effectiveness of strategic decisions. Potential applications of stories  include  Oral  histories  Team or community-building exercises  Workshop warm-ups  Back-to-office reports  Activity or project reviews  Monitoring and evaluation systems  Recreation

Elements of a Good Story  Good stories are generally interesting, unusual, provocative, serious, controversial, surprising, intriguing, or  inspiring. They  Respond to demand.  Exploita specific opportunity.  Include personal and human elements of experience.  Present the point of view of someone who has been directly involved.  Use a variety of narrative patterns for different aims.  Achieve a balance between words from persons and statements from organizations.  Recount  a successful intervention.  Describe an unsuccessful intervention.  Provide a solution to both immediate and broader problems.  Play to what is already in people's minds.  Target people with the authority to make decisions and change things.

