7-19-10 Story Time

One of the critical skill sets for the new/aspiring executive is communication (12-30-09 Morphing to a Model and 1-4-10 Let's Talk ). Within this skill set is a sub-skill that I call story-telling. And no, I don’t mean the story-telling that you used to do when you tattled on your brother or sister during your grade school years.

What I mean is the ability to use a story or anecdote or even a joke to illustrate the point that you are trying to make. The ability to “story-tell” is a useful tool in the executive’s kit. Why? Because if the story is memorable, people will remember the point you are trying to make. I had one boss that was particularly good at this. And frankly, even years later, I could tell you the point he was trying to make just by remembering his story.

I try to use stories here to make my posts more interesting -- to both you and I. Sometimes I think I hit the mark and sometimes, well not so much.

So what makes a good story? Here are some of the things that I’ve observed.

-- Your story has to fit the situation. Random stories, even if they are interesting, don’t help you.

-- Your story should be well thought out. Have some in your back pocket that you have gone over in your head. Why? If not, you will likely ramble. And people will totally miss your point.

-- Don’t overuse your stories. They lose impact with the re-telling and re-telling and re-telling……

-- Don't drag out the story. Keep it short, sweet, and make an impact with it.

And one final thought. Does the story have to be true? Well, ideally, yes. But not always. Fictional anecdotes can be effective as well.

So let story time begin…….

Cheers!