We all know smart people. They often have smart plans and smart designs. Sometimes fancy shoes. But the smartest plan or design is totally useless if it can’t be explained to another human being.
As humans, how do we share information in ways that convey our ideas, thoughts, intents, moods, histories? We tell stories. Sometimes the story is visual and can be anything from cave paintings to maps to plays to diagrams to art. Other times it is audio and involves music or oral histories. It can even be as simple as the written words or spreadsheets of data.
The point of storytelling is to communicate. It is how we take simple or complex thoughts and share them with other people. It is how we lead people to see our vision. It is how we plant a flag, define a ‘north star’ or rally a nation to defend itself against impossible odds.
Storytelling is a core competency for consultants. If you can’t narrate, you can’t explain your code, your architecture, your business strategy. It is central to what we do as consultants.
I wanted to talk more about this with my smart friends. I also happen to think there is a great example of the “power of narrative” playing out in front of our eyes on the world stage.
In this episode:
- Why do we care about stories?
- What makes stories important to consultants?
- What makes a good story or narrative?
- Why do some of us struggle to relate and narrate?
- How can one improve at storytelling?
In this episode, we mention several books:
Sapiens: https://amzn.to/3KlJzJ3
Hero with a Thousand Faces: https://amzn.to/3IEA3jE
Selling The Invisible: https://amzn.to/3Cc5NKJ
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