Super Powers Resources

Here are some additional resources to help you prepare for and deliver a Super Powers of an Influential Storyteller Meeting in the Mailbox.

 
 

Story Ideas

NaikFoundationIndia Video

Why it Works:

  • It tells a complete story within two minutes.

  • It illustrates the value of engaging emotion and invites curiosity by slowing revealing information over the course of the video.

Notes:

  • It’s an example of a story told within a video format and so it doesn’t precisely match up with the type of stories people will be developing during the meeting.

 

Martha Cooney's winning story at the 2016 Moth Grand Slam in Philadelphia

Why it Works:

  • It’s an oral story which is the type of story people are developing during the meeting.

  • It’s relatively short.

  • She brings the listener/viewer into the story by sharing vivid details and emotional stakes. We experience the story with her.

  • She uses the 5 Ps of Delivery to enhance the story.

Notes:

  • She uses humor a great deal (effectively) which is not something discussed during the meeting.

 

My year of saying yes to everything | Shonda Rhimes

Why it Works:

  • It’s an oral story which is the type of story people are developing during the meeting.

  • Shonda Rhimes is a renowned storyteller, though most often via television programming.

  • She has a clear and strong theme that’s reinforced throughout the story.

Notes:

  • It’s much longer than the other stories listed here, over 18 minutes.

 

Next Steps

Story Coaching

Stephanie and Kara offer story coaching for individuals that have been through the workshop, meeting or are simply developing a story. This could be a way of extending the value of the meeting beyond the event itself.

Moth-style Event

Some organizations that we work with choose to follow up an event with a Moth-style event, a forum where a few individuals share prepared stories in front of an audience. This can be a great opportunity both for practice, sharing great stories and building community.

 

Sources and Further Reading

  • Brene Brown, Daring Greatly

  • Rouder, J.N. et. al. An assessment of fixed-capacity models of visual working memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) . 2008;105(16):5975-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0711295105.

  • Harrison Monarth, The Irrestistable Power of Storytelling as a Strategic Business Tool, March 11, 2014, Harvard Business Review.

  • Elaine Morris, Influence Change Through Storytelling.

  • Leo Widrich, The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains.

  • Steven & Rachel Kaplan, Humanscape.

  • Les Lancester, Professor of Transpersonal Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.

  • Raymond De Young and Martha C. Monroe, Some Fundamentals of Engaging Stories, Environmental Education Research Journal, Volume 2, 1996 - Issue 2

  • Paul Zak, How Stories Change the Brain - http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_stories_change_brain

  • Chip and Dan Heath, Switch.