Intro to storytelling in the workplace (includes resources specific to University of MI)

2.  The universe is made of stories, not
atoms. —Muriel Rukeyser
 The destiny of the world is determined
less by the battles that are lost and won
than by the stories it loves and believes
in. —Harold Goddard

3.  I have not failed. I have found ten thousand
ways that won't work. —Thomas Edison
 If they can get you asking the wrong questions,
they don't have to worry about answers. —
Thomas Pynchon
 There have been great societies that did not
use the wheel, but there have been no societies
that did not tell stories. —Ursula K. LeGuin

4.  Events
 Linked in sequence
 Across time
 According to a plot

5.  Overarching big stories that set
parameters for personal, local, national
stories. Examples:
 Competition
 Economic growth
 Life as a garden or life as a machine
 Rugged individualism
 “It takes a village”

6.  We are story-making beings. We
organize our lives through stories
 The meaning of events comes from
the stories people tell themselves and
each other about those events

7.  The same events can be storied in a
variety of ways—and that makes a
difference in how life is experienced
 Stories are maps
 Any story highlights certain things
and obscures others
www.narrativetherapychicago.com

8. http://www.storyatwork.com/documents/4ElementsofStory_BobDickman.pdf

9.  In almost every aspect of management
and organization, storytelling has a
role.
 The reason: stories are often what
compel us to act.
 Storytelling: Data with soul!
http://www.intervista-institute.com/os.php

10.  Strategic stories:
 People can picture them, remember
them and retell them.
 Tell us “Why?” and convey emotion.
 Inspire people to take action in
accordance with the new strategy.
http://www.anecdote.com.au/whitepapers.php?wpid=23

11.  Spark action
 Communicate who the leaders are
 Communicate who the
organization is (branding)
 Transmit values

12.  Foster collaboration
(develop shared
perspectives)
 Tame the grapevine
 Share knowledge
 Lead people into the future
http://www.stevedenning.com/Documents/Leader-Ch-1.pdf

14. http://www.stevedenning.com/Documents/Leader-Ch-1.pdf

15.  digital story (dig·i·tal sto·ry)
A short, first person video-narrative created by
combining recorded voice, still and moving images,
and music or other sounds.
digital storyteller (dig·i·tal sto·ry·tell·er)
Anyone who has a desire to document life experience,
ideas, or feelings through the use of story and digital
media.
http://www.storycenter.org/

16.  the practice of combining narrative with digital
content, including images, sound, and video, to create
a short movie, typically with a strong emotional
component.
 can be interactive movies with highly produced audio
and visual effects--but a set of slides with
corresponding narration or music constitutes a basic
digital story.
 can be instructional, persuasive, historical, or
reflective.
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7021.pdf

17.  the application of technology to the age-old
experience of sharing personal narratives.
 What’s new is the growing availability of sophisticated
tools, as well as a maturing infrastructure to
disseminate such content.
 Growth of multimedia applications will place greater
power into the hands of more people, allowing richer
digital stories.

19. Deep Water by Cindy Lollar

20.  Center for the Education of Women
 MPortfolio
 Patricia Anderson’s (U-M librarian) blog about her
experience with digital storytelling
 Careers at UMHS
 U-M News Service example: A tree grows on the Diag

21.  Center for Digital Storytelling
 Digital Storytelling Cookbook
 Four story-based practices to foster insight
 The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling (Steve Denning)
 Storytelling at Work: Leadership strategies for
achieving change