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Vancouver, CAN (Global HQ) • Boston, USA • Los Angeles, USA • Nottingham, UK
A PRESENTATION BY
Stephen Abram
December 4, 2020
A PRESENTATION BY
Gigabit Libraries Part 30: Libraries in Recovery
"A Time for New Library Stories"
What Does Success Really Look Like?: A Conversation with Stephen Abram
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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Guest Speaker:
Stephen Abram
Experienced library and
information industry leader
Expert in:
• Strategic planning
• Product development
• Technology
• Training and marketing
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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CONNECT
THE
DOTS

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It’s a cliché, but we really do
live in interesting times.
www.lucidea.com
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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Let us start with some mouth-
watering digital outcome research
and then talk about how not to bore
the socks off of the people you
need to influence.

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Today’s Outline
1. What do we want to achieve?
2. What is a measurement?
3. What do we use them for?
4. What is a story?
5. What is a story’s purpose?
6. Now, how do we craft great,
impactful stories?
7. What are our next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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What is measurement?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Statistics are not enough!
What is measurement?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Statistics are not enough!
2. Measurements are two or more statistics
which, in combination, show
directionality, insight, or highlight a point.
What is measurement?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Statistics are not enough!
2. Measurements are two or more statistics
which, in combination, show
directionality, insight, or highlight a point.
3. They are best kept short, large and visual.
What is measurement?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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What do we use
measurements for?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In libraries:
1. Monthly or regular reports
What do we use
measurements for?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In libraries:
1. Monthly or regular reports
2. Business cases
What do we use
measurements for?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In libraries:
1. Monthly or regular reports
2. Business cases
3. Justifications
What do we use
measurements for?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In libraries:
1. Monthly or regular reports
2. Business cases
3. Justifications
4. Feasibility studies
What do we use
measurements for?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In libraries:
1. Monthly or regular reports
2. Business cases
3. Justifications
4. Feasibility studies
5. Marketing and positioning
What do we use
measurements for?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In his book The Springboard, Steve Denning describes
these stories as “less a vehicle for communication of
large amounts of information and more a tiny fuse
that ignites a new story in the listeners’ minds, which
establishes new connections and patterns in the
listeners’ existing information, attitudes and
perceptions.”
What is a story?
The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in
Knowledge-Era Organizations
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In special libraries:
1. Testimonials
What is a story?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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In special libraries:
1. Testimonials
2. Elevator stories
3. Water cooler / meetings prep
4. Coffee break stories (Starbucks)
5. Lunch stories (or hot dog cart)
6. Corporate events conversations
7. Social media hits
What is a story?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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What is a story’s purpose?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. To connect our emotional brain with our
logical brain.
What is a story’s purpose?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. To connect our emotional brain with our
logical brain.
2. To move minds and connect with users
and decision-makers on their level of
goals and dreams.
What is a story’s purpose?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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How do we craft
a great story?
Highly recommended reading:
The idea of a springboard story was
first explained in the book, The
Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites
Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations
published by Butterworth Heinemann,
in October 2000.
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Testimonials
How do we craft
a great story?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Testimonials
2. Know the internal social
relationships
How do we craft
a great story?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Testimonials
2. Know the internal social
relationships
3. Embed ourselves in the visible social
relationships (meetings,
presentations, intranet,
social media)
How do we craft
a great story?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Testimonials
2. Know the internal social
relationships
3. Embed ourselves in the visible social
relationships (meetings,
presentations, intranet,
social media)
4. It takes practice…
How do we craft
a great story?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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Crafting a springboard story
1.Must be a “story” with a beginning, middle and end that is relevant to the listeners.
2.Must be highly compressed – the original springboard story contained 29 words.
3.Must have a hero – the story must be about a person who accomplished
something notable or noteworthy.
4.Must include a surprising element – the story should shock the listener out of their
complacency. It should shake up their model of reality.
5.Must stimulate an “of course!” reaction – once the surprise is delivered, the listener
should see the obvious path to the future.
6.Must embody the change process desired, be relatively recent and “pretty much”
true.
7.Must have a happy ending.
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.
• Public librarians can look for evidence of successful positioning by testing and observing:
• Respect: Visible respect, positioning and awareness of our personal competencies, trust, referrals, and testimonials for impact.
• Communication: Clients, better than librarians, can articulate and make explicit the authentic, transformational value libraries
Acknowledgement: Public acknowledgement of the contributions of public libraries to the community, local strategies, and
strategic investments.
• Impact: Clarity of measurable impact on such community issues as economic revitalization, employment capacity, learning,
social cohesion, and more is critical. We must make our case and provide the stories aligned with proofs.
• Proofs: Public librarians use surveys, customer comment forms, testimonial collection, and frequent discussions with the
library's customers to assess their satisfaction with the library’s services and share the stories.

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1. Know your ‘right’ numbers
What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Know your ‘right’ numbers
2. Know your ‘right’ measurements
What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Know your ‘right’ numbers
2. Know your ‘right’ measurements
3. Start surveys/polls on the question
and project level
What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Know your ‘right’ numbers
2. Know your ‘right’ measurements
3. Start surveys/polls on the question
and project level
4. Gather testimonials – keep a file
What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Know your ‘right’ numbers
2. Know your ‘right’ measurements
3. Start surveys/polls on the question
and project level
4. Gather testimonials – keep a file
5. Develop a sharing stories plan/schedule
What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.
www.stephenslighthouse.com

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1. Know your ‘right’ numbers
2. Know your ‘right’ measurements
3. Start surveys/polls on the question
and project level
4. Gather testimonials – keep a file
5. Develop a sharing stories plan/schedule
6. Get visual
What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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1. Know your ‘right’ numbers
2. Know your ‘right’ measurements
3. Start surveys/polls on the question
and project level
4. Gather testimonials – keep a file
5. Develop a sharing stories plan/schedule
6. Get visual
7. Share and practice
What are your next steps?
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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Springboard Storytelling
http://www.creatingthe21stcentury.org/springboard
story.html
Springboard Stories
http://thinksmart.typepad.com/convergence_2005/
files/springboard_stories.pdf
Read these
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.

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Q&A
Lighthouse Consulting, Inc.
www.stephenslighthouse.com

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Have more questions?
(416) 669-4855
stephen.abram@gmail.com
www.stephenslighthouse.com
Need more information?