Here is an adaptation of the article below this one, but set to a short video.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Showing posts with label communication skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication skills. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 08, 2009
3 Things Dads Can Do to Communicate Better with Their Children
The world needs fathers. Study after study confirms the important role of the father in a family. Let's improve your father-children relationship. Here are three quick and easy ways for Dads to relate better to their children.
1. Put down the distractions.
If you want to communicate better with your young kids, then learn to pay attention. Listening to a child while you channel surf, web surf or refrigerator surf is not really listening. Put down the remote or the mouse or close the 'fridge door. Pay attention to what your child is saying. By the way, this rule changes a bit when your kids, especially your sons, are older. A great way to get your teens to talk is do a shared activity together. You'll notice that I used the word "shared" in that sentence, right?
2. Look your child in the eye.
All the media your child is exposed to shares one thing in common: all of it has your child's eyes and ears glued upon it. When you talk to your child, do you have their eye-contact? One of the greatest gifts we give to our children is looking them in the eye. Let them see you seeing them. Put down the storybook and tell them a story. Involve them in the tale. Advertisers are not hesitant to look your kids in the eye. You should do no less.
3. Make your child's needs the priority.
As more and more dads, thankfully, become much more active in parenting, I read more about fathers who do not like kiddie things. I have read several posts, for example, about how some stay-at-home dads don't like kid's music and wish to substitute rock artists for kids musicians.
Although some of these daddy-blogger posts are written tongue-in-cheek, there is an underlying issue: kid things are not designed for dads. They are designed for kids. Don't be in a hurry to bypass the usefulness of all the kiddie toys and noise that is out there.
The "Wheels On The Bus" song is driving you crazy? Let it make you crazy and let your kids listen to it a hundred times a day if they want. Raising four kids in our house, I can assure you that this phase doesn't last long. Very soon, you'll be dealing with the wheels on the car which is under your teen's control as it is driven from your home.
The repetition of songs and stories is important for your child's development and even future skills for learning and school. Be focused on what your kids need, not what you want.
In reality, all three of these ideas are really expressing the same need: Dads, give your kids the gift of your attention. You don't need to be father of the year. You need to be the best daddy you can to your kids.
**********
Sean Buvala, father of four and a professional storyteller, is the author of the book "DaddyTeller™: Be a Hero to Your Kids and Teach Them What's Really Important by Telling Them One Simple Story at a Time." You can read more about his Daddy/Child improving work by visiting http://www.daddyteller.com.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
1. Put down the distractions.
If you want to communicate better with your young kids, then learn to pay attention. Listening to a child while you channel surf, web surf or refrigerator surf is not really listening. Put down the remote or the mouse or close the 'fridge door. Pay attention to what your child is saying. By the way, this rule changes a bit when your kids, especially your sons, are older. A great way to get your teens to talk is do a shared activity together. You'll notice that I used the word "shared" in that sentence, right?
2. Look your child in the eye.
All the media your child is exposed to shares one thing in common: all of it has your child's eyes and ears glued upon it. When you talk to your child, do you have their eye-contact? One of the greatest gifts we give to our children is looking them in the eye. Let them see you seeing them. Put down the storybook and tell them a story. Involve them in the tale. Advertisers are not hesitant to look your kids in the eye. You should do no less.
3. Make your child's needs the priority.
As more and more dads, thankfully, become much more active in parenting, I read more about fathers who do not like kiddie things. I have read several posts, for example, about how some stay-at-home dads don't like kid's music and wish to substitute rock artists for kids musicians.
Although some of these daddy-blogger posts are written tongue-in-cheek, there is an underlying issue: kid things are not designed for dads. They are designed for kids. Don't be in a hurry to bypass the usefulness of all the kiddie toys and noise that is out there.
The "Wheels On The Bus" song is driving you crazy? Let it make you crazy and let your kids listen to it a hundred times a day if they want. Raising four kids in our house, I can assure you that this phase doesn't last long. Very soon, you'll be dealing with the wheels on the car which is under your teen's control as it is driven from your home.
The repetition of songs and stories is important for your child's development and even future skills for learning and school. Be focused on what your kids need, not what you want.
In reality, all three of these ideas are really expressing the same need: Dads, give your kids the gift of your attention. You don't need to be father of the year. You need to be the best daddy you can to your kids.
**********
Sean Buvala, father of four and a professional storyteller, is the author of the book "DaddyTeller™: Be a Hero to Your Kids and Teach Them What's Really Important by Telling Them One Simple Story at a Time." You can read more about his Daddy/Child improving work by visiting http://www.daddyteller.com.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
The Elevator Speech is (still) Dead
I think the entire idea of developing an elevator pitch should be scrapped.
Over at A Storied Career Blog, Katherine has posted a discussion about the issues of putting storytelling into one's elevator speech. Overall, I think Katherine has a great blog. This particular post, however, reminds me of one of my frequent battles: The Elevator Speech Is Dead.
My podcast on this subject is at:
http://seantells.com/morethanspeaking
It always surprises me to see people teaching this archaic communication tool. The "elevator pitch" (EP) is designed to snag or sell. Are we still doing that in today's world? Are we still trying to "get" people? Is this the 90's where the whole world is full of dot-com startups begging for a venture capitalist to give a moment of attention?
Storytelling is a sole and single source of business communication that contains everything you need to communicate. Our job, no matter what our work is, is to create our Core Story. Once that is done and done correctly through the use of episodic creation, we now have a tool that can be broken down into the very quickest of communication in an elevator to a full-on presentation in a keynote.
Trying to make a story fit our EP (uggh) is like building a house and then wondering if you can find a way to pour some cement into the foundation now that the house is finished. Start with storytelling and your core story, not with an elevator speech. Start with the full knowledge and understanding of your story and then the rest falls right into place. Yes, it's still work but at least you are not trying to fit an elephant into a tutu.
There is so much going on where folks are dabbling in storytelling rather than embracing it for the essential and most foundation too that it is. I've been teaching my clients for years now: choose a project, wipe the slate clean and build your new approach upon the foundation of the story and storytelling techniques.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Over at A Storied Career Blog, Katherine has posted a discussion about the issues of putting storytelling into one's elevator speech. Overall, I think Katherine has a great blog. This particular post, however, reminds me of one of my frequent battles: The Elevator Speech Is Dead.
My podcast on this subject is at:
http://seantells.com/morethanspeaking
It always surprises me to see people teaching this archaic communication tool. The "elevator pitch" (EP) is designed to snag or sell. Are we still doing that in today's world? Are we still trying to "get" people? Is this the 90's where the whole world is full of dot-com startups begging for a venture capitalist to give a moment of attention?
Storytelling is a sole and single source of business communication that contains everything you need to communicate. Our job, no matter what our work is, is to create our Core Story. Once that is done and done correctly through the use of episodic creation, we now have a tool that can be broken down into the very quickest of communication in an elevator to a full-on presentation in a keynote.
Trying to make a story fit our EP (uggh) is like building a house and then wondering if you can find a way to pour some cement into the foundation now that the house is finished. Start with storytelling and your core story, not with an elevator speech. Start with the full knowledge and understanding of your story and then the rest falls right into place. Yes, it's still work but at least you are not trying to fit an elephant into a tutu.
There is so much going on where folks are dabbling in storytelling rather than embracing it for the essential and most foundation too that it is. I've been teaching my clients for years now: choose a project, wipe the slate clean and build your new approach upon the foundation of the story and storytelling techniques.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Water Deep: Growing Your Nonprofit Through Internal Storytelling Techniques
As a leader of a nonprofit organization, it might be easy for individual staff and volunteers to be focused just on those who receive the services of the organization. However, does your group remember to talk to each other about your own work? Nonprofit storytelling is not just for the outside customers, it is for our very own staff members.
Stories can inspire your staff, improve staff retention and grow job satisfaction. You will see greater nonprofit fundraising. In turn, a happy organization generates deeper satisfaction among clients and benefactors.
Learn to use the power of nonprofit storytelling in your business communications with these five tips:
1. Leaders should know and speak the stories of everyday successes.
Do your nonprofit's leaders only speak to everyone when there is a problem? Stories are everywhere in an organization and they can be easy to find. I teach several methods for story gathering, but whatever method you choose to use, do something to solicit and find the stories of your company. When using storytelling for nonprofit organizations, the leaders must be the first to demonstrate this communication technique and they should seek to do so for every level of staff.
2. At least once a calendar quarter, have a single department share in-depth stories about their role in the organization.
Are your staff meetings limited to cursory sharing of agendas?
My wife is a gardener. Among other things, I have learned from her is that plants not only need the surface watering on a regular basis, but that they benefit from a "deep" watering occasionally. Much like these plants, your company needs to be "deep" in sharing their stories.
I have been on staff for many nonprofits. In our busyness, our staff meetings were reduced to around-the-table updating, doing not much more than checking in. To grow your staff cohesion, make a monthly gathering where one department shares both the success and challenge stories. As the deep watering that my gardener wife does for her trees, let these monthly or quarterly gatherings feed the roots of the entire organization.
3. Be sure volunteer training includes stories from other volunteers.
Do you assume your volunteers (or those seeking nonprofit jobs) are present because they really understand your group? As a nonprofit leader, I have seen how quickly some volunteers can burn out, especially in jobs requiring a great deal of face-to-face interaction. It is easy to assume that volunteers completely understand your mission statement. Of course, that is false. When your volunteers know the joys, challenges and reasonable expectations of your group, they will be more inspired to stay longer with your group. Mixing in a generous portion of stories (fun and serious) to your training will have long-term benefits.
4. Invite, rather than require, staff to create stories of the organization.
Mandatory story sharing results in low quality stories. Gathering stories is a natural process but sometimes your staff needs to be reminded how to do so. Rather than mandate to a group, teach them skills. Your stories will be much more genuine as they grow out of desire to share and not a requirement to meet a quota.
5. Never be afraid of negative stories.
I have found that negative stories (complaints) are a more effective gauge of staff satisfaction or job issues than any comment box will ever be.
In any organization there will be moments of success and sometimes challenge. Learn to listen carefully to all stories you hear. What are the trends and patterns? Before a staff issue becomes a major problem, it first appears as a few whispers. Are you listening to these stories? In thinking about your own work history, what problems might have been avoided if management had been carefully listening rather than defending or suppressing issues?
Strive to implement these "internal customer" tips for the health of your nonprofit group.
Thinking of starting a nonprofit organization? Make these steps an integral part of your initial plans.
***
K. Sean Buvala is a national leader in the communication skill of storytelling for business. An award-winning veteran of nearly three decades in storytelling, he uses his experience in the non-profit industry to help you grow your bottom line and increase staff satisfaction. Learn more at nononsensestorytelling.com. For daily tips, follow him at Twitter @storyteller .
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Corporate Storytelling Techniques: Five Ways to Convey Your Passion
Corporate Storytelling Techniques: Five Ways to Convey Your Passion
Stories are being told about your company all the time. Unless you have never had a customer, someone somewhere is talking about your company. When they do so, they are speaking with passion either for or against your business. You need to have your passionate stories ready to add to that conversation. To create raving fans in your business, you need to be a raving business.
When a customer experiences your company, they leave with an impression. If they were offended, hurt or feel they did not get good value, they will passionately talk about (create the story of) their perceptions of your business. Likewise, if you exceeded their expectations, they will also talk about that story. When a person hears one of these customer stories about your business, do you have your own equally passionate company stories to counter or confirm? Can your customers find these passionate stories on your website via video or audio links?
Here are five storytelling for business tips to help you express your passion:
1. Do not be afraid to be full of passion about your product or service. For example, I am always amazed at the way small brick-and-mortar business owners can be so alive and excited about their offerings but yet have zero expressions of that anywhere on their websites, other advertising or in casual conversations. Real passion ignites real passion. Don't tell me that you're "passionate about the perfect cup of coffee" at your coffee shop. Rather, through business storytelling, show me your passion by telling me the story of how you spent a year travelling the country to find the best and most unique roasting machine. I want to see that look in your eyes as you tell me about the best/worst coffee you ever had that led you to start your own business. Let me laugh with you about your obsessive interviewing and auditioning in order to find the perfect baristas. Help me to feel your focus as you tell me about going through a dozen suppliers (and their unique personalities) looking for the perfect coffee beans.
2. Your employees are your best source of truth about your company. Train your employees in ways to gather and collect their own company stories. Then, on a regular basis, gather employees together to share these stories. The sharing of these stories must not be mandatory. Requiring employees to have a story results in faked stories. By the way, my clients will sometimes hesitate to use this story-gathering process with employees because the session will generate "nothing but complaints" from the participants. All stories have value to your company and if you are getting lots of complaints, let those stories be the catalyst for internal change. Take the cue to understand: if your staff is producing uncomfortable stories, then you can be assured that your customers are unhappy, too.
3. If your company is very large with multiple locations or large departments, start your storytelling process in just one section of the company. Nothing squashes passion more than yet another management project that "we are all going to do." Choose one department and let them be the first group to experience the power of business storytelling. Once they have learned and applied storytelling techniques successfully, then other departments or locations will want to join in.
4. The elevator speech is dead. For any size company, learn to tell each of your stories in a variety of time formats such as two minutes, six minutes or fifteen minutes. Always be ready to tell potential customers about your work. Your preparedness will help convey your passion.
5. Remember that storytelling is a person-to-person experience. Take every opportunity to be in front of customers or employees to tell your stories. Digital storytelling, print advertisements and social media are all fine tools, but they can never replace the benefits of experiencing your story passionately told live and in person.
Storytelling is one of your business communication essentials. Add passion to your public speaking!
***
Sean Buvala is a storyteller and corporate coach focusing on communication skills through the art of storytelling for business. He can be reached at www.seantells.net . You may also follow him on Twitter at @storyteller.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Stories are being told about your company all the time. Unless you have never had a customer, someone somewhere is talking about your company. When they do so, they are speaking with passion either for or against your business. You need to have your passionate stories ready to add to that conversation. To create raving fans in your business, you need to be a raving business.
When a customer experiences your company, they leave with an impression. If they were offended, hurt or feel they did not get good value, they will passionately talk about (create the story of) their perceptions of your business. Likewise, if you exceeded their expectations, they will also talk about that story. When a person hears one of these customer stories about your business, do you have your own equally passionate company stories to counter or confirm? Can your customers find these passionate stories on your website via video or audio links?
Here are five storytelling for business tips to help you express your passion:
1. Do not be afraid to be full of passion about your product or service. For example, I am always amazed at the way small brick-and-mortar business owners can be so alive and excited about their offerings but yet have zero expressions of that anywhere on their websites, other advertising or in casual conversations. Real passion ignites real passion. Don't tell me that you're "passionate about the perfect cup of coffee" at your coffee shop. Rather, through business storytelling, show me your passion by telling me the story of how you spent a year travelling the country to find the best and most unique roasting machine. I want to see that look in your eyes as you tell me about the best/worst coffee you ever had that led you to start your own business. Let me laugh with you about your obsessive interviewing and auditioning in order to find the perfect baristas. Help me to feel your focus as you tell me about going through a dozen suppliers (and their unique personalities) looking for the perfect coffee beans.
2. Your employees are your best source of truth about your company. Train your employees in ways to gather and collect their own company stories. Then, on a regular basis, gather employees together to share these stories. The sharing of these stories must not be mandatory. Requiring employees to have a story results in faked stories. By the way, my clients will sometimes hesitate to use this story-gathering process with employees because the session will generate "nothing but complaints" from the participants. All stories have value to your company and if you are getting lots of complaints, let those stories be the catalyst for internal change. Take the cue to understand: if your staff is producing uncomfortable stories, then you can be assured that your customers are unhappy, too.
3. If your company is very large with multiple locations or large departments, start your storytelling process in just one section of the company. Nothing squashes passion more than yet another management project that "we are all going to do." Choose one department and let them be the first group to experience the power of business storytelling. Once they have learned and applied storytelling techniques successfully, then other departments or locations will want to join in.
4. The elevator speech is dead. For any size company, learn to tell each of your stories in a variety of time formats such as two minutes, six minutes or fifteen minutes. Always be ready to tell potential customers about your work. Your preparedness will help convey your passion.
5. Remember that storytelling is a person-to-person experience. Take every opportunity to be in front of customers or employees to tell your stories. Digital storytelling, print advertisements and social media are all fine tools, but they can never replace the benefits of experiencing your story passionately told live and in person.
Storytelling is one of your business communication essentials. Add passion to your public speaking!
***
Sean Buvala is a storyteller and corporate coach focusing on communication skills through the art of storytelling for business. He can be reached at www.seantells.net . You may also follow him on Twitter at @storyteller.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Storytelling Techniques Improve Your Communication Skills
Why Storytelling Techniques Improve Your Communication Skills
Storytelling is the "mother" of all communications. Every art form relies on Story to convey meaning. Despite this truth, many communicators only approach storytelling as an adjunct to their speaking and presenting. For this quick article, I am speaking about oral storytelling, not digital storytelling that does not rely on or build on a presenter's public speaking skills. I suggest that mastering oral or traditional storytelling should be at the top of every speaker's list of priorities.
Here are three foundational reasons that storytelling helps you improve your presentation skills:
1. Storytelling teaches you to think on your feet. When you learn to be a good storyteller, telling stories to all sizes of audiences from 2 or 2000 people, you must learn to adjust your energy and pace to match the audience reaction. "Reading" or understanding the mood, energy, and desires of your audience is a good communication skill at all levels.
2. Storytelling teaches you to be spontaneous. While you are learning to tell a story, you focus on thinking about your story in an outline form, or episode-by-episode. Good storytellers do not memorize their stories word-for-word and do not use notes or other ways of reading their stories. No matter how you are communicating, it is never a good idea to deliver a canned, memorized speech to anyone. As a storyteller, you learn to rely on your ability to "see" a story as it happens, letting different parts of the story take precedence at different times. You will never tell a story the same way twice just as you should never speak to an audience like any audience before it.
3. Storytelling helps you to think about the deeper meanings of your content. Almost all stories carry some type of moral or ethical message and understanding. As you adapt personal and world stories to your presentations, you will start thinking deeper about the meaning of your communications. Of course, you may or may not act on those meanings, but you will generally find your presentations more satisfying as you understand their impact on your listeners.
All cultures use storytelling. Storytelling is a universal language and a core-skill for all presenters. My best public-speaking tip: seek out learning and coaching in the art of storytelling and work stories into all your presentations.
***
Sean Buvala is a professional storyteller, the director of Storyteller.net and a nationally recognized storytelling consultant. Please see his website to learn more about his storytelling techniques for corporate training. You can learn how to tell a story through his Ebook at www.storytelling101.com
The official blog forK. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Storytelling is the "mother" of all communications. Every art form relies on Story to convey meaning. Despite this truth, many communicators only approach storytelling as an adjunct to their speaking and presenting. For this quick article, I am speaking about oral storytelling, not digital storytelling that does not rely on or build on a presenter's public speaking skills. I suggest that mastering oral or traditional storytelling should be at the top of every speaker's list of priorities.
Here are three foundational reasons that storytelling helps you improve your presentation skills:
1. Storytelling teaches you to think on your feet. When you learn to be a good storyteller, telling stories to all sizes of audiences from 2 or 2000 people, you must learn to adjust your energy and pace to match the audience reaction. "Reading" or understanding the mood, energy, and desires of your audience is a good communication skill at all levels.
2. Storytelling teaches you to be spontaneous. While you are learning to tell a story, you focus on thinking about your story in an outline form, or episode-by-episode. Good storytellers do not memorize their stories word-for-word and do not use notes or other ways of reading their stories. No matter how you are communicating, it is never a good idea to deliver a canned, memorized speech to anyone. As a storyteller, you learn to rely on your ability to "see" a story as it happens, letting different parts of the story take precedence at different times. You will never tell a story the same way twice just as you should never speak to an audience like any audience before it.
3. Storytelling helps you to think about the deeper meanings of your content. Almost all stories carry some type of moral or ethical message and understanding. As you adapt personal and world stories to your presentations, you will start thinking deeper about the meaning of your communications. Of course, you may or may not act on those meanings, but you will generally find your presentations more satisfying as you understand their impact on your listeners.
All cultures use storytelling. Storytelling is a universal language and a core-skill for all presenters. My best public-speaking tip: seek out learning and coaching in the art of storytelling and work stories into all your presentations.
***
Sean Buvala is a professional storyteller, the director of Storyteller.net and a nationally recognized storytelling consultant. Please see his website to learn more about his storytelling techniques for corporate training. You can learn how to tell a story through his Ebook at www.storytelling101.com
The official blog forK. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
