Storytelling used to be reserved for people who could harness word power and who had the charisma to share it with people that they met. Nowadays we all need to be storytellers. Sheesh, even products, services and organisations seek out a narrative. Why? Because: —Stories are compelling and they appeal to emotions —We remember stories more than we remember data —Your story differentiates you from so many other people who share similar backgrounds, skills and experience. —You

You have been asked to share from your vast experience and knowledge and would like to make the reader experience as engaging and as interesting as possible. How about considering storytelling? Here are a few tips: 1. Know your audience. The story needs to be adapted depending on who you tell it to... No matter who you are – IT specialists, lawyers and alternative healers – whoever – professionals will be engaged if you talk directly to their interests and experiences. I was

As a change management consultant and novelist, I use storytelling techniques all the time. In terms of the latter, the use of storytelling is a no-brainer: storytelling serves as the portal, the platform and the whole entire purpose for saying what I would like to say. I have a story to share. The story provides an insight, idea or incident that I would like to relay. I need a way to deliver it . . . As for the former, there are numerous reasons to engage in storytelling in

The corporate world is alluring. Give or take regular economic upheavals and standard fluctuations in the industry, it is reassuring to 'belong' to an organisation and to identify with the strategy and goals thereof. Of course, any regular employment that you are bound to, also comes with financial security, social benefits and a built-in circle of colleagues, who will hopefully become friends. Not all that glitters is gold, but all-in-all corporate employment is not a conso

From the minute after the Big Bang to your most recent walk in the neighbourhood park, our minds are filled with stories that we tell ourselves. These stories are about the creation, our reasons for being here, who we are and why we do things. Storytelling is an essential way for us to process, find meaning and to pass this meaning on to others. Storytelling requires an essential ingredient: memory. This memory is not necessarily objective, but it is long and deep. Consider

We are all multi-dimensional. We are the sum of our personal and professional circles and experiences, our socialisation, upbringing, demographics, inherent nature and nurture. We bring this multi-platform perspective and experience to everything we do, for better or for worse. For instance – on the downside – trust issues experienced in a our childhood, will likely manifest in our professional attitudes. Or, poor leadership in early business experiences, may influence the

When I was in elementary school I wrote a story about a ladybird who was unable to fly. The story was inspired by 'real-life events'. My sister and I, in our many outdoor pursuits, rescued a butterfly with broken wings. We placed her gently in a shoe box. We lined the box with leaves. We set her up on the highest spot in the box, and while my sister shouted words of encouragement, I demonstrated how to fly: running up and down the garden, my arms flapping wildly. My story wo

A question that I get asked occasionally, usually with a wide-eyed look of expectation is – what is it like to write a book? This question is not directed at the end result – the publishing, or the release of said book. Neither is the question directed at the creative process, or the so called muse – if there is such a thing. Rather, what people are curious about, is the modus operandi – the HOW. I have been trying for some time now to come up with some sort of coherent res

It doesn't matter whether you are hiring for a writing-related position – such as content writers, editors, user assistance professionals . . . etc. – or, whether you are hiring for any other position, good writers are good for your business and here's why: 1. Good Writers can See the Forest . . . and the Trees Efficient teams that collaborate well are usually made up of team members who complement one another in their skill sets. A very common struggle is to establish a ba

Over one hundred and seventy years ago, on this precise day Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The Raven" was published. For a storyteller/writer/observer like myself, the poem holds an obvious fascination – it is a narrative poem that tells a tale of a young man visited in the middle of the night by a raven. This young man, who is pining for his lost love – Lenore – seems to teeter on the edge of distress and dismay, and slowly lean towards mental abandonment. The scene is dark, drear