From a workshop I facilitated at Vizthink 2009 on why stories are more effective than fact based methods at communicating complex ideas and inspiring people to want to change.
Text of Influence Through Storytelling
Influence through storytelling Joyce Hostyn Senior Director, Experience Design Open Text
amount of evidence of sabotage or treason against Japanese-American citizens
The very fact that no sabotage has taken place is a disturbing and confirming indication that such action will be taken. General John DeWitt,WWII
problem with facts power of story using story to effect change
but before I start, I have a confession to make
Im not a natural born storyteller
cant draw
BUT
I believe powerfully
in the power of story
in visual thinking
I have never given a single presentation on why we need to do experience design
have never bothered cost justifying usability
nevertheless
Ive built successful experience design teams
and Im on a mission to effect change through storytelling & design
What Ive learned from my experience
You can use stories
and visual thinking
to influence people
and effect change
A health worker in Zambia, was struggling to find a solution for treating malaria. In this tiny and remote rural town, the health worker logged on to the Web site of the U.S.s Center for Disease Control and Prevention and got an answer. [The World Bank] doesnt have its know-how and expertise organized so that someone like the health worker in Zambia can have access to it. But just imagine if it did Stephen Denning
What Ill cover Three brain theory Some basics of storytelling The art of possibility
but first
Draw your life 2 wants (hopes for future) 4 you (reactions to idea of engaging people) current people 1 reality 3(important (parts that to your stand out) life)
three brain theory
we need to rethink a few assumptions
the assumptions being Our model of the world is reality We are aware of what we do We know why we do what we do We remember things as they really happened
in other words, our assumption that people are rational
recent brain research tells us unconscious mind controls up to 95% of behavior
We have three brains
unconscious mind controls 95% of behaviour
Lizard brain
fight flight freeze
cant distinguish imagined reality from actuality
Is it safe?
Mammal brain emotions memories habits
tacit or embodied (know-how)
confidence is built on the experience of success
When we leap to a decision or have a hunch, our unconscious is... sifting through the situation in front of us, throwing out all that is irrelevant while we zero in on what really matters. Malcom Gladwell, Blink
Human brain reasons rationalizes
became prized during age of enlightenment
explicit or theoretical (know-why) 10 steps for organizational change 4 components for a balanced scorecard
mammal brain makes decisions
human brain rationalizes them
we buy on emotion and justify with fact
They come to act like rewards, and salad of the rest of the perfectly brain adapts itself grilled to predict and woodsy- woodsy- acquire them Its flavored a proxy for the calamari reward to come. Read Montague Why Choose This Book?
logic emotions, memories, habits
We think our models of the world are reality
Meet Harry example from Roger Martin, The Opposable Mind
Bill
Sally
I really like Innovate Corporation. Its been an innovative leader for a long time. But Im coming under increasing pressure and have to make trade-offs.
Customers value leadership and innovation. Customers are feeling intense cost pressure.
Customers will stick with us if we continue to innovate and lead. Customers will migrate away from us due to cost concerns and our pricing.
Innovation and leadership are the most critical avenues to pursue. Weve got to get our costs down so we can be price competitive.
I really like Innovate Corporation. Its been an innovative leader for a long time. But Im coming under increasing pressure and have to make trade-offs.
quot;A way of seeing is also a way of not seeing.quot; Kenneth Burke
We often don't see whats before our eyes. We see our concept of what reality should be what we expect to see.
our reality illusion is in place
and our experiences will tend to reinforce our initial stance
as we weave those experiences into the story that already exists in our minds
Rarely pausing to consciously inspect the state & activity of our unconscious mind
we make sense of the world through stories
story is the emotional experience
the insight, the wisdom, the thing one has come to say
