Things to Think About 052

"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside." Robert X. Cringely

Isn’t humor wonderful for helping us look at things with a different perspective and put them into context? This is nothing more than a very short story, told by a wonderful storyteller. My guess is that even after you hit the delete button, you won’t forget this story. Researchers continue to tell us about the power of storytelling. It is commonly accepted as the most powerful form of communicating, yet, in my experience, it is one of the least developed skills in executives. I’m not talking about being funny all the time, or mesmerizing your audience, whether it’s one or a thousand. I’m talking about taking the time to think about the key message you want to leave people with and structuring a story around it—one that has meaning to you and is easy to understand. If you do, chances are that others will see its relevance and meaning, too. From the audience’s point of view it is more memorable than a bullet point on your PowerPoint presentation.

What message is it that you want to get across that you could build a story around?

Till next time…