2010 Will Be Documented in a Story a Day by 365 Peeps

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Yep, it’s that time of year. Fall is here, and thoughts turn to the holidays and the next year.

the3six5 is a project that will attempt to “document each day in 2010.”

Participants will write about the events of the day — tell the story of the day — but are also being asked “to dedicate a significant portion of your post to how the events relate to you.” Each day is described not as a news report, but a journal.

Apparently response to the project has been overwhelming. As of 10 days ago, days were still open to be claimed by journalers. The project seeks info on “what unique perspective you could bring to this compilation,” and you can apply or at least see if slots are open by e-mailing.

Jawbone.tv Curates the Evolution of Storytelling

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My job here at A Storied Career is to curate applied-storytelling resources (yet another tip of the hat to Terrence Gargiulo for that characterization). Time was when I would write a blog entry about every new storytelling resource I came across. It quickly became apparent, though, that so many fabulous resources existed that I could more easily put them out there by listing them on my sidebar than writing an entry about each one. Sometimes I do a “roundup” entry that lists several resources.

But I’ve decided to single out Jawbone.tv because I see the site as sort of a revved-up counterpart to A Storied Career that “covers the methods, mediums and innovations of storytelling.” That “encase[s] and stud[ies] the mechanisms, the narratives, the methods, and the platforms used to tell stories.”

Jawbone.tv’s tagline is “The Evolution of Story.” The site, which calls itself a “portal — part magazine, part blog, part aspiring broadcast network,” covers aspects of storytelling interest me here at A Storied Career but that are a bit beyond my primary interests and scope — film, interactive, animation, for example. The resources covered by Jawbone lean toward fiction. Fiction is not totally outside A Storied Career’s scope, but it’s not as strong a focus as nonfiction.

Looking at Jawbone’s list of Popular Content, we see a mix of fiction and nonfiction, as well as a bit of overlap with stuff I’ve covered here:

  • Tales in the Sand: Kseniya Simonova Spellbinds International Audiences
  • Scrabble’s ‘the Beautiful Word’ Campaign True Collaborative Undertaking
  • 40 Augmented Reality Projects Sure To Blow Your Mind … Or Just Blow
  • Ten Trippy Interactive Narratives, Come On Down the Rabbit Hole
  • 5D: Building New Worlds and Stories One Event at a Time
  • Interactive Film ‘The Outbreak’ Punished by Bandwidth Costs, YouTube Still Best Bet
  • ‘FlashForward’ Turning Robert J. Sawyer Into Next Gene Roddenberry?
  • The Score on ‘District 9’ — Composer Clinton Shorter Talks Shop
  • Acclaimed PBS ‘POV’ Documentary Films Online For All to Enjoy
  • The Sancho Plan: “Live, Interactive and Immersive Musical Adventures”

Bottom line: If you like A Storied Career, you will probably like Jawbone.tv.

Storytelling Helps Us Remember More than the Standard Seven Data Points

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Mike Speiser recently wrote on the GigaOM Network that “our short-term memory is widely believed to have a capacity of seven elements, plus or minus two,” which is the reason, Speiser notes, “that U.S. phone numbers have seven digits.”

If you connect items (or data points) together as a story, Speiser writes, you can remember more than the standard seven elements.

As an example, Speiser offers the BBC video below, which shows former memory champion Andi Bell recalling the details of 520 playing cards (10 decks) — every card in its exact position — after reviewing the cards for just 20 minutes.

Bell doesn’t even mention the word “story” in his explanation of his technique, though. He calls it his “location technique.”

But the clip’s narrator points out that “when we commit a fact to memory, we create a neural pathway to it.” Stories are a way to create (enhance? reinforce? I don’t know enough about neuroscience to know exactly the right verb) those neural pathways.

You might not be that interested in learning memory tricks. But let’s say you wanted your audience to remember a number of data points when you deliver a presentation to them. Or let’s say you want an employer to remember the accomplishments and results you’ve achieved when you’re interviewing for a new job.

Storytelling is the way to go.

‘Tell Me About a Time ….’ You Created a Story-Sharing Culture in Your Organization

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In a wonderfully well-articulated recent article on the blog Philantopic, my friend Thaler Pekar (pictured) makes a concise and persuasive argument for “creating a true culture of story sharing within our organizations, especially those that function as hubs of entrepreneurship and innovation, and especially at this uncertain moment” — as opposed to ” myopically focus[ing] on using stories for marketing and fundraising purposes,” an approach that is an unfortunate route to “commodifying” stories in Thaler’s view.

Thaler pithily describes the many uses for story-sharing in organizations (she is a strong advocate for story-sharing versus storytelling, as she explained in her Q&A on A Storied Career).

Best of all, she tells how to elicit stories in the organization:

Share your own stories and listen to the stories of others. Ask questions such as, “Tell me about a time when you have felt most engaged with your work?” Then, sit back and listen. After the story has been shared, ask others who are present, “Does that remind you of anything?” Stories beget stories, which beget even more stories. (Everyone possesses the natural ability to participate in story sharing.) Create the time and space for such exchanges to occur. Once you ignite the spark, many recollections will follow. Listen for the patterns among them and allow for connections to be made.

She also kicks off the article with the powerful prompt: “Tell me about the time you felt most connected to the mission of our organization.”

Anyone involved in the employment scene and behavioral interviewing will recall that prompts beginning with phrases like “Tell me about a time …”, Describe a situation …”, Recall a time …” are excallent ways to draw out examples and stories.

Finally: “Story-Mindedness” from the Employer Side

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Storytelling in the job search is my crusade, one that I am joined in by a small band of folks on the job-seeker-advocacy side of the desk: Terrence Gargiulo, Rob Sullivan, and Judy Rosemarin among the most prominent of them.

I am also quick to pick up hints and glimpses of employers and recruiters who seem to be yearning to learn more about candidates’ stories. Before today, I had not heard of any who were explicit in using the word “story” with respect to the way they evaluate candidates.

In Kennedy Information’s Recruiting Trends newsletter, Barbara Poole reports on an executive VP of human resources from a Fortune 50 company who, in the current economy, “now looks and listens intently for the candidate’s ‘story.’ And it is that story that very often makes the hiring decision for her.” Previously, this executive would have judged by the job-seeker’s resume that if he or she had held many positions of short duration, the candidate was a “job hopper.”

Poole writes about how the conversation with the HR exec sparked her thinking:

I got to thinking about the interview as drama. We all have watched a play, read a book, or have been hooked on a TV series (anyone for Mad Men?) where there was more to the story than what was happening on the stage at the moment. For every role that the character plays so brilliantly (or not) there is a back story that fills in the blanks in a most compelling way. Little by little that story evolves as does the character. So much so, that it makes each subsequent action predictable, because we know the character so well. … The back story, we are learning now, is as valid a quantifier of success as is what’s on the resume.

In his book, Making Stories, Terrence Gargiulo wrote about hiring decision-makers using their “story minds” in evaluating candidates, as I wrote in my dissertation and have repeated in this space more than once:

Gargiulo (2002, p. 43-44) … proposed that human resource managers prepare to interview candidates by reading resumes with their “story mind.” He advocated using the information in the resume to “construct a story and image of the person.” Commenting on a sample resume he has provided in his book, Gargiulo wrote, “On the surface, this resume appears to be dry and straightforward. Hidden in the details, however, are dozens of interesting stories.”

Poole offers some ways those on the employer side can engage their story minds (see fuller elaborations on these suggestions in her article):

  • Acknowledge interest in the story
  • Train interviewers to include questions that bring out the story, beyond what’s just on the resume.
  • Quantify the results.

As Terrence and I work on research into the concept of the “story resume,” he has helped me to realize that job-seekers will likely not succeed in deploying explicitly story-based job-search communications unless employers are convinced of the value of storied communications. Poole’s article is a terrific step toward selling the concept.

All Conferences Should be Storied

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I’m a little surprised not to have known about Business Innovation Factory’s Collaborative Innovation Summit before this year, given that the fifth one is happening Oct. 7-8.

For this is a conference not of speakers, but of stories, as Saul Kaplan describes it:

No PowerPoint presentations, no matrix, just stories. One glorious story after another in no particular order, from storytellers (not speakers) sharing personal and raw insights about what innovation means to them. After about four to five stories back to back with no boring Q&A to break the rhythm we take a long break where all of the storytellers and participants can interact, connect, and share their own innovation stories and experiences. No breakouts, flip charts, or prescriptive assignments.

Naturally there’s a story behind how this storied conference came about:

I will never forget meeting with my friend and mentor Richard Saul Wurman (RSW) to get his advice prior to our first summit five years ago. As an innovation junkie it doesn’t get any better than having RSW as a mentor. … I went to the meeting prepared with an approach that I had worked on for weeks. As an MBA, of course I had a matrix, with speakers organized by theme. RSW heard me out and could only shake his head saying, Saul you have a lot to learn about how to create an emotional connection with an audience. He patiently told me to throw away the matrix. He said it was as simple as inviting people to a dinner party. Ask speakers that you want to have dinner with to share a personal story that you are selfishly interested in and invite others to listen in. RSW has been a storyteller at every summit we have hosted.

As blogger Denise Graveline points out, the well-known TED (technology, entertainment, design) conference also emphasizes storytelling. It’s not surprising that TED’s founder was Richard Saul Wurman.

Wouldn’t it be great if all conferences were storied and all presenters storytellers?

Your Brand Is Your Story Is Your Promise

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I’ve been rummaging through my A Storied Career files, not because I need material (I always have far more than then I know what to do with), but just to make sure I don’t overlook some really good stuff, and a piece by Chris Brogan from more than a year ago caught my eye.

“Brands can be stories, and thus, you are a living story,” Brogan writes. Some of my colleagues who work consistently with branding and storytelling would likely go farther and say not that brands can be stories, but that brands are stories.

Brogan says you should “tell the story you told your audience you’re going to tell.” He means that if you brand yourself with a given story, you must consistently tell that story whether your “audience” is the readers of your online content, people who see your social-media profiles and comments, people you connect with face-to-face, individuals listening to you deliver a presentation, employers considering hiring you, and more.

Brogan tells how he brands himself:

I tell people daily that I’m here to help you understand how these tools develop community, improve your communications, and do a host of other things better than previous tools were doing them. I promise through my stories that you, too, can figure out how to build influence, develop relationships, and be more useful to your organization (be that a business, a nonprofit, or a circle of friends).

“If I let you down, I’m not keeping the promise of my story,” he says.

Here’s where the idea of “promise” comes into branding: My partner, Randall S. Hansen, has written: “Branding is best defined as a promise of the value of the product… a promise that the product is better than all the competing products… a promise that must be delivered to be successful. Branding is the combination of tangible and intangible characteristics that make a brand unique.”

And Brogan connects “promise” with “story” when he refers back to a piece from three years ago, about The Storyteller’s Promise. The piece relates specifically to delivering presentations, but we can relate his concepts to the broader picture of personal branding to a wider audience.

First, here’s what he says about presenting and storytelling:

As a presenter, you are a storyteller. If you don’t agree, you’ve already failed. … if you agree with this premise that you are telling a story via your materials and your presence before an audience, you have some responsibilities.

Here, I will adapt some of Brogan’s storyteller’s responsibilities to the broader idea of personal branding:

What is the purpose of your branding? Brogan asks: “What do you want from me?” (meaning what do you want from your audience?). When I was a speechwriter, I learned that a speech should always have a content goal and a feeling goal. What do you want your wider audience to know and what do you want them to feel? Your personal branding story should answer those questions.

What concise statement can you use to encapsulate your brand? Brogan talks about titles for presentations: “Give up ‘clever.’ Go instead for short, impactful titles.” The same applies to a branding statement about yourself — a concise, impactful statement supported by a story. See an example here of my partner’s pithy, story-supported branding statement.

How can you convey enthusiasm for your brand, especially in the first elements of your branding that your audience hears or sees? For example, how might you enthusiastically convey your brand story in a cover letter or in your opening words in a job interview?

What explicit promises will you make about yourself? For instance, in the branding I’m currently using about myself on LinkedIn, “Creative, energetic, intuitive wordsmith who helps students, careerists, and organizations tell their stories,” I make the promise that I’m creative, energetic, and enthusiastic.

How will you stay on track? Brogan talks about avoiding going off on tangents in presentations. When you are focused on your brand/promise/story, be sure you are consistent with your branded message and not wandering off that message. Think about the consistency of your branded message with every piece of communication you put out there — your networking conversations, your Web site, blog, resume, cover letter, job-interview responses, presentations, social-media interactions, and more. While you may want to have both a social brand and a professional brand, be aware that your communications are probably in the public eye more than you realize, and you still need a consistent brand message/promise/story even in social situations.

Please Be Seated for “Best Toilet Story”

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[Thanks to Thaler Pekar for alerting me to this one.]

Did you know that toilets get Tweeted about on Twitter nearly 750 times weekly?

I have bad dreams about this sort of thing, but the “Tell Us Your Best Toilet Story” contest from American Standard is the chance to win the best toilet for the best toilet story. Simply submit a paragraph or two about a memorable toilet experience on this Facebook Fan Page between September 9 and October 9, and members of the page will vote for their favorites through October 12. The grand prize of a Champion 4 toilet, complete with installation and the Champion 4 Slow Close toilet seat will be awarded to the story that receives the highest number of “thumbs up” from readers. Four additional top vote-getters will be awarded a free Champion® 4 Toilet with Champion 4 Slow Close toilet seat.

“Everyone uses toilets, so nearly everyone has a toilet story,” said Jeannette Long, American Standard general manager of e-business. “Tell people you work for a plumbing company, and you hear them all: the one about the overflow during the big party or the one about what the kids have tried to flush.

“We figured the best story deserved the best toilet.”

Members will vote for the story they are most likely to repeat to friends and family.
There is no purchase necessary to enter or to join the voting. If not a Facebook account holder, there is no fee or charge to become a registered Facebook member. Contest rules are available on American Standard’s website.

New-Economy Job-Search Stories Sought for Job Action Day

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Quintessential Careers, the parent site of A Storied Career, marks the second annual Job Action Day worldwide on Nov. 2 — a day for job-seekers and workers to confront the recession head-on and take action steps to bolster their careers.

I want to run at least one positive story on this blog that day about landing a green/clean-energy job, “stimulus” job, or federal job; starting a entrepreneurial venture after losing a job; or landing a job using a cutting-edge technique — a technique you would not have used a year ago. E-mail me if you have a story to share.

Here’s more information about Job Action Day 2009:

(QUINTESSENTIAL CAREERS: DeLand, FL) — To encourage and motivate workers and job-seekers through flickers of hope amid the current recession, Quintessential Careers will for the second year spearhead Job Action Day on the first Monday in November — Nov. 2. Like the successful Job Action Day 2008, the 2009 event aims to empower workers and job-seekers to take proactive steps to shore up their job and career outlook, said Quintessential Careers Founder and Publisher Dr. Randall S. Hansen.

“While much doom and gloom still pervades the employment scene,” Hansen said, “hopeful signs of recovery should spur workers and job-seekers to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and develop career and job-search plans that work in a changed economy.”

Hansen points to employment leaders like ExecuNet’s president and chief economist Mark Anderson who recently declared “the question is no longer about when will there be a recovery, but how big it will be.” A new study by Deloitte (“Here today. Where tomorrow? Taking action in uncertain times”) notes that most executives feel a rebound will appear in the first or second quarter of 2010. Just a minimal part of the federal government’s massive recovery spending program has been spent so far, suggesting significant future opportunities. “That’s why job-seekers must gear up now,” Hansen said.

While the 2008 event focused on taking action in the face of a sudden economic meltdown, Job Action Day 2009 will examine such New Economy opportunities as green/clean-energy jobs, “stimulus” jobs, federal jobs, entrepreneurship opportunities motivated by unemployment, and “new normal” job-search advice.

“Job Action Day 2009 is a day to strategize plans for developing new-economy job and career options and devising new and better ways to track down job leads and position yourself for emerging opportunities,” Hansen said. “It’s a day to take stock of careers and develop a plan for next career steps.”

Quintessential Careers will mark Job Action Day 2009 with service-oriented articles introduced in a special Job Action Day edition of Quintessential Careers’ newsletter, QuintZine, to provide workers and job-seekers with information, ideas, and concrete steps to secure their futures in a changed economy.

The Quintessential Careers family of blogs, including this one, will feature Job Action Day entries and, as in 2008, will be joined by a cadre of career  and job-search bloggers in blogging about the event.

Job Action Day is intended to empower workers and job-seekers to confront both a dismal economic climate and an upcoming recovery by taking  control for a brighter career future, Hansen said.