See a photo of Elizabeth, her bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, and Part 2.
Q&A with Elizabeth Gates, Questions 4 and 5:
Q: One of your specialty areas is communication and storytelling in organizations. When organizations (and the people in them) seek out your services, why are the typical communication issues they face — and how can storytelling help?
A: Teams (like families) are quite often dysfunctional because their
members have ceased to communicate with each other. Story sessions encourage people to listen, to be curious about what is going to happen, to sift their own experiences for answers to common problems and to share. Stories also generate empathy and laughter. And living — for however brief a time — in a functional “metaphor” is a “habit” that can be carried forward into everyday working life.
Q: What has surprised you most in your work with story?
A: The eagerness to engage that people display when listening to stories and telling their own — even if this is a new experience for them.