Storytelling Deck
The Dragon and the City
What is the Dragon & the City story tactic?
Explain your project as if it's an epic adventure. Get people excited about your plan of action.
There's a dragon outside the city walls.
Your world is no longer safe. What should you do?
Escape: How does the journey begin: a deliberate choice, forced or accidental?
Defend: What are the dangers here? What are the opportunities?
Attack: How does your Hero feel the pull of Home?
Each option has risks and rewards. Just like your prototype.
Try this version of a story after Three Great Conflicts tactic.
Explain your project as if it's an epic adventure. Get people excited about your plan of action.
There's a dragon outside the city walls.
Your world is no longer safe. What should you do?
Escape: How does the journey begin: a deliberate choice, forced or accidental?
Defend: What are the dangers here? What are the opportunities?
Attack: How does your Hero feel the pull of Home?
Each option has risks and rewards. Just like your prototype.
Try this version of a story after Three Great Conflicts tactic.
How to use the Dragon & the City story tactic
1. What is your City?
- What is good and valuable in the status quo?
- What is wrong, unfair or wasteful?
- Who's in charge? Who do you need to persuade to act?
2. What is your Dragon?
- Where is the threat coming from?
- How has it been allowed to get this bad?
- Is there an opportunity here? (Dragons hoard gold!)
3. Escape
- Where would you go?
- What should you take with you?
- What's the cost of abandoning the city?
4. Defend
- What is worth defending in the old city?
- How can you strengthen your walls?
- Walls protect, but they also restrict. What's the cost of staying put?
5. Attack
- What's yous best line of attack?
- What are yous chances of winning?
- What's the reward and is it worth the risk?
1. What is your City?
- What is good and valuable in the status quo?
- What is wrong, unfair or wasteful?
- Who's in charge? Who do you need to persuade to act?
2. What is your Dragon?
- Where is the threat coming from?
- How has it been allowed to get this bad?
- Is there an opportunity here? (Dragons hoard gold!)
3. Escape
- Where would you go?
- What should you take with you?
- What's the cost of abandoning the city?
4. Defend
- What is worth defending in the old city?
- How can you strengthen your walls?
- Walls protect, but they also restrict. What's the cost of staying put?
5. Attack
- What's yous best line of attack?
- What are yous chances of winning?
- What's the reward and is it worth the risk?
Story Listening
What is the Story Listening story tactic?
Listen to other people's stories when you need their wisdom or support. Don't just talk at them!
If you want to be an innovator, you need to be a story- listener as much as a storyteller. You need to gather information as well as explain your idea. The wisdom you need is out there: it's in other people's stories. Just listen--and ask the right questions.
Watch and Listen! Add the Abstractions tactic for an immersive approach to story-gathering.
Listen to other people's stories when you need their wisdom or support. Don't just talk at them!
If you want to be an innovator, you need to be a story- listener as much as a storyteller. You need to gather information as well as explain your idea. The wisdom you need is out there: it's in other people's stories. Just listen--and ask the right questions.
Watch and Listen! Add the Abstractions tactic for an immersive approach to story-gathering.
How to use the Story Listening story tactic
Prof Gary Klein has spent years interviewing firefighters, pilots, nurses and soldiers about life-or-death decisions, made under extreme pressure. He looks for teachable moments:
stories of how people deal with change and new information.
This approach is inspired by Prof Klein's methods.
What happens when you listen like this to your users, colleagues or stakeholders?
1st listen: Is this a memorable story?
- Why does this story stick in your subject's memory?
- What's the strong emotion attached to this story?
2nd listen: Create a basic timeline
- What were you trying to achieve?
- What happened?
3rd listen: Add key decisions to the timeline
- What were your options as the situation unfolded?
- What if you'd tried something else?
4th listen: Identify the expertise
- Where might a novice have made mistakes if they'd been dealing with the same situation instead of you?
- What might someone with different expertise have missed that you spotted?
Turn the teachable moments into a story using No Easy Way or Man in a Hole story arcs.
Prof Gary Klein has spent years interviewing firefighters, pilots, nurses and soldiers about life-or-death decisions, made under extreme pressure. He looks for teachable moments:
stories of how people deal with change and new information.
This approach is inspired by Prof Klein's methods.
What happens when you listen like this to your users, colleagues or stakeholders?
1st listen: Is this a memorable story?
- Why does this story stick in your subject's memory?
- What's the strong emotion attached to this story?
2nd listen: Create a basic timeline
- What were you trying to achieve?
- What happened?
3rd listen: Add key decisions to the timeline
- What were your options as the situation unfolded?
- What if you'd tried something else?
4th listen: Identify the expertise
- Where might a novice have made mistakes if they'd been dealing with the same situation instead of you?
- What might someone with different expertise have missed that you spotted?
Turn the teachable moments into a story using No Easy Way or Man in a Hole story arcs.
Trust Me, I’m an Expert
What is the Trust Me, I’m an Expert story tactic?
Win my trust. Tell me a story that shows your character and values in action.
Imagine you're an expert immunologist. You have all the facts to show why vaccination is a good idea. Then we find out you haven't had your own kids vaccinated. Should we believe a word you say? Your facts haven't changed, but your actions let you down. You haven't lived up to the values we expect from the character of The Expert.
Try this tactic to develop your own "expert" story ahead of Pitch Perfect .
Win my trust. Tell me a story that shows your character and values in action.
Imagine you're an expert immunologist. You have all the facts to show why vaccination is a good idea. Then we find out you haven't had your own kids vaccinated. Should we believe a word you say? Your facts haven't changed, but your actions let you down. You haven't lived up to the values we expect from the character of The Expert.
Try this tactic to develop your own "expert" story ahead of Pitch Perfect .
How to use the Trust Me, I’m an Expert story tactic
What kind of Expert are you? What are your values? Tell us a story so we can see your character in action.
What matters more than money? Which parts of your project would you work on even if you weren't getting paid?
What kind of projects would you never work on, no matter how much you were paid? What kind of work would you be embarrassed to share with people you respect?
When have you done the right thing, even though it cost you time, money or reputation?
Imagine your project fails. Write an obituary that includes the line "at least we ... " For example, the boss of Kodak might say "our company failed, but at least we gave people millions of memories."
What have you sacrificed for the greater good?
What values do you share with your client or user? When have you actually done something (not just posted a "like" on Facebook) that they would admire?
Use Movie Time or What’s It About tactic to help.
What kind of Expert are you? What are your values? Tell us a story so we can see your character in action.
What matters more than money? Which parts of your project would you work on even if you weren't getting paid?
What kind of projects would you never work on, no matter how much you were paid? What kind of work would you be embarrassed to share with people you respect?
When have you done the right thing, even though it cost you time, money or reputation?
Imagine your project fails. Write an obituary that includes the line "at least we ... " For example, the boss of Kodak might say "our company failed, but at least we gave people millions of memories."
What have you sacrificed for the greater good?
What values do you share with your client or user? When have you actually done something (not just posted a "like" on Facebook) that they would admire?
Use Movie Time or What’s It About tactic to help.
Pitch Perfect
What is the Pitch Perfect story tactic?
Convince me to back your idea. Show me: what have you got that I need? And why should I trust you to deliver?
Maybe you're an entrepreneur pitching for investment. Maybe you're asking your boss to back a project. But maybe you're the tenth pitch they've heard that day. You need at least one-maybe two-stories to bring your pitch to life and make it stick in their minds.
Tip: Use Audience Profile to prepare for your pitch.
Convince me to back your idea. Show me: what have you got that I need? And why should I trust you to deliver?
Maybe you're an entrepreneur pitching for investment. Maybe you're asking your boss to back a project. But maybe you're the tenth pitch they've heard that day. You need at least one-maybe two-stories to bring your pitch to life and make it stick in their minds.
Tip: Use Audience Profile to prepare for your pitch.
How to use the Pitch Perfect story tactic
1. Write a top-line version of your idea. (Use What's It About if you can't do this in one sentence).
a. Very Basic Pitch---aka your "Elevator" pitch. But don't ever pitch to someone in the lift, that'd be weird.
- What's the problem you're solving for me?
- How do you solve it?
- Why should I trust you? (try Trust Me, I'm an Expert here).
b. Add some POPP to your Pitch Set out your pitch like a story arc, accentuating the negative and positive stages for maximum drama.
- Problem: what needs fixing right now (negative)
- Opportunity: also available to us now (positive)
- Practical Steps: if we do this, it won't be easy (negative)
- Promise: but if we get it right, it will be great (positive)
2. Use Show & Tell if you need to create a visual pitch document or presentation.
1. Write a top-line version of your idea. (Use What's It About if you can't do this in one sentence).
a. Very Basic Pitch---aka your "Elevator" pitch. But don't ever pitch to someone in the lift, that'd be weird.
- What's the problem you're solving for me?
- How do you solve it?
- Why should I trust you? (try Trust Me, I'm an Expert here).
b. Add some POPP to your Pitch Set out your pitch like a story arc, accentuating the negative and positive stages for maximum drama.
- Problem: what needs fixing right now (negative)
- Opportunity: also available to us now (positive)
- Practical Steps: if we do this, it won't be easy (negative)
- Promise: but if we get it right, it will be great (positive)
2. Use Show & Tell if you need to create a visual pitch document or presentation.
Man in a Hole
What is the Man in a Hole story tactic?
This is the story of your first day at school or your first job. It's every fear you faced and every lesson you've learned.
You're doing OK minding your own business. Suddenly, something takes you out-a pandemic strikes, you lose your job or get divorced. You pick yourself up and carry on, a little older and wiser. Anyone can fall into a hole, but you can't fall out. You've got to climb. This is where you show your strength.
Use this tactic to develop your Simple Sales Stories.
This is the story of your first day at school or your first job. It's every fear you faced and every lesson you've learned.
You're doing OK minding your own business. Suddenly, something takes you out-a pandemic strikes, you lose your job or get divorced. You pick yourself up and carry on, a little older and wiser. Anyone can fall into a hole, but you can't fall out. You've got to climb. This is where you show your strength.
Use this tactic to develop your Simple Sales Stories.
How to use the Man in a Hole story tactic
American novelist Kurt Vonnegut said "nobody ever lost money telling the story of a man in a hole."It has five basic beats:
- Comfort zone: this is not a bad place but something is missing, some potential is going to waste.
- Trigger: something knocks you down. Either you were unlucky or you weren't paying attention.
- Crisis: you're down in a hole, but in stories we find treasure in the dark. This is where you find or learn something valuable.
- Recovery: you put what you've learned to good use and start climbing back.
- Better place: you are older and wiser, you won't get knocked down so easily next time.
Think about your own project in these terms.
What's your version, as innovators?
What's the version you could tell about your user?
For example, can you tell a 2020 story about the pandemic, using Man in a Hole?
American novelist Kurt Vonnegut said "nobody ever lost money telling the story of a man in a hole."It has five basic beats:
- Comfort zone: this is not a bad place but something is missing, some potential is going to waste.
- Trigger: something knocks you down. Either you were unlucky or you weren't paying attention.
- Crisis: you're down in a hole, but in stories we find treasure in the dark. This is where you find or learn something valuable.
- Recovery: you put what you've learned to good use and start climbing back.
- Better place: you are older and wiser, you won't get knocked down so easily next time.
Think about your own project in these terms.
What's your version, as innovators?
What's the version you could tell about your user?
For example, can you tell a 2020 story about the pandemic, using Man in a Hole?
Movie Time
What is the Movie Time story tactic?
Tell me a story and a little movie starts playing in my head. I literally "see" what you mean.
Your brain processes language by running a visual simulation. Abstract concepts, theories and data are hard to visualise because nothing actually happens. What's the movie playing in your head when I say "sustainability" or "accessibility"? There isn't one. Give me a moment that brings those abstracts to life.
Use Emotional Dashboard or Good & Evil if you're struggling to find a movie moment in your story.
Tell me a story and a little movie starts playing in my head. I literally "see" what you mean.
Your brain processes language by running a visual simulation. Abstract concepts, theories and data are hard to visualise because nothing actually happens. What's the movie playing in your head when I say "sustainability" or "accessibility"? There isn't one. Give me a moment that brings those abstracts to life.
Use Emotional Dashboard or Good & Evil if you're struggling to find a movie moment in your story.
How to use the Movie Time story tactic
1. Start with the key concept or main point you want to get across. Find a movie moment that helps me "see"what you mean. What's It About? could help you if you're struggling to find a single story moment.
a. "ACTION!"- What has changed, what have we learned?
- Why does this matter?
- What do you want us to think or do differently now?
b. Emotion- What has changed, what have we learned?
- Why does this matter?
- What do you want us to think or do differently now?
2. Once you've set the scene with Action and Emotion, we're ready to listen to the point you'd like to make.
c. Meaning- What has changed, what have we learned?
- Why does this matter?
- What do you want us to think or do differently now?
Get into the habit of movie-checking your own writing. At the end of a paragraph, ask yourself"what's the movie playing in their heads now?"If the answer is "none", you're not telling a story.
1. Start with the key concept or main point you want to get across. Find a movie moment that helps me "see"what you mean. What's It About? could help you if you're struggling to find a single story moment.
- a. "ACTION!"
- What has changed, what have we learned?
- Why does this matter?
- What do you want us to think or do differently now?
- b. Emotion
- What has changed, what have we learned?
- Why does this matter?
- What do you want us to think or do differently now?
2. Once you've set the scene with Action and Emotion, we're ready to listen to the point you'd like to make.
- c. Meaning
- What has changed, what have we learned?
- Why does this matter?
- What do you want us to think or do differently now?
Get into the habit of movie-checking your own writing. At the end of a paragraph, ask yourself"what's the movie playing in their heads now?"If the answer is "none", you're not telling a story.
Story Bank
What is the Story Bank story tactic?
"Keep track of your stories-and the information behind them-if you don't want to lose our trust.
When you've got a good story, you're the centre of attention. But if you bore us or break a confidence, you'll lose our trust. You need a collection of useful stories (think of them as your data). But you also need information about those stories (meta-data) if you don't want to mess up. You need a Story Bank.
Tip: put your Story Bank into a collaborative online space so you can share stories across your team.
"Keep track of your stories-and the information behind them-if you don't want to lose our trust.
When you've got a good story, you're the centre of attention. But if you bore us or break a confidence, you'll lose our trust. You need a collection of useful stories (think of them as your data). But you also need information about those stories (meta-data) if you don't want to mess up. You need a Story Bank.
Tip: put your Story Bank into a collaborative online space so you can share stories across your team.
How to use the Story Bank story tactic
We mess up when we tell stories that are:
- Boring: tell the same story twice to the same person
- Disrespectful: wasting the audience's time
- Gossipy: repeat a story we were told in confidence
- Stolen: pass someone else's story off as our own
- Stale: a story that's past its sell-by date
You need a Story Bank to avoid these pitfalls. Use a notebook or spreadsheet with these headings:
- What's the story? (keywords are usually all you need)
- Why would I tell this story? What's the point?
- Who might find this story useful?
- Who have I told this story to already?
- Whose story is it? Is it OK for me to share it?
- Is this story still up to date?
If you create an online Story Bank, you can link to posts, articles and shared documents that give the full story.
We mess up when we tell stories that are:
- Boring: tell the same story twice to the same person
- Disrespectful: wasting the audience's time
- Gossipy: repeat a story we were told in confidence
- Stolen: pass someone else's story off as our own
- Stale: a story that's past its sell-by date
You need a Story Bank to avoid these pitfalls. Use a notebook or spreadsheet with these headings:
- What's the story? (keywords are usually all you need)
- Why would I tell this story? What's the point?
- Who might find this story useful?
- Who have I told this story to already?
- Whose story is it? Is it OK for me to share it?
- Is this story still up to date?
If you create an online Story Bank, you can link to posts, articles and shared documents that give the full story.
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