3D Juggling 447: That Monday Morning Feeling

Claire writes: "In last Saturday's Casualty on BBC1, the plot unfolded by different players telling their part of the same story. At work, how often do we tell the story for someone else through interpretation, assumption, presumption or simply for speed? The same facts can look completely different when told from different perspectives.

Last Sunday, I woke up in the night to hear Mike make a terrible noise, and saw him sit up and fall out of bed unconscious. Once I had established that he really was unconscious and not asleep, I dialled 999. Until we arrived at the hospital, he was still very incoherent and so I told the story of what I saw and heard to the ambulance crew and the medics. Once he came round and said he had cramp in his leg, it was a couple of hours while they made sure he hadn't had a stroke. All the tests were fine and home and the cool light of morning revealed a large bump on his head. Recovered from the shock of the night's events, he had remembered his side of the story. Woke up with awful cramp, sat up to stretch, fell out of bed and knocked himself out. Same facts. Different perspective. And far less serious although painful.

How can we empower people in our organisations to tell their own story?"


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Juggling in 3D 386: Powerful Stories

Jeremy writes: 'On a “Whatever Next…?” day, participants are invited in turn to tell something of their own stories at the beginning of the day. This acts as an introduction both to themselves, and also the issues which they have come to address in a beautiful and resourceful setting. This week we were in a box at Lords.

Frequently, when we have finished doing that, there is enthusiastic comment over coffee on the sheer power of the process, the process of telling out loud, with intense listening, a very personal perspective on the person’s own life. The stories come from experience and the authors, feeling in a safe place, tell it just as they see it and feel it. The power comes from a sense of authority which always accompanies a true story – ie when the author is authentic.

We usually are authentic (Greek root – genuine, and of undisputed origin) and speak with authority ( Latin root – powerful) when we speak as the author (Latin root – to originate).
We would be much more effective verbally if we told parts our own story much more often… and stayed authentic, without adding any spin! Such integrity adds a sure-footedness and confidence to our daily walk.'

Love this? Do us a favour and send it to five people. Who thinks like you? You could send it to someone who's story you have heard this week.

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