Storytelling at Work is a groundbreaking book about the power of personal storytelling to spark insight, meaning, and innovation - especially in the modern day workplace where data and information have too often supplanted knowledge and wisdom. The author of the book, Mitch Ditkoff, has been an "innovation provocateur" to some of the world's most forward thinking organizations since 1987 and has come to realize that the single most effective way to jump start wisdom in the workplace is via the sharing of well told stories - first person "moments of truth" that have embedded within them the DNA of what it really takes to be a positive force for change, on or off the job. Part One of Storytelling at Work includes 37 of the author's own stories from the front lines of business, both as the Co-Founder of Idea Champions - a leading innovation consultancy - and earlier in his life, as a young entrepreneur trying to find his way in the world. The stories are entertaining, evocative, and mind opening. Each one is followed by a brief reflection - a simple way for readers to apply the message of the story to their own lives. Part Two of the book is a collection of 16 essays on the art and science of storytelling, a thought provoking exploration of why stories are such a powerful communication medium and how the reader can make best use of stories to have the most possible positive impact on others. "I truly LOVE this book Mitch Ditkoff has delivered a modern classic on how to communicate with wisdom. Kudos " --Rowan Gibson, author of The Four Lenses of Innovation "Storytelling at Work is filled with Eureka moments that will spark your creativity and ignite your motivation. Original and deeply insightful " --Marshall Goldsmith, author of Triggers, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller "Mitch Ditkoff's powerfully written book shows us how storytelling, well done, humanizes the world of work and helps us tune into the deep well of timeless wisdom within." --Tim Gallwey, author of The Inner Game of Tennis

Learn the science and master the art of telling a great story Stories for Work walks you through the science of storytelling, revealing the secrets behind great storytellers and showing you how to master the art of storytelling in business. Stories hold a unique place in our psyche, and the right story at the right time can be a game-changer in business; whether tragedy, triumph, tension or transition, a good story can captivate the listener and help you achieve your goals. In this book, author Gabrielle Dolan draws from a decade of training business leaders in storytelling to show you what works, why it works, when it works best and what never works. You'll learn how to create your own stories — authentically yours, crafted to attain your goal — and develop an instinct for sharing when the time is right. In-depth case studies feature real-world people in real-world businesses, showing how storytelling has changed the way they work, motivate and lead — providing clear examples of the power of this enormously effective skill. Storytelling gives you an edge. Whether you're after a promotion, a difficult client, a big sale or leading through transition, a great story can help you smooth the road and seal the deal. This book is your personal coach for masterful storytelling, with expert guidance and lessons learned from real-world business leaders. Learn why storytelling grabs attention and helps your message get through Master the four types of stories used in business settings Infuse your stories with the personal to highlight your vision and values Craft a selection of stories to pull out at pivotal business moments The oral tradition has ancient roots that unite all humans, and despite our myriad modern distractions, we still respond to a well-told story. Stories for Work helps you put this dynamic to work for you in any business scenario.

The first steps in storytelling are often easy, because we tell stories informally every day. Once you take storytelling into the more formal contexts of performance or occupational uses, however, you may be faced with challenges you hadn't anticipated. You need information that goes beyond the basics. And you need it in a form that does not just tell you what to do but helps you make your own informed decisions. This book is meant for the reader who has already begun to tell stories and is ready to learn more about the art. Instead of rules to follow, it gives you a series of frameworks that encourage you to think on your feet. Doug Lipman has written and taught extensively on the art of storytelling. With the same generosity and warmth that characterize his workshops, he considers the teller's relationship to the story, the teller's relationship to the audience, and the transfer of imagery in a medium that is simultaneously visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

People forget facts, but they never forget a good story. Let the Story Do the Work shows how the art of storytelling is key for any business to achieve success. For most, there’s nothing easy about crafting a memorable story, let alone linking it to professional goals. However, material for stories and anecdotes that can be used for your professional success already surround you. To get people interested in and convinced by what you are saying, you need to tell an interesting story. As the Founder and Chief Story Facilitator at Leadership Story Lab, a company that helps executives unlock the persuasive power of storytelling, Esther Choy teaches you how to mine your experience for simple narratives that will achieve your goals. In Let the Story Do the Work, you can learn to: Capture attention Engage your audience Change minds Inspire action Pitch persuasively When you find the perfect hook, structure your story according to its strengths, and deliver it at the right time in the right way, you’ll see firsthand how easy it is to turn everyday communications into opportunities to connect, gain buy-in, and build lasting relationships.

Storytelling can be a lifelong and life sustaining habit of mind, a personal inheritance that connects us to our communities. It can also serve as an organizational inheritance—a management tool that helps businesses to develop and thrive. For more than a decade, award-winning author Janis Forman has been helping executives to tell stories in service of their organizational objectives. In Storytelling in Business: The Authentic and Fluent Organization, she teaches readers everywhere how the craft of storytelling can help them to achieve their professional goals. Focusing on the role of storytelling at the enterprise level, this book provides a research-driven framework for engaging in organizational storytelling. Forman presents original cases from Chevron, FedEx, Phillips, and Schering-Plough. Organizations like those featured in the book can make use of storytelling for good purposes, such as making sense of their strategy, communicating it, and developing or strengthening culture and brand. These uses of storytelling generate positive consequences that can have a sustained and significant impact on an organization. While large firms employ teams of digital and communication professionals, there's much that any of us can extrapolate from their experience to create stories to further our own objectives. To show the reach of storytelling, Forman conducted 140 interviews with professionals ranging from CEOs in small and thriving firms, to corporate communication and digital media experts, to filmmakers—arguably the world experts in visual storytelling. She draws out specific lessons learned, and shows how to employ the road-tested strategies demonstrated by these leaders. Although this book focuses on storytelling in the context of business, Forman takes inspiration from narratives in literature and film, philosophical and social thought, and relevant concepts from a variety of other disciplines to instruct the reader on how to develop truly authentic and meaningful tales to drive success. A final chapter brings readers back to square one: the development of their own "signature story." This book is a pioneering work that guides us beyond the pressure and noise of daily organizational life to influence people in a sustained, powerful way. It teaches us to be fluent storytellers who succeed by mastering this vital skill.

Is there a way to send out impactful messages that people remember for days? Is there a way to influence people without pushing data and analysis on them? Is there an effective way to drive change in an organization? Yes, through stories. Storytelling in business is different from telling stories to friends in a bar. It needs to be based on facts. Stories at Work will teach you how to wrap your stories in context and deliver them in a way that grabs your audience's attention. The special tools, techniques and structures in this book will help you bring the power of stories into your day-to-day business communication. They will enable you to connect, engage and inspire, and ensure that everything you share has a lasting impression on your listeners.