Storytelling version 2
Following on from previous post on storytelling.
- Every great story has a hero, a protagonist
- Starts with a tension that exists in the world e.g. Buzz lightyear v Woody
- The end state / the vision / the happy ending
- Core beliefs – why different/special
- The sequence of event / the chapters of the story / the narrantive that moves people from the tension to the end state/vision
“Product management is about 2 problems – solving problems and telling stories”
Matt Kaplan, Acquia
How do you get better at storytelling?
Every time someone gives a presentation, reinforce the above points.
- Who are you talking to? Who is your audience? Are you adapting your story for them?
- What is the problem you are solving?
- Understand the frameworks and connect the dots
A Thousand Songs In Your Product – a story told through the product (the iPad)
Being able to articulate a narrative that gets people to want to believe, want to join you in your quest, and rally the troops. Tell stories about how you solve certain problems.
How to succeed in storytelling
Tell the story in different forms and different ways and continue to reinforce it. Use different forms of media such as:
- Writing
- Presentation
- Songs
- Posters
Get people to empathise with the story you are telling. Continually meet with customers e.g. for Product Managers have a quantitative KPI of 12 customer meetings per quarter.