Anecdotally Speaking

Small things can make a big difference. That’s the theme of this episode of Anecdotally Speaking. In Episode 20, Twists and turns of a flying fortress, we hear how a checklist saved Boeing from going under and offered a key advantage to the US Army in World War 2. It’s a versatile story, which makes it great for business.

It takes a lot of hard work and persistence to do something great. Naturally, if the goal is a big one it's going to be harder to achieve. You just don't want to give up and find out that you were close to achieving it. This week, Mark tells a story about the Colorado gold rush and how a decision to give up came at a huge cost.

Our story this week is a short one, but it has an impact. As you will see if you tell a story in an unexpected way, and the topic is possible death or injury, you will immediately generate interest from your audience.

The web is full of stories of dubious origins, which is the very definition of apocryphal, yet many can be used to make a business point as long as you make clear that the story is most likely false.

We provide some examples of apocryphal stories and we dig into how to tell them, when to use them, and discuss the potential pitfalls.

In this episode of Anecdotally Speaking, we explain what it is that Mark and I do for work, why some stories work for some audiences and not for others and the difference between the typical ‘brand stories’ we see and the one we share today.

Lots of companies have ‘brand stories’. The problem is that most of these aren’t actually stories - they’re simply a list of assertions. In the episode Mark relays a typical one we might see - ’our brands represents freedom, innovation and the pursuit of happiness’. There’s no events to follow, people involved or insight given. It only gives us an idea of what it is they believe in.

I heard this week’s story from Karen Stanton who works for International Flavours and Fragrances. It’s an example of a genuine brand story. We also talk about the importance of data in storytelling.

It’s Mark’s turn to share a story, and so he tells a great one of a man in Poland who wanted to come to Australia but didn’t think he had any chance of doing so. It’s a great example of persistence with a twist at the end.

Shawn and Mark also touch on how it’s increasingly becoming expected of leaders to know how to use stories in a business context. However, as Shawn notes, many business leaders are unsure how.

In this week’s episode of Anecdotally Speaking, an Irish principal demonstrates a powerful message to her school of predominantly African American students with one small action. It’s a fantastic example of how to lead through what you do instead of what you say.

Shawn and Mark also unpack why even an action carrying a powerful message can be dampened by delegation.

In this episode, we hear how one of the founders of Flight Centre puts an employee first. It’s a story that we often tell when asked for a good example of leadership.

We also talk about how you can build rapport within the first five minutes of a meeting using a connection story.

An organisation value is nothing more than an slogan unless it impacts employees’ behaviours. In this episode we visit a Harley Davidson factory and see their company values in action.

They say what a leader walks past without saying anything becomes the norm. So sometimes it really helps to see what your people will let slide or who will speak up.

Today’s story should give you an idea for a little experiment you can do as a leader to see who will speak up so you then have the opportunity to reward that behaviour.

Many of the stories we’ve shared on this podcast are not only useful to tell but provide you with an example to follow, something to try out for yourself. Stories are a user manual for life. Love to hear how you have put this one into practice.