| “A Great Resource” What a great resource. The stories recited in the book are poignant, humorous, and best of all, real. As a director of administrative support services I’m always looking for creative ways to get a point across. Stories work; these stories and the follow-up activities and presentation tips work. My organization faces two challenges on a daily basis. First, what is the most efficient and effective way to collect, organize, manage and disseminate mountains of information? Second, how do we continue to streamline and simplify our administrative processes to provide more value-added service to our constituents? The resources Lori and Mary provide through this text have enabled me to communicate more effectively with my staff during our planning and design sessions. The moral of these stories help us keep focused on the expectations and perceptions of our constituent base. It’s a book to be kept on
your desk and referred to many times.
“Incredibly Valuable Resource!” Storytelling has been used to convey history and lessons for centuries. Before newspapers came on the scene, story tellers would travel from village to village telling stories to share the news of what was happening in other communities and the world at large…at least as large as it was back then. One could argue that storytelling has become almost a lost art as our communication mode has shifted more to content, facts, polices and procedures. In the corporate world, leaders and managers—and training professionals—have attempted to communicate without really reaching people “inside,” where messages can resonate with a mental or emotional picture. It’s that inner connection that has the potential of changing behavior and making a difference. To make that connection, communicators need to engage people’s minds and hearts to help them ’get“ the message. So here’s a book on the stories trainers tell. Big book, thick. Whew! That's a lot of fluffy, touchy-feely soft stuff! That first impression will disintegrate as you open this wonderful resource. Sure, there’s a treasure chest of stories, mostly from experienced trainers and professional speakers who use them regularly to build the effectiveness of their work. If this book were merely a collection of all those stories, it would be a helpful reference…sort of a Chicken Soup for the Trainer’s Bookshelf. Fortunately, the authors have a deeper understanding of what communicators need, so they created an incredible tool kit for trainers, speakers, executives, managers, coaches, parents—the list goes on. Each of the stories is presented with tips on how to use it, questions to enrich the telling, key point options, and follow-up activities. The stories—short, not long—are set apart in the text by the use of helpful shading. So, now we have more value than just a catalog of stories. But, wait! There's more. The book includes an explanation of different kinds of stories, when and how they can be used, with a cross-reference to the 55 stories. Want even more value? The stories are gathered into chapters that organize the resources for easier access: Appreciating Differences, Communications and Feedback, Customer Service, Influence and Motivation, Leadership, Living Our Values, Performance and Coaching, Problem Solving, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Training Fundamentals. Are you sensing why I’m enthusiastic about this book? We're not done! I've only told you about what's in the back of the book! “Stories Trainers Tell” begins with an invaluable section on the why and how of using stories to enhance and enrich communication. Page after page of tips and insight educates and inspires the reader, deepening understanding to raise the level of professionalism and effectiveness in communication. The CD-ROM? Pop this tool into your computer and enjoy an MP3 format delivery of audio dramatizations of the stories in the book. Readers can now learn as listeners also, and most of the recordings are authorized for replay to audiences. Playing a recording of someone else telling a story, then facilitating the interpretation and application of what was heard offers a new dimension to the richness of communication, thought stimulation, and movement to action. Then there’s the reading list
and the index. So much! You'll be captivated with a cover-to-cover
read, entranced by the stories yourself. This book will sit prominently
on your shelf as a primary resource for years to come. I half-apologize
for the long review, but this book deserves the accolades.
“Replacing my tired, old yarns with powerful, new parables” “I find that I hear myself telling the same stories over and over again to colleagues when trying to make a point. On the one hand, this is good for sending a consistent message. On the other hand, I get tired of hearing the same thing, and need to make my points in new ways. As the global marketing research manager for Invista ( the world's largest fibers company with consumer and b2b brands such as Lycra® and Stainmaster® ), I need to convert data to meaning that helps our leadership to make decisions. That is what the stories in Stories Trainers Tell do for me. When our managers understand the opportunities that stories point out in the research, they are better able to act with confidence and communicate with clarity. While I contributed to the book,
I also use what it offers to make me a better communicator. I can
communicate the meaning I see in data more effectively when I have
a story to help me out. I recommend that you check out the book
for yourself to learn how you can upgrade your thinking and practice
no matter what role you are in.”
“I am a Director of
Training for a Fortune 500 company. Quarterly, I look for new resources
that my 40 designers and trainers can use when developing and delivering
material to our employees and agents. This book was the gem I’ve
been looking for. Storytelling is the most powerful thing a trainer
can give their students—because the stories last in the mind
forever when the technical details disappear. This book details
the how, the what, the when, the where, and the why. Recently I
bought a copy for each one of my staff—and the incredible results
are already coming in!!! Thanks for my best new resource
of the year!”
“Stories: A Powerful Tool” “To be successful as a project
management consultant, it is important to be able to influence people
to move in the direction in which they need to go (not always the
direction in which they would like to go). The thing about using
stories to influence is that people love stories and will listen
even if they are resisting other management methods. This book has
wonderful, rich content and is very easy to use. The commitment
of the authors to help readers succeed is demonstrated by the sayitwithastory
web site and newsletter. I am very pleased this terrific resource
is available. (By the way, these stories work on family members
also!)”
“You don’t have
to be a trainer or public speaker to benefit from this book—you
can be anyone who uses (or would like to use) stories to create
impact. This book not only contains a catalog of stories that you
can use to illustrate a point (conveniently categorized into pre-defined
topics), it also contains a recipe for crafting and telling your
own stories. Want to know how to create that extra bit of suspense
that makes a story engaging? Want to know how to create a surprise
ending? Want to know what the basic structure of an effective
story? Want an off-the-shelf story that you can read or recite
to a group to make a point? If so, this book will serve you
well.”
“Thank You!” “This book has proved to be
a wonderful resource! The stories offer a wealth of possibilities
in daily work. Very practical for mid-level managers who are seeking
ways to strengthen communication with staff.”
“The authors of Stories
Trainers Tell have done a marvelous job of bringing the vehicle
of story telling into the training room. The beauty of the format
of this book is that the story is not a stand alone piece, but rather
skillfully integrated into a well crafted ’recipe for successful
delivery and high impact learning.’ Each story is accompanied
by debrief questions, key point options, presentation tips, and
follow-up activity. My career in training and development spans
more than 20 years. During this time I have seen many training products
and books that lack ’sticking power.’ I believe this book
provides the sustainability that learners and trainers are striving
to achieve.”
“A Must-Have for Trainers” “As a trainer, I am always
looking for ways to make classroom training interesting, relevant,
and memorable. I’ve used—and watched other trainers use—role
plays, case studies, demonstrations, videos, games, instrumentation,
puzzles and, simulation. These are all effective training methods,
but in my opinion, one method that frequently gets overlooked is
story telling. In their book Stories Trainers Tell, Lori
Silverman and Mary Wacker are out to change this. Their book provides
everything a trainer needs-including the stories-to use story telling
in the classroom. |
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