Hear Lori's groundbreaking Podcast:     Making the Case for Change Through Stories

Learn about Lori's new book:     Wake Me Up When the Data is Over

Check out Lori's new blog:     Between the Lines of Daily Life

Dear Friend, 

Life is a journey of experiences, made up of countless small stories. You relate these personal stories every day—when you tell someone how you chose your career, recount the travails of an airplane trip, or use an incident from your misspent youth to caution your teenager.

You know how stories like these can enliven your conversations with friends, family and colleagues. Yet, these very same stories can also increase your influence and improve your results at work as well as enrich your job and further your careers.

I learned about the impact that story could have on my career when my consulting business reached a turning point several years ago. For some time, I’d been giving free presentations as a way of marketing my consulting services. After writing the book, Critical SHIFT, I decided to branch out and become a paid keynote speaker. I figured all I had to do was throw away the overhead slides I’d been using and memorize my talks.

When I got my first big gig as the keynote speaker for a major conference, I realized how wrong I’d been. Without the slides, all I had was a lifeless collection of facts. Fortunately, I discovered my mistake before I was on the podium in front of 1,100 people. However, that AHA! moment didn’t come to me until 12 hours before my speech! Fortunately, a friend who I was staying with coached me on how I could use detailed examples from recent life experiences to bring the speech back to life. Those examples were my first “stories” and the start of my education about the power and versatility of story in the work world. For more about my discoveries as well as several stories you can use in your work, take a look at this feature in 2007 ASCLS Annual Meeting keynote.

What about you? How did you come to storytelling in your work and how did you learn to use it? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Please email them to me here.