From Squirrel Inc.:
In chapter one of Squirrel Inc, we learned how to craft a story to spark organizational change. The text uses the story of a disgruntled executive for Squirrel Inc to illustrate how we can learn this technique. We learned that if someone wishes to get a bright idea across to a large or tough audience, it is beneficial to use a story to illustrate the successful implimentation of that idea. It is important that the story be mostly true and come from the point of view of a single protagonist. It is also important that the story be interesting enough to get attention, but not be so detailed that the point of the story is lost in its verbal illustration.
In chapter two of Squirrel Inc, we learned how to perform the story to spark change. When telling the story, it is important to remember that you are performing for the audience, so you as the performer must relive the story and tell it with excitement and real commitment. It is important to stick with a story that works. Once you find a story that sticks, do not change it. It is also important to find a way of getting the listeners' attention before you tell the story. You can do this by talking about the listeners' problems or telling the truth about yourself and making yourself vulnerable.
In chapter three, we learn about the seven types of organizational storytelling. In this section, we learn that storytelling can be used to spark action, communicate who you are, transmit values, get everyone working together, share knowledge, tame the grapevine and lead people into the future. In chapter four, we learn how to use storytelling to reveal who you are and build trust. We also learn how to build a story with a successful beginning, middle and end.
In chapter five, we learn how to use storytelling to get individuals to work together. The text begins by offering a definition of a group: a set of individuals who share the same stories and see the same meaning in them. To get individuals to work together, you must get them together physically, establish an open agenda, start with a moving story, create a process of sharing meaningful stories among the members, and have an action plan ready.
From Neuro Design:
Chapter ten teaches us that pictures and stories are the best methods with which to communicate with our unconscious mind. The text begins by explaining that a story is a construct created in a suitable format that describes a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events; a description of a character or characters and a relating of what happens to the characters over time. We learn that our brain stores memory in "chunks" which begin and end at event boundaries or transitions in the story. The reading teaches us that stories involve many parts of the brain including auditory, visual and emotional parts. Our brains are built to process images so this explains why stories (which we visualize) and pictures at websites are the most powerful ways to get and hold our attention and persuade us to take action.
Chapter eleven teaches us that we are extremely social in nature and therefore, whatever technology there is, we will find a way to make it social. Using examples from the past to the present; the printing press allowed people to communicate more efficiently than with hand written texts. The printing press was a form of mass communication. Telephones were originally meant to be an updated version of the telegraph. Their original use was for telegraph offices to convey messages from office to office, so manufacturers did not conceive of telephones in the home. According to the text, because we are social beings, we will always push the envelope to bend the available technology to purposes that extend and improve our communication and the opportunity to be social. The real reason the Internet was started was that we were frustrated with machines that made communication slow and cumbersome. According to the text, email has become one of the most frequently used applications of computers.
Social networking sites allow information to be spread quickly as they move virally. Some examples of early social networking sites are Classmates.com(1995) and Epinions.com(1999). MySpace was founded in 2003 followed by Facebook in 2004. Twitter came along two years later. Mass Interpersonal Persuasion (MIP) is a combination of mass media and persuasion techniques. There are three phases of the behavior chain linked to MIP. The first phase is Discovery, which is when we learn about the site and the service it provides. The second phase is Superficial Involvement; when we try out the service and get started. The final phase is True Commitment; the phase at which we create content, use the site, involve others and stay active and loyal. In order to be successful, an online social network must pay attention to each phase and decide how to get us to take action on each phase.
From Made to Stick:
In the introduction to the book, we were taught about what sticks. Some examples of naturally "sticky" ideas are urban legends, wartime rumors, proverbs, jokes, and conspiracy theories. Surprisingly, many naturally sticky ideas are true. According to the reading, there are six principles of sticky ideas. The first principle is simplicity: create ideas that are simple and profound. The second is unexpectedness: create ideas that violate expectations and evoke surprise. The third principle is concreteness: explain ideas in terms of human actions and concrete images to ensure the idea takes root. The fourth is credibility; the idea must stand on its own credentials. Emotions is the fifth principle. It is imperative to make people feel something. The final principle of sticky ideas is stories, which multiplies an experience.
In chapter six, we learned that stories illustrate causal relationships that people hadn't recognized before and highlight unexpected, resourceful ways in which problems have been solved. The reading teaches us that focusing on steps that led up to a problem is more beneficial to solving the problem than imagining what things will be like after the problem is solved. According to the text, mental simulations help us anticipate appropriate responses to future situations, such as an argument with a roommate or an interview for a new job. The text also tells us that mental rehearsal can prevent people from relapsing into bad habit and mental simulation can build skills. In fact, mental practice alone produces about 2/3 of the benefits of actual practice.
