Recommended Reading & Listening

I recently read “The Science of Storytelling” by Will Storr. I always thought this technique was important to being a good communicator and explaining difficult ideas and concepts to reasonable people who may not have the same experience and expertise. I was hoping to add something to my kitbag that would help me be a better communicator. What I learned from this excellent book was actually more important than my own skills – it was an appreciation for how people we communicate with understand what we are saying. Through six key principles, the author very effectively highlights that people are obsessed with change, appreciate cause and effect, want to understand what is at stake, desire to know what happens next, want to experience meaning and purpose and in the end – they want to appreciate that the situation is resolved. I don’t know that this will make your next business pitch more successful but understanding these principles will definitely increase your ability to connect with audiences and increase the chances that they leave the discussion with a better understanding of whatever you are talking about. Whenever I talk with groups of leaders I highlight the importance of “telling a story” – here is some concrete evidence to suggest this approach really works.