Human beings are hard-wired for stories. It’s as simple as that....
Topics addressed
As an influencing tool, story-telling is powerful stuff… this workshop will teach you how to anchor stories effectively into your work in a way that is fun but also has a tangible impact on your ability to influence others – not to mention the bottom-line of your business.
Even if we’re not avid readers, theatregoers or virtual attendees of ‘The Moth’ (for the uninitiated, you’ll learn what ‘The Moth’ is in the workshop), we can still engage with the skill of narrative in a way that is fun, powerful & memorable. Indeed, there is a burgeoning body of research, including that from Stanford University, suggesting that stories are remembered (and their details retained) up to 22 x more than raw facts. Furthermore, advances in neurological investigation claim that 5 x the amount of neural activity is activated when listening to a story because, when we hear a story, as well as the language processing areas of the brain being activated, the sensory and motor cortex engage as well.
Consider what that could mean to your practice. It is rare to find any aspect of a business that can’t be improved through increased use of story – whether it’s pitching for a new project, building relationships, debriefing a project, illustrating why expedience is of the essence, giving feedback, giving advice: story fits into every element of our professional and personal life.
As Brené Brown says: “Stories are data with a soul”, and yet in a world where we are almost exclusively busy, stretched, multitasking, distracted and otherwise engaged – in this world, where narrative is vital to bring conviction and soul to our work, we mostly prioritise “data” over “story".
Who this session is for
This is an in-house session that is designed for a group of delegates from the same organisation.
It is especially pertinent to those who take responsibility for communicating with the outside world on behalf of the practice. This might be at a project level - talking to contractors, fellow design professionals or clients. Equally it might be at a more strategic, practice level, talking to press and media, movers and shakers, potential clients and collaborators - or even the general public at large.
We recommend that the number of delegates is limited to between eight and 12. This is so that we can engage with everyone and pick up questions, building on individual and team ideas as each session progresses.
Online Format
Our online modules last 90-minute to 2-hours. We believe this makes the best of the online format and ensures that delegates get the most from their time with us.
We like using Zoom but we are happy to use other platforms if preferred by our clients.
In-person format
When delivered in-person, this course is a half-day format.
It combines theory with practical applications, using case studies, group activities and discussions to ensure full participation and relevance to real life.
Associated courses
Each module has been designed to stand alone, but the short format limits the amount of ground that can be covered in each. This means that most clients will require a suite of modules to deliver a rounded training experience, particularly around the wider issues of good leadership and communication.
Please refer to the related content below and to the training and coaching page on this website.
Coaching
Our trainers are both willing and able to support delegates with individual coaching, if people think it would be a helpful follow up to any of the online training sessions.
Our experience of delivering online training has shown that follow up sessions with the trainer - either individually or in pairs, face-to-face or online - have been incredibly useful, helping delegates to embed the learning from the group sessions and relate it to their real life experiences of leading teams.
If appropriate we would be delighted to discuss this with our training clients.
CPD
If required, CPD Certificates can be issued to all attendees.
