A zillion college graduates are about to descend on civilization with shiny apples in hand. My daughter Grace is among the throng though I suspect she’ll take a pass on the apple (always the rebel). Regardless, the demand versus supply equation doesn’t work in the graduate’s favor. Finding that elusive first job puts a premium …more
In the world of startups, there’s truth to the cliché, “Ignorance is bliss.” If the founders truly understood what was ahead of them — the agony of pushing the boulder up the hill only to have it backslide over one’s toes — many wouldn’t choose such a path. The founders’ combination of smarts, energy, optimism …more
Many business professionals today accept storytelling as an effective means for communicating … in theory. Whether they actually embrace the act is a different story (retaining my reputation for bad puns). Of course, many books promise to recast you with Ira Glass’s gift for narrative and Jimmy Kimmel’s wit. I wrote about one such a …more
As a storyteller, I often combine sad stories with one another. Mostly with a positive outcome, but often I use stories without a happy ending. Stories where listeners really have to think about what they just learned. Stories where there is no gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s amazing when such stories evoke …more
There’s no question that 2016 delivered plenty of fodder for storytelling. Thursday’s post included half of the list capturing the top posts from this year. Here’s the rest of the list. 6. Five Storytelling Techniques to Give Business Communications Storytelling is the new “black” when it comes to business communications. But here’s the pachyderm in the …more
I suppose there’s a reason that “time flies” became a cliché. It does. I think 2015 saw a better product from Ishmael’s Corner. It certainly looks better, finally bulldozing the original design and bringing the “look and feel’ into the 21st century. And with Ron Howard resurrecting the “Moby Dick” narrative, a new audience learns …more
By Raf Stevens Storytelling is a powerful weapon. In my book, “Leadership, Storytelling and the Power of Connection,” I offer guidelines for telling a good story that creates an emotional connection with employees, customers or other stakeholders. Executives who deploy storytelling efficiently are better able to convince their target audiences and achieve their business objectives. …more
It’s that time of the year. About 19.9 million college graduates are about to descend on civilization with shiny apples in hand. Unfortunately, the demand versus supply equation doesn’t work in their favor. Finding that elusive first job puts a premium on the resume and its associated cover letter. No university invited me to deliver …more
I love talking about failure in the context of business storytelling. It’s a tough one for executives because it’s counterintuitive. You never hear about a company hiring a PR agency “to get the bad word out.” Yet, the ability to bring failure or even a problem to the narrative is what separates industrial-grade storytelling from …more
