Communication

Storytelling is universal and is as ancient as humankind. Before there was writing, there was storytelling. It occurs in every culture and from every age. It exists (and existed) to entertain, to inform, and to promulgate cultural traditions and values.

Zach is a filmmaker, born and raised in Portland.He started his film journey at age seven when his parents gave him a camera at a wedding. After being rejected from film school, he started the YouTube channel "FinalCutKing," where he posted video editing tutorials. Zach has garnered more than 400,000 subscribers to his channel. In September 2013, he launched a Vine account based around his "magic" editing and has grown an audience of nearly 1 million fans.

We tell stories to our coworkers and peers all the time — to persuade someone to support our project, to explain to an employee how he might improve, or to inspire a team that is facing challenges. It’s an essential skill, but what makes a compelling story in a business context? And how can you improve your ability to tell stories that persuade?

As a WorkLife Learning Practitioner and Writer, I collaborate with Performing, Visual and Literary Artists to deliver events that bring the arts to WorkLife learning. This photo is from a workshop we did called: How To Deliver Great Presentations, Incorporating Story.

Telling stories is one of the most powerful means that leaders have to influence, teach, and inspire. What makes storytelling so effective for learning? For starters, storytelling forges connections among people, and between people and ideas. Stories convey the culture, history, and values that unite people. When it comes to our countries, our communities, and our families, we understand intuitively that the stories we hold in common are an important part of the ties that bind.

The story is a part of our everyday life. It plays a vital role in our growth and development. Stories help to develop imagination by introducing new ideas into their world — ideas about fantastical worlds, other planets, different points in time and invented characters. It’ll encourage the children to realize that they can, and should, imagine anything they want.