How to Tell a Story with NPR's Scott Simon

Got three minutes? Here are some neat tips on how to tell a story from NPR's Scott Simon. (RSS readers click thru.)

---Tom

PS. Hat tip to employee engagement coach David Zinger for the video.

Believe Me: A Free Business Storytelling Book for Innovators

Extraordinary Business Storyteller Michael Margolis has had his new storytelling book out for just a short while now. It's called, "Believe Me: Why Your Vision, Brand, and Leadership Need a Bigger Story."

In the holiday spirit, Michael is now releasing the book to everyone as a free digital unabridged download version.

I bought my copy the day it came out on Amazon.com but, hey, you can now get your copy for free. And yes, it's a fabulous book and I highly recommend it. Check out the book's awesome reviews on Amazon.com for yourself.

Heck- what are you waiting for? Go grab your free digital download from the book's website, "Believe Me The Book."

PS. If you're going to tweet this, mention @getstoried or hashtag #bigstory.

Top 10 Most Rockin' Posts of 2009

Here's a baker's dozen of my most popular articles in 2009. FYI: Not every article was written this year, but hey, that's ok, right?

If you like these articles, you can read more in popular posts.

Thanks to everyone who read, commented, or shared these articles. Your support has rocked me throughout the year. I wish you a rockin' 2010.

1. 17 Invisible LinkedIn Tricks Revealed
Lots of hidden gems in this one! I created this list after presenting live LinkedIn workshops to nearly over 450 people this year. It's the tips and tricks 99% of the people on LI totally miss or don't use. My most popular article ever in three years of blogging.

2. My 22 Best On-Camera Interviewing Tips Ever
The ultimate guide for interviewing someone. Heck, there's great tips if you're ever going to appear on-camera. This one generated lots of comments.

3. 10 Tips to Create Your "Remarkable" Corporate Video
On oldie but goodie. Seems like this riff will remain a "classic" for some time.

4. Are You Asking These 11 Stimulating Interview Questions to Capture Your Company’s 'Honest-to-Goodness' Video Story?
Here's a list of neat questions you can keep with you at all times. Use them just about anywhere, anytime.

5. Tom's Twitter Profile
Most readers miss this page because it's the page Twitter folks see from my Twitter profile. What makes it so unique? It's where I share my many passions outside of media-related topics.

6. 7 Interesting Storytellers to Follow on Twitter
Even if you're not on Twitter, you'll definitely enjoy reading the tweets from these very cool people.

7. 3 Steps to Make Your Corporate Video Jump Off the Screen!
Just integrating these three simple elements will go a long way in transforming your media into something engaging and believable.

8. 7 Sure-Fire Steps for Creating Your Company’s Documentary
After 25 years in the biz, this is my "DNA Code" to visual narrative storytelling for organizations.

9. 9 Super Simple Ways to Rock Your Company Video
This got tweeted by Guy Kawasaki and wow- it got tons of eyeballs!

10. The Hero's Journey Pt.2: Preparing the Video Interview
Of course, preparing for an interview is just as important as the interview itself.

BONUS: Ummm...this is the "baker's dozen part. :-)

11. The Fascination Method
Creative writer and positioning guru Mark Levy pens the first-ever guest article here. Mark's idea is so cool anyone can use this technique for just about anything.

12. Three Keys to Good Storytelling
And this second guest post article rocks, too. It's written by the Blue Dot Productions documentary team- quantum activists and brilliant leaders in conscious filmmaking.

13. My Interview with Author and Communications Coach Nick Morgan
You've read Nick's awesome book, "Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma," right? No? Here's a glimpse. It's a must-read book!

---Tom

PS. If you want to share this list, you can with the "Share Article" button below.

19 Often Overlooked Questions to Propel Employee Conversations

Smart leaders ask interesting questions.

These questions are ignored by many; used by a few.

Here are a handful of questions to help you bridge the gap from "cubicle to community."

The companion article to this post is "19 Surprising Questions To Help You Energize Employee Conversations."

These 38 questions in total will provide you some amazing answers for any media program you are designing and implementing.

Your mileage may vary but I wonder which ones might work for you?

What would happen if we:

1. Connected disconnected pieces to show the “big picture?”
2. Created a visual map making it easy for everyone to know where we’re headed?
3. Shared more success stories?
4. Showed stories of how problems were solved?
5. Showed stories of how ideas failed?
6. Learned to be more trusting?
7. Invited employees to share their personal leadership tips?
8. Listened by asking what matters most to them?
9. Simplified complex business ideas with personal experiences?
10. Encouraged and told stories that point to something bigger than ourselves?
11. Presented more personality and humanized our company?
12. Started thinking “community” instead of “corporate?”
13. Saw or heard stories of leaders capturing our imaginations?
14. Told employees why we are in business in the first place?
15. Demonstrated our values in action when recruiting potential candidates?
16. Stopped using or creating strategies that don’t work?
17. Simplified things?
18. Considered today as the first day we had a communications department?
19. Integrated employees regularly in our communications?

What's your take?
What questions have you used to drive employee conversations? What approaches work for you?

---Tom

PS. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it with the "Share Article" button below.

Originally posted in FastCompany.com.

Boosting Employee Engagement with Multimedia Storytelling: Jim Haudan Interview

As soon as I had this book in my hands, I knew I had to interview Jim Hauden!

“The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Gap Between People and Possibilities” is not only an engaging piece of work, it’s practical, relevant and compelling. And the real kicker? Jim is a big proponent of visual storytelling.

It doesn't matter what position you hold, what title you have or how long you've been with your organization. If you're wondering how to inspire and connect people to their work and to your organization's "big picture," consider this book your survival manual. Get it. Read it. Use it. Repeat.

Thanks, Jim, for sharing your time and insights with us here. I hope your book and this interview inspires everyone reading this as much as it has inspired me!

Lately, we’re hearing a lot of talk about employee engagement. What is it, really, and why does should anyone care?
“Engagement” has become a somewhat dangerous word in the workplace. Some people think “engagement” is a recycled version of “people are happy here, and we know this because our employee satisfaction scores are high.” But that’s a far cry from true strategic engagement, where people are fully mobilized to bring something to life that doesn’t yet exist.

Strategic engagement requires three things:
1. The ability to think in systems,
2. Being connected to the strategy in the way that’s most relevant to you, and
3. The knowledge that allows you to take actions make a difference

First, engagement absolutely requires the ability to think in systems. Many of the most important things in our lives are systems. It’s critical to see how everything fits together. Then, it’s just as important to see how your own work fits into the whole and how you contribute to the business – how you make a real difference. This knowledge makes you think and act in very different ways. How all this happens is astutely connected to the way people want to be engaged. It requires tapping into their curiosity, helping them feel comfortable and safe in saying what they think, and allowing them to take part in solving the puzzles of the business.

Why do employees become disengaged at work? What are some of the main forces behind it?
Disengagement happens when people see themselves as separate, as doing work that isn’t connected to the success of the business and to what their co-workers are doing. Engagement is defined in ways that are relevant not to the leader, but to the follower. Bigger than all that, disengagement is a result of people not believing that they’re part of the future, that they don’t make enough of a difference. It’s those internal voices that tell us that we’re not really as good as we think we are, that keep us from seeing our place in the system or how we contribute.

Engagement and money. Is there really a connection?
We can cite productivity statistics, satisfaction statistics, and engagement statistics. They all point to the same conclusion – when we tap into the heads, hearts, and hands of our people, we get better results. Better said, we need to access the dormant human potential of all the people in our organizations. Leaders need to help people to bring out the best versions of their people so they can mobilize around the strategy that we are trying to bring to life for the future.

You’re a big advocate of using stories to ignite conversation and move people into action. How can organizations harness the power of multi-media to help employees feel and act more connected to their work and the organization’s mission?
A number of companies are starting to see the difference between using multi-media to “tell and sell” and using it to create insight and to model examples of success. One company calls their examples “proof points” of what behavior looks like when it is in concert with a new strategy. Multi-media can be a powerful way to answer one of the most profound questions that people rarely ask regarding strategy: “What does it look like?” As long as people are concerned that what they think it should look like might be different from what leaders are picturing, they’ll sit back and wait for others to go first. But if leaders can vividly create insight through multi-media in terms of what it looks like when strategy is being executed, we can start to close that gap. We begin to reduce the apprehension that people feel when it comes to taking the risk to bring new strategies to life.

Having engaged employees is only half of the equation. Strategy execution is the other half. How can video or audio stories help leadership execute their vision and strategies so everyone on board “gets it?”
Engagement without purpose is, well, purposeless. It’s like teamwork without a challenge. If you’re pursuing engagement for engagement’s sake, it’s a waste of time. But if you see a challenge that needs to be brought to life, and know that people are the ones who are asked to bring it to life, engagement is the mechanism, and strategy is the target for that engagement.

What would you say to those who think multi-media stories can’t a make a difference in their engagement efforts?
I’d say, “Rethink your assumptions.” Multi-media doesn’t have to be glitzy and aggressive. It can’t be just a show-and-tell in an attempt to persuade people to become motivated and inspired. That’s a total fallacy because people ultimately inspire themselves. As leaders, we create the opportunity for people to be inspired on their own by inviting them to think about the business and their role in it.

Here’s an example. Hampton, one of our hotel clients, is working mightily to redefine the role of a general manager. There are a lot of ways to use multi-media to simply tell people what leadership thinks they need to do to succeed in that new role. However, a better use of multi-media is to create a story that is documented from the associate perspective, the customer’s perspective, and the community perspective. This is the way to show the impact that a general manager has on people’s lives when they lead with excellence. They can figure out the “how’s” on their own.

From your perspective, what’s the biggest mistake people make?
When it’s time to engage their organizations in strategy, leaders can forget what it’s like “not to know.” They may have been working on strategy for six months, and may have become bored by content that hasn’t yet been fully understood by their people! Henry Ford once asked his marketing department, “When are we going to stop running that ad?” The response was, “Sir, we haven’t released it yet.” There is a gap between what’s new to one group and what’s old to another group, and that gap tends to create incorrect assumptions.

Any advice for organizations thinking about integrating storytelling in their engagement strategies?
The key is to make storytelling part of your entire culture. The most successful organizations create the opportunity for people to tell stories that illustrate, reinforce, and personalize the behaviors that are most critical to future success. For instance, if your strategy includes extraordinary customer intimacy, open meetings by telling stories about examples that have occurred in your own life that can be translated into your business strategy. Another example could be risk-taking, ways of providing innovative ways to think about products, services, and processes. Ask people to place a spotlight on this aspect of your strategy by telling stories. Use experiences that people have every day to challenge the way we are executing our strategy.

Jim Haudan's bio:
For the past 20 years, Jim Haudan has not only built a thriving business, but has helped numerous individuals unleash their hidden potential. With origins as a coach and school administrator, its easy to see what led him to co-found a company dedicated to business learning. His innovative, creative methods draw people into a business by tapping into basic human curiosity and intelligence. By fully engaging people in their work, they become ready, willing and able to deliver on company strategies, producing real results. Root Learning has made the list of the Best Small and Medium Companies to work for in America for five straight years and was recently recognized by the Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces as one of the top small employers with exceptional workplaces. Obviously, Mr. Haudan is on to something.

Like this article? Share it using the "Share Article" button below.

Are You an 18-Second Boss? Strategic Listening is a Profession

Wow! Tom Peters is on fire in this video!

What does Tom Peters believe is the one secret to creating the most effective organization possible?

According to Tom, "the single most significant strategic strength that an organization can have is not a good strategic plan, but a commitment to strategic listening on the part of every member of the organization."

I'm soooooo excited hearing this from Tom Peters because I truly believe that to be effective communicators we must begin the communication process by listening with an open heart and an open mind. Only then can true engagement with an audience begin.

It's only three-minutes so take a moment and watch this. Big hat tip to David Zinger for the video.

PS. Like this post? Share it using the "Share Article" button below.

My Top 10 Books of 2009

It was tough narrowing this list down to ten since I read about 40 books a year, but here goes. While not all of these books were released in 2009, I enjoyed reading them during the year. I'm hoping maybe one or two will resonate with you. Enjoy!

1. Inspire! What Great Leaders Do
Without a doubt, this is my favorite book on leadership and personal development. Lance Secretan does a magnificent job in outlining a clear, three-step process to help us discover our destiny, cause and calling. His leadership model focuses on two types of leaders: "Old Story Leaders are Newtonian thinkers; New Story Leaders are quantum thinkers." If you're looking to create a "new story" for yourself or start drafting answers to those timeless questions like, "What is my purpose in life?" then this is your book.

2. Social Media at Work: How Networking Tools Propel Organizations Performance
If you're looking for one guide to show you how to use social media tools internally- check this one out. It's packed with several real-life case studies so you get a sense of how these tools can be easily integrated within an organizational framework. Hats off to the three authors; all from Oracle. Well done.

3. The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Gap Between Possibilities and People
This book rocks. I mean, really rocks. Employee engagement is a hot topic lately. Jim Haudan covers the four qualities of human nature that create engaged workers and details the six issues that prevent people from being truly engaged in their work. The best part of this book? It's written as if Jim is taking you on a journey; a journey of self-discovery and community-discovery. To top it all off, Jim is a huge visual storytelling proponent in boosting employee engagement. Now, that's music to my ears! :) I can't wait to read this one again.

4. Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma
I just had to interview author Nick Morgan after reading his book. It's a remarkable book that all communications and media professionals can benefit from. The four steps can easily integrate into your own life or when observing others. Nick reveals where the real power of communicating is – in the non-verbal arena. He shows us how to tap into that "hidden" area to become effective communicators and leaders. Aligning our verbal with non-verbal actions is the real secret to communicating and leading. Check out my interview with Nick Morgan.

5. The Complete Artist's Way: Creativity is a Spiritual Practice
I'm still reading this- it's a hefty 750 pages (phew!) but I love coming to it every few days. This edition combines Julia Cameron's three core books into one, including the classic, "The Artist's Way." If you're into journaling or private writing or simply looking to tap into your creative potential, it's definitely worth checking out.

6. Accidental Genius: Revolutionize Your Thinking Through Private Writing
This book does what it says. Really. Author Mark Levy shares his writing secrets to jolt us out of our everyday thinking. This book is parked on my desk where I always see it and can reach out for it when I'm journaling or simply stuck for ideas. It's also the perfect companion to "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. You can read Mark's guest post on this blog where he shares his "Fascination Method."

7. Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career
Want to learn how to use stories in your career, in your job search and anywhere else, for that matter? Storytelling proponent Kathy Hansen has written a super user-friendly guide to navigate you through the storytelling waters.

8. Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times
Stephen R. Covey does it again. I love this little book. It's brief but, wow, it's packed with powerful ideas on building employee loyalty, customer service and transforming fear into trust. FYI: Covey is releasing another new book, "Great Work, Great Career."

9. The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change
Looking for the secret to creating positive change by asking questions? Here's the ticket. Appreciative Inquiry is a discovery process to understand what gives "life" to a living system when it's at its best. This easy-to-read book is a great starting point for anyone wishing to learn the basic concepts behind AI. It will forever change how you ask questions. You can learn more about the art of appreciate inquiry here.

10. Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity
Creativity guru and marketer Hugh MacLeod wrote this book as a series of essays. It's a manifesto, of sorts; brief, punchy calls to action. If you're looking to light up your inner creative fire, definitely check this one out. (Hat tip to documentary photographer, Seshu, for gifting me this book.)

Happy reading!

---Tom

19 Surprising Questions to Help You Energize Employee Conversations

“Wow” answers need “wow” questions.

If you’re hungry for new answers or different ideas from your team or employees, try changing the questions.

Here are a few questions to energize just about any conversation you might be a part of.

You can use these questions anywhere, anytime:
• Audio or video podcasts
• Flip camera interviews
• Documentary crew interviews
• Online social interactions
• Offline social interactions

Go ahead and give a few of these questions a shot. The answers might surprise you.

1. What myths about your work or our organization would you like to set straight?
2. Do you know the story of why we are in business in the first place?
3. How does what you do fit into the “big picture”?
4. What do our customers need to know about us that they probably don’t know?
5. What’s a great day for you?
6. What moment are you most proud of?
7. What’s the most challenging part of what you do?
8. If you became CEO, what three decisions would you make your first week?
9. What do you think our customers love about us?
10. Why do you think employees become distrustful?
11. How can we turn low-trust into high-trust?
12. How would you start creating a deeper sense of community for our company?
13. How do we help employees feel safe about learning new skills?
14. How can our organization help you communicate more effectively?
15. What can we do to help people understand that their work matters?
16. What can we do to help people feel more connected to their work?
17. Do you think sharing our values with others can make an overall difference?
18. What can we stop doing that isn’t working?
19. What can we simplify?

---Tom

PS. If you enjoyed this article, you can share it using the "Share Article" button below.

Originally posted on Fast Company.

Tom's SpeedLink #13

Seven amazing links. Enjoy!

1. Lemonade Movie
I can't wait to see this! This looks like a real winner. From the site: "More than 130,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this “Great Recession.” Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives." (RSS readers click through.) Hat tip to Chris Brogan.

2. Seth Godin's "Zen Unicorn" (Kindle Edition)
If you're into Seth Godin and have a Kindle, you may want to check this out. It compiles three years of Seth's blog posts.

3. The Edge of Never
"A skier's story of life, death and dreams in the world's most dangerous mountains." I found this awesome documentary on Twitter.

4. A Plea to All Creatives: Stop Going to Work
Learn to power down and disconnect. From Fast Company.

5. Hoop Dreams Hits the Big Screen for Fifteenth Anniversary!
One of my favorite doc's turns 15. If you haven't seen it, by all means, do so asap!

6. The internet is killing storytelling
A thought-provoking article. Here's an excerpt: "Narrative is not dead, merely obscured by a blizzard of byte-sized information. A story, God knows, is still the most powerful way to understand."

7. Free Report: How to Become a Creative Entrepreneur
Mark McGuinness does it again. 31 pages. Yes, it's really free with no email registration. Ummm. Go grab it!

---Tom

Employee Engagement Lessons from Fast Company’s “30 Second MBA” Part 2

Here’s part two of my conversation with Ellen McGirt, Senior Writer for Fast Company magazine and Dean of Fast Company’s “30 Second MBA” website.

Part one can be found here. Thanks again, Ellen, for participating!

5. Many organizations see and hear the potential benefits of incorporating an internal social media framework into their communication strategies but are hesitant to make the leap. What would you say to these folks?

Grow a spine. You’ve already lost control! You might as well have some fun. And by the way, this is the golden era of the communications professional. In addition to expressing your brand values externally, they should be tapped to be the keepers of the communication flame internally as well. Let them, not your lawyers, lead the way.

I would then ask: What are the pressing needs of your organization? It might make sense to create a targeted social media effort directly toward a current problem.

6. What role do employees have in launching a successful internal social media platform?

They are the secret to your success – just like in other aspects of the business. Your employees are now your best marketers, customer service reps, troubleshooters and sources of innovation. Give them a way to weigh in – blogs, video posts, twitter, flickr, whatever – and acknowledge their efforts.

The third most popular blogger at Cisco (internally) is a guy that’s four levels away from their CEO. He blogs about technical matters specifically related to a single product area. It’s information people need to do their jobs better! The fact that he has a platform that he controls (no one vets the copy) and a way to interact with his colleagues means that he has become an indispensible resource to others. And he got a mention in Fast Company Magazine as a result. Not the goal, but I bet his mom is happy.

7. What goals or strategies do organizations need to think about before diving into the creation of an internal social community platform?

Brand comes first. The least cynical definition of a brand is that of an expression of deeply held values.

Social media turns that brand into a platform for others to express themselves. So, if you’re willing to open up your brand, then everyone needs to know what those values are. Everyone. This should not become a forum for one to develop their own personal brand – it’s about a shared common goal. Initiatives should be developed through the framework of those values – with an eye to maximizing the safety and success of the participants. (Privacy, rules of engagement, equal access etc.)

And the objectives should be clear and measurable. Are you using social media to innovate new ideas? To manage projects? To develop the potential of your staffers? To acknowledge achievement? To play a game or conduct a contest? Build rapport?

Be prepared to get staff input every step of the way (bottom up, not top down), accept that there will be many versions and understand that failure is always an option. It’s baked in to the iteration process.

8. What is the next evolution in the “30 Second MBA” format?

Glad you asked. Future iterations include a thumbs-up button, so viewers can vote up popular videos, and easier ways for people to share the videos with others.

Now that we have a nice library, I’m hoping to cross pollinate them into new and fun lesson plans – “Swimming with Sharks Week” – the best advice on how to deal with difficult people. Etc.

Ultimately, my plan (always subject to the input of others) is to create a credit system – the more people watch, comment or post a video response – or even do things in the world, like mentor others - the more credits they get. You can spend those credits for things that you want, like sponsored gifts, or actual feedback from real faculty members. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could connect you with the hottest CEO in the Valley for a fifteen minute business plan assessment? Would you give 20 hours of mentoring for that? Fun to think about.

This article was originally posted on Fast Company.

Ellen McGirt’s Bio:
When she's not chasing former Vice Presidents or leaping social networks in a single bound, Ellen McGirt occasionally shows up at her job as Senior Writer at Fast Company magazine. She covers a range of business topics, but never stops looking for the writer’s holy grail: The business ideas - and people - who are changing the world.

McGirt joined Fast Company in February 2007 from Fortune, where she was a senior writer. She was also a columnist and editor-at-large for Money, where she covered a wide variety of health care, consumer, personal finance and investing topics. McGirt has served as a guest correspondent for CNN's American Morning, and has appeared frequently on Good Morning America, CBS Early Today, NBC Nightly News, CNBC, CNN, and American Public Media.