Category: Stories for Speakers and Trainers

Using a Story to Start off a Management Development Program

Here’s an example of using a story to start off a management developlment program. I’ve used this story a lot over the years when doing training programs for supervisors and managers. It’s sort of an adult version of those Goofus and Gallant cartoons you might have read as a kid in Highlights magazines (at the dentist’s or doctor’s office).

The story compares two managers, John and Harry, and how different their teams are, in terms of their quality and productivity metrics, and in their level of engagement. It also contrasts how much job enjoyment the two managers have. Harry has fun on the job and John is continuously frustrated.

I like to start off with this story in management development seminars because it helps participants get from the very beginning that what I will be covering will make a difference to them. In other words, I dial them into “WII-FM” –What’s In It for Me?–from the outset with this story.

Stories that communicate “This will help you” “This will make a difference in your life” capture the audience’s interest and create a desire to hear more.

It’s also an example of using a story to challenge people without confronting them. Since in most management seminars, you’ll have some participants who don’t believe they need to learn anything new, and/or aren’t aware of how they might be creating some of the problems they experience, this story helps challenge this perception in a non-threatening way.

It’s non-threatening, because you’re “just telling a story” and not directly confronting anybody.

 

If you want to read the article I wrote about this scenario, it’s at my HumanNatureAtWork.com site. It’s also a good example of using a story to frame an article.

Nov 09, 2012 | 0 comments View Post

Legend in Their Own Mind Syndrome: How to use stories to (gently) challenge this

Here’s an example of using a story to prompt self-reflection and foster self-awareness. I sometimes tell this story when doing programs on how to work with people having different personality styles.

It enables me to present a couple of messages indirectly that, if I said directly, might be too hard to hear for the people who most need to hear them. By using a story, I can get the points across in a safe, non-confrontational way.

See if you can intuit what those messages are before I talk about them in this post.

Also, notice that the story taps into a common fear of people, which increases the odds that it will have an immediate impact and will be remembered.

See if you can identify that fear.

So…here’s the story…

I was just reflecting on a poignant experience I had with a group of managers a while back. We were exploring how to identify and work with different behavioral styles.

As part of the program, people sorted themselves into one of four styles, using the DISC profile. They then answered a series of questions, like “If you want to annoy me when talking with me, do this” and “This is how I like to be delegated to…”

Then, representatives of each style lined up in front of the room and we went down the list of questions. So for each question, the audience could compare how each style responded.

A young woman, who we’ll call Deb, represented the D’s or Drivers. If you’re not familiar with the DISC profile, Drivers tend to be very forceful, direct, no nonsense people. When they lack self-awareness, they can be overly blunt, harsh, and insensitive.

When Deb would share the D’s response to the questions, she frequently included comments like “Of course we’re right” and other self-congratulatory type responses. A couple of times, the group actually gasped at her remarks. While I obviously don’t know what they were thinking as they gasped in horror, I could guess based on my perceptions…and frankly…judgments.

Number one, I was taken aback at just how pleased she was with herself.

Number two, I was taken aback by her lack of self-awareness that the things she was saying were so unflattering. They were the kinds of things that would be best not shared, even if you think them.

Her lack of self-awareness was truly stunning.

But then…maybe she was NOT so unaware.

When the exercise was over, I asked people to get into small groups to process what take away messages they had gotten.

I happened to be near her and her group and as I observed, I noticed the facial expression on this overly confident acting, seemingly full-of-herself woman.

She looked stricken.

She then shared with her group, something to this effect: “You know how  there are things you think are really cool about yourself…and then you can see from people’s reactions  that maybe they’re not…?”

While on one hand, I felt sorry for her because of the obvious pain she was feeling. On the other hand, I was so glad for her. She had gotten feedback that, if she uses it, can literally change the course of her life.

It made me think about how we each can be speaking and acting in ways that turn off others, and be totally unaware of that…and totally unaware of the price we are paying for those behaviors.

We might not even know that people don’t ask us to participate in projects, or ask for our opinions, or share openly with us. We might not know how we have damaged relationships—whether personal or professional—by our communication and relationship style.

This why it is so important to:

1)      Practice mindfulness in our actions with others.

 

2)      Learn about our behavioral and personality style (whether DISC, Myers Briggs, or the myriad of other inventories) and our potential blind spots.

 

3)      Seek feedback, both anonymously and directly.

 

So…there you have it.

A “Self-Awareness Building” Story you can model.

 

Questions:

  1. What fear does the story tap into, that increases it’s motivational value? In other words, it makes it more likely that people will listen to, and be affected by, the story?
  2. What situations do you find yourself in where you need people to be more self-aware of how they come across and perhaps the “emotional wake” they leave?
  3. What versions of this story or other examples of “Self-Awareness Stories” can you think of?
Oct 31, 2012 | 8 comments View Post

Another Customer Service Story: Berto and the Amazing Customer Experience

In a previous post, I gave an example of using a customer service story to provide both “inspiration and simulation” with a customer service or sales team.

Here’s another one.

First, a quick review: These types of stories, when shared with customer service teams, provide inspiration to “raise the bar” in the service they provide. They help people think bigger—and better—about what constitutes great service.

They also provide “simulation” because they give the listener ideas on how they might act. These types of stories act as idea-generating catalysts for a team to come up with their own version of what the “hero” in the story did.

Here’s the story:

A friend of mine, Fran Liataud, told me about Berto, a salesman at Prime Auto in Saco, Maine. She knows I love great stories, and especially stories about great customer service, and couldn’t wait to share hers.

More specifically, it was about the service he provided her teenage daughter during her first car buying experience. She talked about how mindful he was of making her first car buying experience a wonderful one, and how kind and thoughtful he was.

He even turned his car around while driving home from a long day at work, when Fran’s daughter called saying she would like to come in to pick up her car. He knew that would be something she would always remember and he wanted it to be perfect, and wanted to celebrate it with her and her family.

So…since I’m always interested in cool stories and love to collect stories about great customer service, I contacted Berto and asked if he would be willing to be interviewed.

During the interview, after asking him questions about his philosophy related to dealing with people and selling, I asked him to share some stories with me.

Here’s one he shared:

Berto had just emerged from a meeting when his extension rang.  The voice on the other end said “Hi, I’m looking for a Berto Arrar.”

“Oh…Berto Aroyo, that’s me, sir. How can I help you?” he responded.

The man said he was calling from West Palm Beach, Florida. He wanted to buy a car for his daughter, and had found Berto’s  “all over the Internet.”

“I asked him if he realized I was in Maine and he said he did know that. He said his daughter would be going to college in Maine that fall and he wanted to get a car for her.  He said he wasn’t sure whether he should get a car in Florida and have it shipped to Maine, or get one in Maine.”

Because of Berto’s reputation,  he sought him out for advice.

The man said he wanted to purchase a Toyota Corolla and they discussed the various options.

When Berto returned with a price, the man attempted to haggle.

In his gentle, sincere voice, Berto assured him “Sir, I’m giving you my best price, not my second best price.” He reminded the gentleman about the many testimonials he had read on DealerRater.com about how Berto takes care of his customers.

“Good point,” said the man. “What do we do next to get this started?”

Later, when the gentleman’s wife and daughter flew up to Maine, Berto met them at the airport, drove them to their hotel, got them a bite to eat, and then drove them to the dealership.

There waiting for them was the young woman’s new Toyota Corolla, festooned with balloons.

Days later, Berto received a call from the man, who began the call with “What did you do with my family?”

Somewhat taken aback, Berto asked: “I beg your pardon, sir?”

The man went on to explain that his wife had not stopped talking about the unbelievable treatment they had received, and how much she and her daughter loved Berto.

Reflection Time

Please reflect on this story, both as an example of being on the lookout for stories that you can use as teaching stories, and–if you’re involved in sales or customer service–how to collect and use these stories to raise the customer service bar in your company.

If you want suggestions about how to use these kinds of stories to stimulate discussion in your cusotmer service or sales team, check out the  heading “So How Can You Use This Story and This Type of Story?”  in the previous previous blog post. 

If you’ve got a cool customer service story you’d like to share, feel free to below.

 

Oct 24, 2012 | 0 comments View Post

“You are a Goddess” – Customer service that wows

Susanne Falter-Barnes shared a really cool customer service story at an event awhile back that provides a great example of:

1. How stories provide both inspiration and simulation (as Chip and Dan Heath of Made to Stick fame note).– i.e. they inspire people and they act like metaphorical flight simulators. Just as pilots can practice difficult maneuvers and learn skills in a simulated environment,  we can learn new ways of acting by hearing stories of others acting in those new and different ways.

2. How a story can be really short…and really powerful–you don’t have to tell a long, drawn out tale or complex parable to make a powerful point.

So, here’s her story…

Suzanne ordered a piece of clothing from one of her favorite clothiers, Isis. I think it was a jacket.

In the pocket, she found a little square slip of paper, you know those kind of slips you occasionally find that say “Inspected by #34”.

Instead of that rather impersonal message, theirs said:

“You are a Goddess”.

Now, think of how that surprises and delights the customer. Also, though, think of how emotionally satisfying that is for the inspectors to know that their simple, novel act will bring surprise and delight to others.

 

So How Can You Use This Story and This Type of Story?

First, think of what this customer service story illustrates. It illustrates how adding a personal touch, especially one with a whimsical flavor, can charm and delight your customers. It can create a unique and delightful customer experience–one that leads them to tell others about you.

So…you can use this story as a innovation catalyst for yourself if you’re a solopreneur, or with your marketing and cusotmer service teams.

You can start off a brainstorming session with this simple story and then ask the group to share examples of how they were surprised and delighted by something a business did either before, during, or after the sale or…as part of the customer service experience.

Then, use the examples and inspiration to come up with new ways your business can surprise and delight your customers.

You can also use this story as a catalyst for exploring how to link your “behind the scenes” employees with your customers. This is a powerful way of fostering employee engagement and discretionary effort. Research by Adam Grant of  theWharton School of Business shows that the more employees understand that the work they do makes a difference in the lives of their customers, the harder they work and the more productive they are. So this is another use for this kind of story.

So…Let’s Put This to Use

Please don’t stop at “That was a neat story”. Use it to start the above conversations if you are involved in customer service. Use it as an example of how to take a simple experience either you or someone else has, and turn it into a teaching story that provides both inspiration and simulation.

 

 

Oct 24, 2012 | 0 comments View Post
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