Story Worksheet

Introduction
Setting Establish characters Describe current state of affairs

Conflict
Inciting incident Whats at stake Potential/real pain

Resolution
How does the conflict resolve Make the learning point

Credibility Check: Have I been honest and accurate, not exaggerating details or my claims?

Hallmarks of Great Stories

Engaging
Show a conflictboth the pain of the problem and our strength to overcome. Build suspense without prematurely revealing the punch-line or resolution. Use details to create a sympathetic character and paint a picture. Involve participants by asking questions. Increase your energy, use dramatic pauses, and vary the pacing, pitch, and volume of your voice.

Connecting
Place the story appropriately in the training to make a point (e.g., as an intro) Have a moral that relates to the course content Make it clear how the use or non-use of a skill affects results. This explains why the story was told.

Appropriate
Truthful: Doesnt misrepresent participants or the situation Safe: avoid potentially inflammatory issues (e.g., politics, religion) A mix of: personal and organizational; success and failure; short and longer.

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