BUSINESS

STORYTELLING FOR
DUMMIES CHEAT SHEET
From Business Storytelling For Dummies
By Karen Dietz, Lori L. Silverman
Successful businesses have discovered the power of
storytelling and its ability to affect the bottom line. A good way
to start building your business stories is to use the time-
honored storyboarding technique. There are usually a few
ways to tell the same story — the one you choose may
depend on the circumstances of the telling, the audience, your
intent and goal in telling it, and other factors. Sometimes it
can be a challenge to “pull” stories out of your organization so
that they can be structured and polished for your purposes,
and you may need to use story prompts to dig out the
storytelling gold that exists in any company or organization.
STORYBOARDING YOUR BUSINESS STORY

Storyboarding is a nonlinear way to craft and learn your

business stories. Here are the steps to creating an effective
one. If you’ve been crafting your stories in other ways, try this
approach for variety. It may stimulate a more creative flow.
Steps Instructions Comments

Step Grab a pad of Post-It notes, a stack of 3 × 5 cards, If your story is very long, it can help to break up
1 and sections by
something to write with. using different colored 3 × 5 cards.

Step Start with an image or a trigger word. What’s the For stories to be authentically shared, don’t
2 first memorize
image that brings your story to mind? What’s the them by rote. Spend time figuring out the images
first image and trigger words
you want to convey to listeners? Some images you want to convey and put them in the order you
may be too complex to want so you can
draw. But a simple trigger word generates an share the story. Having a solid launch makes the
image in the mind. So rest of the story
feel free to generate a mix of images and trigger easier to tell.
words. If you can see the image, you can convey it to
Draw the image or write the trigger word on a your listeners. The
Post-It and stick it job of the storyteller, when telling, is to feed the
to a 3 × 5 card. This isn’t about art! Just scribble listener
what you need to so you can remember the image images to feast on. Focusing on images is an easy
or word. way to both
If you don’t like what you drew or the selected remember the story and trigger the experience in
word, rip off your
the Post-It and write a new one. That’s a lot listeners’ minds. When you’re re-experiencing the
cheaper than story, your listeners can experience it with you.
recycling 3 × 5 cards.

Step Continue through the rest of the story. Keep Don’t worry about how many cards you have at
3 drawing images this point.
and/or scribbling trigger words until you’ve gone Just get the images down in the order you think
through the they go in. The
entire story. By the end you should have a full size of the deck can get large if it’s a long story.
image deck. Rubber
band sets of them together if you need to.

Step By yourself, review the story and eliminate In the first pass you might create a card for every
4 extraneous details. piece and
Keep it simple. Boil the story down to its essential detail of the story. That can easily become
images. overwhelming. Now is
the time to start winnowing down the pile to make
it manageable and
easier to remember.

Step Speak the story out loud. Rearrange the images as Once you start speaking the story out loud, the
5 you need to. order of the
You may also find that an image or trigger word images may change. This is normal as you recall
you discarded what happened and
becomes important again. Add it back in. figure out how the story wants to be told.
Likewise, some other
images can be eliminated.

Step Images need transitions to get the listener from Transitions help get you to the story’s key
6 one place in message. If
the story to the next. Solidify these transitions. you’re clear about them, then you have flexibility
Write them out, in how you
if necessary. These are usually very short — share your experiences. They allow you to tell the
typically a story in
simple sentence. It can often help to memorize different ways to different audiences while still
these remembering the
transitions. steps you took to get to the key point.

Step Practice, practice, practice. Practice the story out In this step you’re learning to tell the story by
7 loud. Get moving
used to hearing your story being spoken. from image to image, and using your transitions to
Take your image deck out for a walk, telling your get from one
story out loud as place to another.
you work through your cards. Or speak it while As you speak it out loud and with trusted friends,
on a treadmill. Time make further
your story as you practice and walk with it. adjustments as you figure out what’s working and
Share your story with a trusted partner. what you
want to fix.
Speaking your story out loud as you walk or use a
treadmill are
terrific ways to build the story into you physically,
while
training you to tell it in spite of distractions. This
is how you
begin to know physically what 10 minutes feels
 like. Or 3 minutes.
If you only have 3 minutes or 10 minutes to share
your story,
building in this internal time clock is invaluable
—
especially when a clock or timer isn’t available.
And how
often do you glance at your watch when telling a
story? Hardly
ever. If you do this physical step, you won’t need
to.

Step Practice and tell your story without the cards. Yeah! You’ve arrived. You know your story. You
8 know the
order of the images so you can tell it well and
with confidence.
Your transitions flow and the key message and
following action
steps are delivered flawlessly.
Now you can tell that story in different ways by
simply reordering
the cards, finding new transitions, and maybe
even sharing a
different key point and/or action steps.
Just keep having fun!

11 STORY STRUCTURES FOR BUSINESS

STORYTELLING

If you want to develop and deliver a memorable story to your

business audience — whether your listeners be employees,
stockholders, or customers — you need to consider how to
shape your storytelling. Here are some ways in which you
might build your business story for maximum impact.
Name Structure Comments

“I’m Better Off” Main character gets in trouble, then gets
out of trouble, and
ends up better off for the experience.
Story of struggle and redemption — of
losing everything
and gaining something better in return.
A bankruptcy, being let go
from a job, losing a home, or making
major mistakes and recovering
from them.

“Highlight Both Loss Main character falls in love with a business This is a very common business story.
and Gain” or opportunity or What makes it different
is doing work that fulfills their dreams — than “I’m Better Off” is that there’s a
loses it when dream
something puts those dreams on hold — that starts the story, which is followed
and then regains by loss.
it.

“The Cinderella Down- The main character is in a bad spot. A The most popular story in Western
and-Out Story” special helper provides civilization. In business,
gifts, but then the character loses their good this could be a story of dissatisfying
standing. Eventually work and living in
that good standing is restored, and the desperation. Then a mentor comes
character gains incredible along and transforms the
bliss. person’s life, but circumstances still
hold the character
back. These are eventually resolved
which leads to the
character’s dreams being realized.

SHARES Start with a setting (“I was sitting at my This is a very useful structure to use
desk . . when time is limited.
.”), followed by the hindrance or obstacle It’s particularly helpful during
that’s interviews. Or in e-mail
creating a problem. The actionthat was newsletters and on blogs where space
taken is given next, is short.
followed by the result. The teller then
provides a statement
evaluating the experience (“this made me
think about .
 . .”), ending with suggested actions.

PARLAS Start by presenting the problem. Then work This is a very useful structure to use
your way when time is limited.
through the action taken to solve the It’s particularly helpful during
problem, what the interviews. Or in e-mail
result was, what was learned in the process newsletters and on blogs where space
(“what I learned from this was . . .”), how is short.
that learning
applies to today, and ending
with suggested actions
for your audience.

CHARQES Start with laying out the context— what This is a very useful structure to use
was when time is limited.
happening and why. Then the challenge is It’s particularly helpful during
presented, what interviews. Or in e-mail
action was taken comes next, followed by newsletters and on blogs where space
the result is short.
in quantifiable numbers. After this, the
teller gives an
evaluation of the experience and finally
provides
suggested actions to take.

CCARLS Start with the context of the issue (similar
to
CHARQES). Then the challenge is
presented, the action
that was taken is brought in, and
the result is provided
— along with the lesson.Suggested
actions are given at the end.
This is a very useful structure to use
when time is limited.
It’s particularly helpful during
interviews. Or in e-mail
newsletters and on blogs where space
is short.

“Open with an Present a possibility — a dream, a promise This is a powerful structure for
Opportunity” — based nonprofits and companies
on what’s known to be true today. Follow involved in social change.
this with the
obstacle that’s preventing this possibility
from happening,
how others have already helped to
 (partially) remove the obstacle
(if indeed that’s the case), and the action
steps your
audience can take to overcome it.

“Speak to the Why” 1. State a problem that the product or Use in marketing to get at a product or
service addresses. service story.
2. The first “why” is: Why is that Example:
important? Because . . 1. Our product makes stinky sneakers
. smell better.
3. The second “why”: Why is that 2. Because stinky sneakers turn people
important? Because . . off.
. 3. Because when they’re turned off to
4. The third “why”: Why is that important? you, they won’t
Because . . want to hang around you.
. 4. Because if they don’t want to hang
5. The fourth “why”: Why is that around you, you
important? Because . . can’t get to know them.
. 5. Because if you can’t get to know
6. The fifth “why”: Why is that important? them, you can’t
Because . . date them.
. 6. Because if you can’t date them, you
7. The ultimate “why” is: Because . . . won’t get one to
marry you.
7. The ultimate “why”: If you have
smelly sneakers,
you’ll never find your mate (and never
get married).

“Leverage the 1. Describe the significant struggle that the
Underdog” person has
experienced.
2. Insert a hint of hope.
3. Share the moment of deliverance from
the struggle.
4. Provide the key message.
5. Reference back to the implied action
steps or attitudes if this
can be done appropriately.
6. Show how your organization is
celebrating the success.
People love underdogs. Think
Superman, Spiderman, and other
favorite heroes who experience
deliverance. Hint: We’re all
heroes who’ve experienced
deliverance. And many of your
customers are underdogs who have
overcome and persevered. Hope is
the ultimate message.
“Present-Future” 1. Start out by painting the picture of the This structure is very useful when
current presenting a project that
reality. you want people to support or become
2. Introduce the first turning point — the a part of. And it’s a
urgent call to do great structure to use when launching
things differently. change.
3. State what could be.
4. Outline what is (based on another part of
step 1).
5. State another example of what could be.
6. Outline what is (based on another part of
step 1).
7. State another example of what could be.
8. Outline what is (based on another part of
step 1).
9. Introduce the second turning point — the
call to action
— and articulate the finish line and
problem resolution.
These are action steps that will resolve
shortcomings in the
current reality and bring about the future.
10. End on a higher plane. Have proof of a
happy ending to share so
folks know their hard work, dedication,
commitment, and
perseverance will pay off. They’ll have a
greater commitment
to taking action knowing it won’t be easy,
but worth it.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESS STORIES

AND HOW TO FIND THEM

Organizations use and tell lots of different types of stories,

many of which are listed here. Each type is appropriate for
various unique uses and applications. Story prompts are
things you say to someone else in order to draw out the story.
Name and Definition
“Your founding” stories: Moments in your life that
made a huge difference in who you are today.
Sometimes people talk
about these as I finally realized who I amor
Here’s when I began to feel comfortable in my own
skin
situations.
“Organizational founding” stories: Every
organization
has a unique founding story about its inception and
which problem
it originally was focused on solving. This type of
story includes
stories about the founder and/or key leaders.
Possible Story Prompts or Steps to Craft These
Stories
“An event surrounding your birth may be of huge
significance. Enlighten me about a time like this.”
“Share with me a memory about an early childhood
situation
that defines you to this day.”
“Tell me about an event that has profoundly shaped you
as a
person.”
“Tell me about that moment when you just knew you
needed to
pursue the career or business you have today.”
Ask the founders: “Tell me about that moment which
motivated you to start the organization. Or about a
problem that
you couldn’t solve that led you to start this
organization.
Or about an experience that compelled you to conceive
this
organization.”
If it’s your own company: “Tell me about that moment
when you clearly knew you had to open your own
business. Or about
an experience you had earlier in life that led you to
create this
organization.”
If your organization has been around for a long time: If
no one
recalls how it started, dig into archives and old
newspaper
clippings.
If you work for a government agency: The founding
story may be
buried in legislative materials or the creation of a law.
Go find
that stuff and piece together the story. If you can,
interview
those who may have been involved at the time.
If the company has completely reinvented itself: “Tell
me

“What you stand for” stories: Stories that relay what
you value and prize the most. They may come from
experiences in
your personal life or within a work setting unrelated
to where
you’re employed today.
“What the organization stands for” stories: Stories
that depict how core values are embodied in your
workplace.
These aren’t stories to say that your organization has
values. Convey what’s done to actualize these values.
about the event or situation that was a key turning point
in the
organization.”
For existing products and services: Figure out who was
responsible
for their creation. “Tell me about the situation, or series
of
situations, that caused you to invent XYZ.”
If you’re working on a new offering or innovation:
Keep track
of what sparked the effort. Then craft a story about it.
“Tell me about a situation that caused you to realize
you
hold strongly to a specific value in life.”
“Paint for me a picture of a time in your life where you
were
very clear about what’s essential to your ethical
well-being.”
“Enlighten me about a time when a principle you hold
became
non-negotiable for you.”
If you’re an entrepreneur wanting to distill what your
firm stands for: Identify up to ten values that are
critically
important to how you want to run your firm. Then
systematically
collect stories of how your organization embodies them.
If you have feedback from customers, members,
patients, clients,
and so on: Pull out situations that appear to exemplify
the values
these individuals feel are important in how your
organization
interfaces with them. Craft stories around these
experiences.
If your organization has been around for several years:
Ask
long-tenured employees: “Tell me about a time when
the
business operated in such a way that what’s highly
prized

“What you do” stories: Stories about memorable
moments in your work life that define how you spend
your time told
in a way that allows others to experiencewhat you do
as an
individual. These stories include both successses and
failures.
“What the enterprise does” stories: Stories about the
why of what the organization believes in (this isn’t
to make a profit).
“Personal vision” stories: An image of a possible,
came to the surface.” Or: “Tell me about a time when
qualities we most prize came through in our interactions
with
customers.” Or: “Tell me about a time when what we
most
prize about our business products or services was
clearly
demonstrated.”
“Tell me about a time when you were influenced by a
mentor
or coach and how that shaped the way you view your
work.”
“Paint me a picture of a memorable moment in your
career
that’s impacted your perception of the work that you
do.”
“Enlighten me about an event that’s profoundly
impacted
you as a person and how this is reflected in your work.”
“Tell me about the personal legacy that you’re leaving
through the work that you do.”
“Tell me a story about your work that reflects its
ultimate
importance.”
“Tell me a story about the why behind what you, as
staff, are collectively paid to do as an organization.”
“Talk to me about a customer challenge that
demonstrates what
drives your business.”
“Enlighten me about a situation that demonstrates the
impact
your organization has on the lives of individuals or the
community.”
“Visualize and tell me about a specific moment in time
that
revealed to you and your colleagues the importance of
the work you
all do.”
Consider journaling stories related to the following
attractive, and desirable state not yet realized. (This
is a type
of “future” story.)
“Personal scenario” stories: Whenever you have a
decision to make, you roll through multiple options.
You can craft
stories around these scenarios. (This is a type of
“future” story)
“Dream” stories: A personal story about the future of
a project, business, product, service, or enterprise.
(This is a
type of “future” story.)
“Organizational future” stories: The story of the
future that you and your business’s customers, by
being in
relationship with each other, create to bring about a
difference in
the world. It’s a story of the better future that
you’re advancing together, along with what you’re
doing
prompts.
Then step back and observe what they’re telling you in
sum
total:
Tell yourself about a time when you truly expressed
your passions.
Or paint a picture of what you see yourself doing for the
rest of
your life. Or create in your mind’s eye a story about
what
you envision your legacy will be.
Select a complex decision that you need to make — an
issue that has significant consequences or is fuzzy
somehow.
Brainstorm at least three options. For each option, craft
the story
of what the outcome would look like if it were to be
realized. Then
step back and figure out which story best depicts the
outcome that
best suits the situation.
If you’re a leader, your job is to offer people a dream
and allow them to articulate their version of it.
Sometimes these
dreams emerge from seeing what’s possible in the
future.
Sometimes the dream comes from the past — a video of
a talk
from a leader who has since died, an unrealized project,
archived
materials, or the organization’s founding.
This story is based on the organization’s vision,
strategies, and goals coming to fruition at some future
specified
date. It expands a vision statement into a full-blown
situation,
with characters and conflicts that are overcome. To aid
in doing
this, you may want to conduct interviews with future-
now to achieve it.
“Project-specific future” stories
“Organizational-based scenario” stories
“Your personal success” stories
“Organizational success” stories
thinking
customers, vendors, and others who know your
organization, and the
difference your products and services are making and
could make in
people’s lives.
Similar to an organizational future story, a project-
specific
future story is based on what life will be like when the
vision and
project plan are fully implemented and operationalized.
Consider the approach used by the 2020 Media Futures
Project.
You can download
several reports that outline their approach.
“Share with me a memory about a time when you
achieved a
major personal success that was unexpected.”
“Tell me about a time when you set out to do something
and
found success beyond your wildest dreams.”
“Enlighten me about a time in your personal life when
you
stumbled into a wildly successful situation.”
“Tell me about a time when you consciously decided to
become
successful at something and, against all odds, reached
your
goal.”
If you’re an entrepreneur: Talk to your customers. Pull
the stories out of them by saying: “Tell me about a
significant success you were able to achieve with the
assistance
that you received.”
If you have customers, members, patients, clients, and
so on: Draw
out testimonials and thank yous and turn them into
 success stories.
You may need to re-contact these individuals for more
input.
If your organization has been around for several years:
Go back
into the archives and search for past successes that no
one is
talking about anymore. They are timeless. Craft stories
around them
and make them visible. They may be just the spark
that’s
needed internally to motivate a stalled team and
externally to
boost sales.
If you have long-tenured employees: Have them tell
you about a
memorable success that they helped create. Or a
situation that was
highly successful that didn’t get enough air time. Or
about a
rock star employee sparking a significant business
success.
If you have sales professionals: Ask for their favorite
success
stories — the ones that turn prospects into buyers.

“Overcoming personal barriers” stories
“Share with me a memory about a time when you
overcame a
major life hurdle.”
“Tell me about a time when you found yourself
surrounded by so
many obstacles that you thought you’d never be able to
dig
yourself out — but you did.”
“Enlighten me about a time in your personal life when
you
stumbled into a wildly successful situation.”
“Tell me about a time when you consciously decided to
become
successful at something and against all odds reached
your
goal.”
“Overcoming organizational barriers” stories
“Your memorable customer” stories
“Your organization’s memorable customer”
stories: Stories about people you work with day in
and day out and
how they solved a customer’s problem, went the
extra mile,
overcame an obstacle to meet a customer need, and
the like. These
stories may also come from your customers.
“Tell me about a time when an employee saved the
day.”
“Tell me about a major obstacle on a project and how it
was
resolved.”
“Enlighten me about a situation where a group went the
extra
mile to satisfy a customer.”
“Build me a story about a huge, unexpected challenge
that
arose and what was done to rectify it.”
Go back through the organization’s archives and find
situations where the entire firm or a single brand
offering was
compromised and what was done to overcome that.
Then craft stories
to help others appreciate these situations.
“Share with me a memory about an experience that
made you
say, ‘Wow. That was awesome service.’”
“Tell me about a time when you were shocked at how a
customer
issue you were having was resolved.”
“Enlighten me about a situation in your personal life
when an
employee went above and beyond the call of duty to
delight
you.”
From employees: “Tell me about a time when a
customer used
our product or service and had a huge win. Or a
situation where a
customer used our product or service and saved the day
in their
company or were able to overcome a significant
obstacle.”
From customers: “Tell me about a time when you used
our
product or service and had a huge win. Or a situation
where you
used our product or service and saved the day in your

Stories from sponsors, funders, or supporters: Stories
of how
their contributions made a difference to them and to
your
organization and include the results that came from
their
support.
“Now” stories: These stories bring together pain
points, opportunities, and obstacles to heighten
urgency and
stimulate action right now when seeking support or
funding.
“Your” stories: These stories highlight why
you are passionate about solving a particular problem
or
supporting a cause.
“Our” stories: These stories of inclusion put forth
what you and the sponsor, supporter, or funder can
accomplish
company or
were able to overcome a significant obstacle.”
1. Share stories (not statistics and information) with
them
about how their actions led to specific results.
2. Ask them for the story of what led to their support.
Listen
delightedly.
3. Ask them what that support or funding has meant to
them.
4. Ask them if they’d be willing to share their overall
story
with others so that additional people might also support
your
program, project, organization, or nonprofit. This story
is not
about the kind of support they provided or how much
money they
gave. It’s really about how they worked together with
you to
create an amazing result.
Gather stories from end users about their pain points.
You’ll have to decide whether you start with these or
with a
story about the compelling business value opportunity.
Be careful
about how you relay data here.
These stories disclose the risks of not moving forward.
They
may include end-user input about the dangers of
remaining at status
quo. If people don’t know who you are and why you’re
involved, they won’t know why you’re asking for
resources. Nor will they have a reason to trust you.
Convey what’s made possible by working together that
together. (This is a type of “future” story.) wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

“Back” stories (from consumers): Stories that build Request customer stories.
their reputation and yours as well. Reach out to folks who comment about your
organization on social
media.
Create online communities for people to exchange
stories
Find existing online communities and seed them with
story
prompts.
Seed a conversation and allow consumers to actively
join in and
co-create the rest of the story.

“Back” stories (insider stories): Stories about what
makes your organization tick and challenges it has
faced and
overcome — and/or stories associated with a product
or
service’s entire life-cycle, from beginning to end.
This
set of “supply chain” stories also reflects your
organization’s values.
Here’s how to find the story behind your product or
service offering:
1. Reveal the inspiration or “a-ha” moment behind
creating the product or service. Tell the story about the
idea that
created it or the need or issue that caused it to be
brought into
your business to sell.
2. Relay stories about how consumers can use the
product or service
in their lives
3. Tell stories about how a product is made or how a
service
transpires. Share pictures that document these
processes. Place
them on your firm’s website or in a retail store.
Knowing the
story behind age-old processes that are used to create
the offering
makes it desirable on a very different level.
4. Show the workmanship and quality inherent in the
product if
that’s what helps makes it special. If people only see a
photo of a scarf or a pile of rugs, it might not be of
interest to
them or worth the money.
“Target market” stories: Stories about the market
segments you serve and/or stories about the
prospect’s
organization.
“Target audience” stories: What you know about the
prospect(s) you’re meeting/chatting with
Stories about past failures (for use in prospecting)
Get intimate with the biggest pain points and what’s
changing in the industry, the solutions that potential
buyers are
seeking, as well as the opportunities that exist within
these
segments in the future:
1. Personal stories, based on experiences you’ve had
with
products or services offered within the market segment
— or
those of your family or close friends.
2. Stories that you specifically craft after reviewing
industry-specific or demographics-specific information
on each
target market.
3. Stories from current customers in the markets you
want to
continue to serve, or even one customer in a new
market.
Learn everything you can about the prospect’s
organization in
the time you have available. What’s its founding story?
Are
there any stories about its core values in action? What
folklore is
often shared about the enterprise? What stories are
current in the
news media?
What can you learn about the people you’ll be speaking
to? Their likes and dislikes? Where did they grow up
and go to
school? Who do they know that you may also know?
What hobbies do
they have? Find stories that relate to what you learn.
Social media
sites are a great resource to find this kind of
information. Reach
out to friends and colleagues who may know these
people.
There are two types of “failure” stories: those about
prospects who chose not to embrace what your

Stories about pain and urgency (for use in
organizational
change)
“Change is possible” stories: Stories about people
surviving a personal or organizational change that’s
significant to them.
organization has to
offer (especially those who elected to do nothing) and
those
customers who didn’t fully utilize, follow, or implement
what
you provided to them. Why do you want to tell these
stories to
prospects? The first one speaks to the risks of doing
nothing. The
second is an opportunity for you to talk about what can
happen if
customers misuse a product, don’t properly implement
a
service, or ignore your advice. It’s also a chance to talk
about how you recover customers when things go awry.
“Ain’t it awful” stories: These are real
stories of the struggles and challenges that people face
because of
broken systems, inefficient processes, marketplace
threats,
consequences for customers, and so on. Connect these
struggles to
the organization’s potential fate. These stories reinforce
the fact that maintaining the status quo isn’t workable.
Distress about the way things currently work provides
motivation,
more so than the vision of what’s possible.
“From the future” stories: Go into the future. Do an
environmental scan looking out five to ten years.
Identify trends,
threats, and wildcards — highly unlikely events that
would
have huge impact if they were to happen. Craft stories
for your
change based on this information.
“Tell me about a time when you were faced with an
unexpected change in your life and what you did to get
you through
it successfully.”
“Tell me about a time in your life when you greatly
resisted a
 change and, when you embraced it, many opportunities
presented
themselves.”
“Tell me about a time when a group you were part of
(in the
organization or elsewhere) went through a big change
that no one
thought could be accomplished — yet it was successful
—
and what made that possible.”

“Identify what needs to get done to solve problems” 1. Evoke stories about the challenges people face
stories (for use in organizational change) around a
specific issue.
2. Learn how they currently get around or overcome
those
challenges.
3. Gather their best ideas to solve the problem.

“Pinpoint and mitigate risks” stories (for use in
organizational change)
“Tell me about some of the risks you’ve experienced
that we might need to address if we change XYZ.
“Tell me a story about a risk you think could possibly
happen
during our change effort.”
“Tell me about a time during another change effort at
the
company when you stumbled upon an unforeseen risk
and what happened
as a result.”

“Obtain the resources you need in a change” stories “Tell me about an experience you’re now facing with
(for use in organizational change) this change that requires resources that weren’t
budgeted up
front.”
“Now that you have the resources you need, tell me
about how
they made a significant difference in moving this
change
forward.”
“Tell me about a situation where you shared resources
outside

“Adapt as we go” stories (for use in organizational
change)
“Best practice” stories (for use in organizational
change)
your group to create a win-win for everyone.”
Stories about course corrections that happen once the
organization gets deep into the change.
“Tell me a story about something that happened in [xx]
phase of the change that really made an impact on you
(or your team
or department).”
“Tell me about the most important (or significant or
moving)
story you’ve heard about this change project.”
“Tell us about a situation in which you gained a
personal
insight about this change that will continue to influence
how you
approach your work long-term.”
“Tell me a story about a specific action that you (or
your
team or department) took that really helped to solidify
the
change.”
“Tell me about something that happened in this change
that you
would suggest not repeating in a future change
initiative.”