Everyone can tell a good story
We’re here at the last day of the Climate Leaders training program, and boy are we going out with a bang! After two days that were packed with great conversations and informative climate presentations, it wasn’t clear if the third day could compete with the first two. But with two sessions exploring compelling presentation techniques and the elements of storytelling, Thursday morning was one of the best parts of the program.
Anthony Wilson showed us many ways of keeping an audience interested with his presentation on how to spark conversation. He also had us in stitches when he had nearly a thousand people warming up their mouths with some entertaining vocal exercises.
After that, Andy Goodman shared some advice on storytelling. He told us that facts alone don’t have the power to change someone’s opinions – you also need to change the story. One example he used was a story about the library in Troy, Michigan. The town couldn’t afford to keep it open, so it asked residents to raise taxes to save their library. Facing the predictable anti-tax narrative, a group of concerned citizens posted signs around town saying "Vote to close Troy library Aug 2 … Book burning party Aug 5." Needless to say, it changed the story (and saved the library).
“Every single person in this room knows how to tell a good story.”
Another moment trainees won’t forget is when Andy asked them to take two minutes to tell a story to the people at their tables about a time when they really, really wanted something. Then everyone at the table voted for the one they liked best with a slip of paper that said “I liked your story.” Andy then asked the room of nearly a thousand if anyone had received nine slips of paper, meaning that everyone at the table liked their story. Three trainees did, and they were asked to come up to the stage. They bravely strode up to the podium, and one by one, each of them told their compelling stories to the whole room. The sound of the applause we gave each of them verified the votes of their tablemates.
We’ll have more on the conference as a whole tomorrow, but for now I will leave you with some words of wisdom from our President & CEO, Maggie Fox: “At the end of the day, the way we listen is just as important, if not more so, than how we speak.”
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