Last week, I gave a module of the agile expert program together with my colleague Wouter. The topic was storytelling and we had a great day, by providing a set of simple techniques everybody was able to tell a compelling story which all of us will not forget too often.
During the middle ages, the troubadour would travel around to share tales of heroic adventures, developments in the village 2 days from here. Usually in a poetic form or even a song. Sometimes I feel like a troubadour during training courses or when visiting companies I often tell stories about what I saw, did or didn’t do at other organisations or teams. It is a skill every agile coach, scrum master and even the product owner should have. The skills of storytelling! A great way to make an impact on anyone is by being able to tell great stories. There is a catch but more about this later.
Telling a great story
How do you tell a great story? What makes an audience to be fully engaged throughout a two-day training course? And why should you listen to comedians in your spare time? This blog gives you a sneak preview in the techniques behind storytelling. I am not going to do this myself but I have a bunch of great videos for you!
First, look at this video:
A great talk but it is not really about storytelling, more about how to behave when being on a stage. This is only a part of making an impact. Below you find a great story on telling stories by a man you might not know but you do know his work.
Curious about the techniques applied in this movie? You should watch this playlist by Remco Claassen (in Dutch). I have had the privilege to see him perform twice. A great storyteller and one of his secrets is that he uses techniques applied also by comedians. It’s fun, you should try.
Enjoy!
