Sometimes the simplest way to bring your content to life is to tell a story. Storytelling is a means of educating people that has been around for millennia.
Just because you have a story to tell, however, doesn’t mean you know how to tell a story in an engaging, effective way. The S.T.O.R.Y. model can help give structure to the way in which you plan for, and ultimately tell, your story.
Setting up the story
“…and the next thing that happened was… oh wait, before I get there, I need to go back and give you a little context.”
All good stories have a definite beginning point. If you fail to be intentional for how you set the stage, it’s very easy for your story to meander and become difficult to follow or understand. In the STORY model, you make sure your audience understands where your story began before you launch into some of the more fun (or funny) details,.
Beginning with a few details such as: “Before I tell you this story, I want you to keep in mind that back in 1975, there was no such thing as an airbag, and there weren’t even any seat belt laws…” can offer needed context for your audience.
Describing the tension
Without tension – think Team Edward vs Team Jacob, will Sam and Diane end up together, will the Captain choose the Baroness or Maria – your audience doesn’t have anyone (or anything) to root for (or against).
When you think of the tension for your story, what were some of the (dire) consequences that you, or perhaps your organization, was facing in the situation? Could the organization have struggled if the correct path wasn’t chosen? Would someone have been injured or lost their job or lost the confidence of their supervisor or their customers?
Identifying all of the options (then picking one)
This element of the STORY model builds upon the previous one, getting beyond tension means choosing wisely. Don’t simply tell the audience about the choice that was made, also tell them about other paths that could have been chosen.
The story of Apple isn’t just that it came out with the iPod and iPhone and iPad… there were many other choices along the way (like the Newton or the early decision to fire Steve Jobs) that make its current success such a compelling story.
When it comes to your story, were there two (or more) good options? Were you facing a situation in which you had to identify the least bad option?
Coming to resolution
This is the “how did it all turn out?” step, and if you’ve dangled tension and options in front of your audience effectively, they’ll be on the edge of their seats to know how your story ends. Here’s the important part to remember: it doesn’t always need to be a happy ending.
Some stories can be made more compelling and memorable by sharing tales of things that didn’t work out perfectly (or at all). If the resolution wasn’t optimal, what lessons could be drawn from the story? How could the audience imagine things having gone differently?
Of course, if it all did work out, then what was the combination of factors that led to such a satisfactory ending?
Yes (or no)?
It’s a simple question.
The yes (or no) in the STORY model refers to whether the story you’re telling is directly connected to the content and learning outcomes you want to achieve. I was at a conference recently when a speaker shared a fun, touching story that drew a lot of emotion from the audience, but when the speaker got to the resolution of the story, we were all left wanting more, we were confused and unsure of why that particular story was being shared. It didn’t have anything to do with the content or theme of the conference.
Simply because you have a good story doesn’t mean that you need to tell it.
Want to learn more about using storytelling in your training programs? Be sure to check out our conversations with Rance Greene, author of Instructional Story Design: Develop Stories that Train. You can find those conversations here:
Want to learn more about using storytelling in your training programs? Be sure to check out our conversations with Rance Greene, author of Instructional Story Design: Develop Stories that Train. You can find those conversations here: Storytelling as a Learning Device and More Effective Compliance Training Through Storytelling.
Endurance Learning is the creator of an online tool to help facilitators pull together an entire presentation in under 5 minutes.
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