About 10 years ago, we started working with organisations to convert their strategies into strategy stories. It was clear right from the start that creating a compelling story was only one of the conditions for success. The other non-negotiable was that leaders had to have the skills and confidence to tell their version of the […]

In mid-May I was in Denver for the ATD 2016 conference. It was a huge affair and there were about 11,000 participants, many from overseas. Near the end of the conference, I recorded the following video clip giving an update on the state of storytelling from the conference. There were 14 presentations on storytelling. This […]

Storytelling is a powerful business tool. It’s available to everyone. All you need is a little knowledge, a few new habits and some practice. We are firm believers in the importance of practice -it’s why we include a six-month Deliberate Practice Program as part of our programs. It’s also why we selected the bear and […]

In late 2014 I went to Dubai to run a three-day story session with 40 salespeople. Over the first two days we practised the core storytelling skills. The last day was devoted to what I call a pitch-off. I broke the salespeople up into six groups and asked each one to create its own version […]

There aren’t many certainties in professional life, but one is that when it comes to persuading someone, making an assertion or giving an opinion runs a far second to telling stories.   Let’s say you want to alert someone to a problem in your organisation, and perhaps get their help in addressing the issue. There […]

In June last year we released the Storytelling for Sales™ program and have been delivering it in Australia and the US. One of the main objectives of the program is to close the gap between the very best salespeople and the core sales group. And it’s a big gap. When it comes to complex solution […]

Anecdote is holding a public Storytelling for Leaders® program in Zurich on Friday 12th February 2016. Now in our 12th year, you can imagine that we have had heaps of experience delivering this program across the globe. We continue to get great feedback about the program. In fact, just a few weeks ago a participant commented: […]

It’s that time of year again. As we slide headlong into the festive season, we’d like to say Merry Christmas to you all from everyone in the Anecdote team.

About 6 years ago, a participant in a leadership program explained how she had found her dream job and put in place a comprehensive plan to get that job. It took about six months, but she finally got the offer. “But I turned it down” she said. She explained “I was at home with my […]

At the start of our Storytelling for Leaders® programs, we always ask the question ‘who thinks they are a storyteller?’ Very few people raise their hands. But most will know people who are ‘natural storytellers’ and believe this is due to some innate gift – a genetic inheritance – without which polished storytelling performance will […]