Shawn and Mark consider the role of parables in business storytelling, sharing an example which highlights the need to tackle issues at their source. We’re changing things up this week, with Shawn sharing a parable instead of a story. The parable features in Dan Heath’s upcoming book, Upstream, and suggests we should tackle issues at […]

You can’t find out what is really happening in your business from behind your desk. In this episode, Andy Billings shares one leader’s technique for getting out within his company. Happy New Year! Anecdotally Speaking is back for 2020. To kick off the year, Andy Billings joins Shawn and Mark on the podcast. Andy, Vice […]

In our final episode for 2019, John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Inc., shares five stories that illustrate the importance of insight and encourage us to think differently. 2019 is drawing to a close. But before we close the office for the holiday period, we have another Anecdotally Speaking Special Edition to share with you!  Some weeks […]

In our second to last episode for 2019, we share a story that illustrates the importance of diversity of thought and suggests we shouldn’t work in silos. This week, we’re sharing a story that we often use in our workshops. The story follows Rob McEwen during his time working as CEO at Goldcorp Inc. Rob […]

On January 18, 2018, Shawn Callahan and Mark Schenk recorded the first episode of Anecdotally Speaking. For this episode, our 50th episode, we’re celebrating with a special edition! To celebrate, we’ve brought five members of the Anecdote team together: Shawn Callahan, Mark Schenk, Paul Honeywell, Mike Adams, and Paul Ichilcik. We’ve just returned from Sydney, […]

Mike Adams recounts an event that he’s never forgotten, despite not being there. When you can’t experience something first-hand, stories are the best way to learn.  Shawn is still away so, this week, Mike Adams joins the podcast. Mike is the head of our Story-Powered Sales program. He is also the author of Seven Stories Every […]

When developing a strategy, it’s essential to talk to as many people as you can from different parts of your organisation. As this story suggests, you’re likely to find something you hadn’t considered. In this episode, we welcome Paul Ichilcik to the podcast! Paul, who joined the Anecdote team a few months ago, is filling […]

It’s too easy to let unconscious bias impact our decisions. Here are three stories you can share to encourage others and remind yourself to keep an open mind.  In this week’s episode of Anecdotally Speaking, we’re mixing things up! Instead of sharing one story, we’re sharing three, each one illustrating the importance of keeping an […]

Luke Brown shares the story of how his mantra went from ‘plan the work, work the plan’ to ‘plan the work and work with the people’ and illustrates the importance of building strong relationships at work. In this episode of Anecdotally Speaking, we welcome another guest! Luke Brown has been a friend of Mark’s for […]

Some 100 years ago, Oxford’s New College faced a crisis. This crisis had been foreseen by the college’s founders, who implemented a plan to be fulfilled 500 years in the future. In this episode, it’s Shawn’s turn to share a historical story. He recounts a crisis faced by Oxford’s New College about 100 years ago.  […]