593: How to Start Finding Useful Stories, with David Hutchens

24 snips

Sep 5, 2022

In this engaging conversation, David Hutchens, an expert in storytelling for leaders and author of Story Dash, shares how to uncover impactful stories within organizations. He emphasizes the concept of the "Us At Our Best" taxonomy, illustrating how small, relatable moments can convey powerful messages. David discusses essential storytelling frameworks and tools that help leaders craft narratives that inspire emotional connections. Listeners learn practical strategies for finding and developing stories to drive organizational change and foster team alignment.

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ANECDOTE

Impromptu Wedding

A couple's flight to Las Vegas for their wedding was canceled.
The Southwest crew and passengers arranged an impromptu wedding on their flight.

INSIGHT

Storytelling Shapes Culture

Sharing positive stories shapes organizational culture and behavior.
Southwest Airlines' intentional storytelling fosters exceptional customer service.

ADVICE

Emotional System

Pay attention to your emotional responses to stories within the organization.
Use these emotional cues to identify powerful stories for leadership.

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David Hutchens: Story Dash

David Hutchens helps leaders find and tell their stories. He works with leaders around the world to find, craft, and tell their most urgent stories for the purpose of creating shared meaning, preserving culture, disseminating learning, and speeding change in organizations.

He has taught the Storytelling Leader program at some of the most influential organizations — and he’s written many books, including the Circle of the 9 Muses and The Leadership Story Deck. He is the co-creator with longtime friend of the show Susan Gerke of the GO Team program. He’s also the author of the new book, Story Dash: Find, Develop, and Activate Your Most Valuable Business Stories…In Just a Few Hours.

In this conversation, David and I discuss how to find stories that you can use in your organization. We reflect on the reality that we both hear many leaders say to us: “How do I find the right stories?” David then shares the key principles and steps that every leader can take to surface and curate the best stories.

Key Points

The “Us At Our Best” taxonomy is what it looks like when are are delivering with energy and excellence. A recent Southwest Airlines story is an example of this.
Find the area the area of your work where you need to influence the emotional system.
Trust stories about small moments. Don’t attempt to create an epic drama of huge importance. The best stories are individual incidents that send a bigger message.
Formal story mining can be done alone or as team building. Institutionalizing practices like story sharing can help this happen regularly and naturally.
When informally collecting stories, listen for time, place, and person as signals that a story is beginning.

Resources Mentioned

Download a free set of Story Deck cards or…
Reach out to David directly at david@davidhutchens.com for more free resources
Purchase the full set of Leadership Story Deck by David Hutchens

Related Episodes

How to Create an Unstoppable Culture, with Ginger Hardage (episode 350)
Three Stories to Tell During Uncertainty, with David Hutchens (episode 486)
The Way to Earn Attention, with Raja Rajamannar (episode 521)

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