IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Storytelling for Change

STORYTELLING FOR CHANGE

Module 1
Readings
1 HR
STORYTELLING AS A TOOL
T O C ATA LY Z E C H A N G E

The Importance of Storytelling Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder of

For over 27,000 years, since the first cave
paintings were discovered, telling stories
has been one of our most fundamental
communication methods and researchers
have said that our brains are hard-wired
to listen to and tell stories. Moreover,
Acumen, uses storytelling in her book, The
Blue Sweater, and in many talks that she
gives to change the way the world tackles
global poverty.
You were invited to view one of her TED

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storytelling is a skill that transcends Talk, “Inspiring a life of immersion” as part

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language, culture and geographical of the module already (links to the video and
boundaries. It is universal and relevant in its transcript is available on NovoEd).
almost every communication situation.

Storytelling
+ How did you feel when you
finished watching the talk?

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“Stories are how we think.
They are how we make + How did those human stories
Jacqueline shared trigger such
meaning of life. Call them

+ACUMEN
reactions?
schemas, scripts, cognitive
Do you think there are any
maps, mental models, differences in listening to the
metaphors, or narratives. stories of others (as in Jacqueline’s
talk) and the personal stories of
Stories are how we explain
the speaker in how you might feel
how things work, how we as an audience? How would you
make decisions, how we decide which style to use for a
particular presentation? (There is
persuade others, how we
no right or wrong answer to this
understand our place in the question)
world, create identities, and
define and teach social OPTIONAL: You can also read this blog from

values.”  The Ariel Group: “Storytelling and the Young

African Leadership Initiative” to see how
—Dr. Pamela Rutledge
storytelling can bridge the gap between
nations, continents and cultures.
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STORIES AND YOUR
C H A N G E I N I T I AT I V E

As seen in Jacqueline’s talk, personal stories
allow you to share something of yourself
(who you are, what you believe in, etc.) with
others.
Through that, you can:
We will begin this course by exploring how
to tell personal stories - your own stories - of
success and/or failure, of triumph and/or
despair so start thinking about what stories
you would like to tell and practice!
OPTIONAL: Related to the point on

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+ Create a connection with your vulnerability illustrated above, there is a

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audience by showing you have famous TED Talk by Brene Brown “The power
things in common of vulnerability.”

+ Give others insight into who you

Storytelling
are and your personal experiences

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+ Demonstrate your vulnerability
(“chinks in your armor”) that make
you more “human” – it’s difficult to

+ACUMEN
form a relationship with a perfect
person!

+ Capture the essence of your

message in a way that is personal
to you and more easily understood
by your audience

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF
STORIES YOU CAN TELL

So, what sorts of stories can you tell? These + Teach a Lesson
are some examples for you to get your Stories that show how you learned
brainstorming started. You will have more something through failure or
time in the later modules to think about success, how you mastered a
your stories more in depth. social or work skill, or how you
overcame resistance to change.
+ Tell Who I Am

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+ Motivate Change
Stories about moments that made
Stories that shed light on what’s

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you who you are or that clarified
wrong with the present situation,
your values, i.e. what others
i.e. share dangerous mistakes
need to know to believe in
from the past, establish the case

Storytelling
you, follow your ideas and/or
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work enthusiastically with you

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future.
(Optional Resource: Tell Your Own
Story Before Others Tell It For You). + Change the Frame
Stories that allow your audience

+ACUMEN
+ Tell Who We Are
to see a problem through a
Stories about the values of your
different lens or from a different
organization or community,
perspective, that help to diffuse or
i.e. what makes up the DNA of
change the emotional climate of a
your organization or community?
situation.

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 LIFE MAP
EXERCISE

To help you get started on the question of “What

sorts of stories can I tell?” we’ve prepared an
exercise for you in this module called the Life
Map Exercise. This will be your first assignment
for this course.

What is a Life Map?

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A Life Map is often described as a map that:

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+ Helps you understand where you are
by thinking about where you’ve been,
and where you might want to go next.

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This could be geographic, cultural,
social, academic, professional,

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emotional, etc.

+ Can look like a timeline, taking you

+ACUMEN
from where you were born (or any
moment in your life of your choice), to
where you grew up, to where you are
now

+ Can also look like a normal map,

retracing your footsteps across the
world and point out all the places
you’ve been

+ Can also just be a collection of

pictures, showing a few memories that
are important to you

To the left are some examples of Life Maps from

past students.

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LIFE MAP
EXERCISE

What should I include in my life map? + What are the other incidents that
We hope that this Life Map exercise will were relevant to this issue that
help you identify stories that you would like happened to your life?
to work on in this course. Think about the
+ Reflect on those moments and
reason you are taking this course again. Why
think about how you felt/reacted
were you drawn to the course Storytelling
(if you did anything) What did you
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feel/do?

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If there are any particular social cause(s) + Why do you think you felt/behaved

that you are passionate about, think about in the way you did back then?

mapping the various points in your life that

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have led you to feel that way. Try to map these key components and

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add other relevant contextual information
If you are taking this course because you to your map. This exercise should take
want to be more effective in talking about approximately 40–45 min.
your own initiative or your organization,

+ACUMEN
then reflect on the moments in your life that How should I make my Life Map?
made you become more passionate about Feel free to insert photos, draw pictures,
it. Think about all the reasons you became or use text—be creative. Your Life Map
interested in it. represents what kind of person you are.
You can also include your current passion
+ When was the first time you (related to social issues) and your future
interacted with the issue/learned plan if you want.
about the issue?

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