Marshall's 12 storytelling secrets for coaching

We all love a great story. Great stories can take us on emotional journeys of excitement, anger, love, despair – and can live on for centuries. In coaching we can harness the power of stories to tap into the leaders’ emotions to overcome their predisposed notions and paradigms. Tell the right story the right way and you can illustrate even the most complex issue into one that is engaging and easy to understand – and one that unlocks the leaders’ creativity and imagination.

So how do you tell the right story the right way? Here are Marshall's twelve secrets to a great story:

1. Start with the end in mind.
2. Let the leader join the story.
3. Let leaders draw their own conclusions.
4. Create characters leaders care about.
5. Take your audience on an emotional roller-coaster.
6. Create a character that provides a role model.
7. Use the power of metaphors.
8. Use a story to challenge deeply held beliefs.
9. Use humor to introduce new ideas.
10. Use proven structures to take advantage of how our minds work.
11. Include the REAL YOU in the story.
12. YOU are responsible.

If you like to have the full article in pdf including examples, please leave your e-mail address in the comment box or download it from Marshall's library at http://www.sccoaching.com/library. You can freely use this and other articles in your coaching and leadership development practice.