Saturday, November 10, 2007
Strengthening Communities Through Stories
The California Council for the Humanities (CCH) states on its website:
"the telling and sharing of stories strengthens communities by:
- breaking down barriers between people
- making people feel more connected to each other and the place where they live
- giving people a greater understanding of the story of their neighborhood, town and state and their role in that story
- creating a more inclusive community narrative."
In 2001, I worked on a market research study for CCH. The purpose was to help CCH determine how it could best advance its mission of fostering understanding between people and encouraging engagement in community life through the public use of the humanities.
The above quote reflects the findings of the study, which was undertaken to address concerns over the polarization of groups within the state's increasingly diverse population.
These concerns had arisen, in part, due to Robert Putnam's work and the findings of the Saguro Seminar group's 2000 Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey that indicated that "social capital" was in serious shortage throughout the country.
The initial phase of the initiative was focused on engaging Californians in telling and sharing stories of how they came to California. Since the story of immigrating to California, whether one's own story or that of one's ancestors, is something the vast majority of Californians share, this was an effective way of strengthening connections between community members.
CCH considered the project to be successful in achieving its objectives and went on to develop related projects in subsequent years.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Authentic Connection
Recently, a friend treated me to a Speaking Circles workshop, led by Doreen Hamilton, Training Director at Speaking Circles International.
Having never heard of a speaking circle, I entered the workshop with a curious and open mind. At the end of the day, I was converted to this approach to in-person communication.
Lee Glickstein, author of Be Heard Now! Tap into your inner speaker and communicate with ease, developed the concept of speaking circles as a way to help people, himself included, be comfortable speaking in groups of any size.
The workshop teaches participants how to communicate authentically through what Glickstein calls "relational presence." In essence, the focus is on being oneself and establishing authentic connections with the audience.
As Doreen explained, it's about truly listening--both to oneself and to the audience--and having an authentic conversation based on one-to-one connection with members of the audience.
This is a skill that can be developed over time, with practice and using the tools described in Glickstein's book. Like interviewing and its companion skill, listening, this type of communication is an art that requires genuine interest, caring, and respect for the members of the audience.
Even in the short time frame of the workshop, participants, myself included, noticed a change in how we felt as speakers and audience members.
Doreen urged us to start by being aware of our feelings as we stood in front of the group, remembering to breathe, and becoming comfortable with pausing to think and stay in the present.
By focusing on one audience member at a time, looking calmly and openly into their eyes, and, as Doreen described it: "listening to them listening to me," I felt a deeper connection not only with those individuals, but with the whole group, and also with myself.
As Glickstein explains, the power of relational presence to establish authentic connections comes from the following experiences and feelings that most of us, as human beings, share in common:
* An unfulfilled craving for connection with others
* Anxiety around some area of our lives
* A feeling of being alienated from humanity in general and a nagging sense of not belonging
As Glickstein says, "our audiences, our workplaces, and our families are made up of these people, and the first and most valuable thing we have for anyone is what they crave most: authentic connection. The capacity to invite connection appropriately and expansively in one's area of experience and expertise is a million dollar skill. ... Capacity to invite authentic connection with audiences is the greatest communication art of all."
While the Internet is a fantastic tool for connecting us, it doesn't facilitate the type of connection that Glickstein describes--that is, the type that is best fostered through face-to-face communication.
So, my question to you is: How can we work to assure that our online communications provide authentic connection?
I'm interested in your ideas. I hope you'll share them here.
Having never heard of a speaking circle, I entered the workshop with a curious and open mind. At the end of the day, I was converted to this approach to in-person communication.
Lee Glickstein, author of Be Heard Now! Tap into your inner speaker and communicate with ease, developed the concept of speaking circles as a way to help people, himself included, be comfortable speaking in groups of any size.
The workshop teaches participants how to communicate authentically through what Glickstein calls "relational presence." In essence, the focus is on being oneself and establishing authentic connections with the audience.
As Doreen explained, it's about truly listening--both to oneself and to the audience--and having an authentic conversation based on one-to-one connection with members of the audience.
This is a skill that can be developed over time, with practice and using the tools described in Glickstein's book. Like interviewing and its companion skill, listening, this type of communication is an art that requires genuine interest, caring, and respect for the members of the audience.
Even in the short time frame of the workshop, participants, myself included, noticed a change in how we felt as speakers and audience members.
Doreen urged us to start by being aware of our feelings as we stood in front of the group, remembering to breathe, and becoming comfortable with pausing to think and stay in the present.
By focusing on one audience member at a time, looking calmly and openly into their eyes, and, as Doreen described it: "listening to them listening to me," I felt a deeper connection not only with those individuals, but with the whole group, and also with myself.
As Glickstein explains, the power of relational presence to establish authentic connections comes from the following experiences and feelings that most of us, as human beings, share in common:
* An unfulfilled craving for connection with others
* Anxiety around some area of our lives
* A feeling of being alienated from humanity in general and a nagging sense of not belonging
As Glickstein says, "our audiences, our workplaces, and our families are made up of these people, and the first and most valuable thing we have for anyone is what they crave most: authentic connection. The capacity to invite connection appropriately and expansively in one's area of experience and expertise is a million dollar skill. ... Capacity to invite authentic connection with audiences is the greatest communication art of all."
While the Internet is a fantastic tool for connecting us, it doesn't facilitate the type of connection that Glickstein describes--that is, the type that is best fostered through face-to-face communication.
So, my question to you is: How can we work to assure that our online communications provide authentic connection?
I'm interested in your ideas. I hope you'll share them here.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The Art of Interviewing
As described on the StoryCorps Project website (see yesterday's post), to help people tell their stories, one must be an excellent listener.
This requires being an excellent interviewer: knowing what questions to ask, when to ask them, and when to be silent and listen.
The best interviewers spend 80% of their time listening to the person being interviewed.
While a good interviewer makes it look easy, interviewing is an art that requires experience and top-notch interpersonal skills.
While there are basic guidelines taught in journalism school and in social sciences coursework (such as, for those who are training to be counselors), there is much about interviewing that cannot be taught or even developed through experience. Excellence in interviewing requires genuine interest in, caring for, and respect of the person being interviewed.
One way to develop good interviewing skills is to watch and listen to the experts. I asked my mother who she thinks is a great interviewer. She said she likes to listen to Charlie Rose interview people. I agree; he is good.
Who do you think is a great interviewer?
This requires being an excellent interviewer: knowing what questions to ask, when to ask them, and when to be silent and listen.
The best interviewers spend 80% of their time listening to the person being interviewed.
While a good interviewer makes it look easy, interviewing is an art that requires experience and top-notch interpersonal skills.
While there are basic guidelines taught in journalism school and in social sciences coursework (such as, for those who are training to be counselors), there is much about interviewing that cannot be taught or even developed through experience. Excellence in interviewing requires genuine interest in, caring for, and respect of the person being interviewed.
One way to develop good interviewing skills is to watch and listen to the experts. I asked my mother who she thinks is a great interviewer. She said she likes to listen to Charlie Rose interview people. I agree; he is good.
Who do you think is a great interviewer?
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Today I flew to Southern California to take my elderly mother to visit a cardiologist.
Last week, my mom was diagnosed with an "irregular heartbeat." When the doctor delivered this news, my heart almost stopped.
Not so for my mother.
She calmly and firmly insisted that the reason her heartbeat was irregular that day was that it was exactly 12 years ago that my father had passed away. She was sad and, in her opinion, it was only natural that her heart would be having trouble that day.
Further, since her doctor couldn't bring my dad back, my mother really had no use for any medication he might prescribe as it wouldn't address the root cause of her heart problem.
Fortunately, though, my mother was willing to take the medication, if it would make my sister and me feel better. It did.
And, today, she was willing to have me take her to the cardiologist for the same reason. Also, she's lonely and any reason to have me visit is fine with her.
So, what does this have to do with storytelling?
Well, my mother has talked forever about writing her memoir. But, she has a real hard time, like many people, making herself sit down to write.
I hope my mom has many more years ahead, but I also know that some things shouldn't be put off and this is one. It's something that's important to her and also to my sister and me.
However, I realize that it's not going to happen unless I nudge the process along.
So, after we left the doctor's office, I drove to the local senior center where I assumed they probably had memoir-writing classes. They don't.
So, back at my mom's home, I began searching around online for classes and tools. There's a lot out there.
I was struck by the realization of what a terrific tool the Internet is for seniors, especially those who live alone, and people who are either homebound or who have difficulty getting out--due to disabilities, safety concerns, or other barriers.
As the population ages, more and more people are going to be in this situation. The Internet offers a way to break down the isolation that typically goes hand-in-hand with aging, especially in the US.
In essence, no longer does aging need to be synonymous with loneliness and isolation.
And now for the story-related website of the day: check out the StoryCorps project.
Know a good story-related website? Please share it here.
Last week, my mom was diagnosed with an "irregular heartbeat." When the doctor delivered this news, my heart almost stopped.
Not so for my mother.
She calmly and firmly insisted that the reason her heartbeat was irregular that day was that it was exactly 12 years ago that my father had passed away. She was sad and, in her opinion, it was only natural that her heart would be having trouble that day.
Further, since her doctor couldn't bring my dad back, my mother really had no use for any medication he might prescribe as it wouldn't address the root cause of her heart problem.
Fortunately, though, my mother was willing to take the medication, if it would make my sister and me feel better. It did.
And, today, she was willing to have me take her to the cardiologist for the same reason. Also, she's lonely and any reason to have me visit is fine with her.
So, what does this have to do with storytelling?
Well, my mother has talked forever about writing her memoir. But, she has a real hard time, like many people, making herself sit down to write.
I hope my mom has many more years ahead, but I also know that some things shouldn't be put off and this is one. It's something that's important to her and also to my sister and me.
However, I realize that it's not going to happen unless I nudge the process along.
So, after we left the doctor's office, I drove to the local senior center where I assumed they probably had memoir-writing classes. They don't.
So, back at my mom's home, I began searching around online for classes and tools. There's a lot out there.
I was struck by the realization of what a terrific tool the Internet is for seniors, especially those who live alone, and people who are either homebound or who have difficulty getting out--due to disabilities, safety concerns, or other barriers.
As the population ages, more and more people are going to be in this situation. The Internet offers a way to break down the isolation that typically goes hand-in-hand with aging, especially in the US.
In essence, no longer does aging need to be synonymous with loneliness and isolation.
And now for the story-related website of the day: check out the StoryCorps project.
Know a good story-related website? Please share it here.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The Power of Stories
In my recent and growing fascination with the power of online communication, I've become intrigued with the power of stories to strengthen our connections with others. You'll see what I mean if you visit the 6billionothers.org website (see my last post).
I trace this back to a session I attended at CompassPoint's Nonprofit Day last July. The session was led by Andy Goodman, a former TV sitcom writer turned marketing communications guru. He works with nonprofits around the country to help them tell their stories. Check out his site.
So often, in marketing, we try to convince people of the value of our services, programs, and products by citing data, such as: "survey findings show that 90% of our customers were satisfied or very satisfied."
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a market researcher and I whole-heartedly believe in the importance of surveying customers. But this statistic, like most such data, isn't very memorable. Moreover, it sounds like everyone else's marketing pitch.
On the other hand, we remember true stories and we share them with others. Take, for example, the story about Zappos, an online shoe store. As reported on the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's website, when a customer was unable to meet Zappos' deadline for returning shoes within 15 days of purchase, due to a death in the family, Zappos not only waived the deadline, but also sent flowers to the customer! Now that's customer service!
I'm not one to buy shoes online, but lately I have been seen surfing the Zappos.com website...
That's the power of a true story.
Got a good story? Please share it here.
I trace this back to a session I attended at CompassPoint's Nonprofit Day last July. The session was led by Andy Goodman, a former TV sitcom writer turned marketing communications guru. He works with nonprofits around the country to help them tell their stories. Check out his site.
So often, in marketing, we try to convince people of the value of our services, programs, and products by citing data, such as: "survey findings show that 90% of our customers were satisfied or very satisfied."
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a market researcher and I whole-heartedly believe in the importance of surveying customers. But this statistic, like most such data, isn't very memorable. Moreover, it sounds like everyone else's marketing pitch.
On the other hand, we remember true stories and we share them with others. Take, for example, the story about Zappos, an online shoe store. As reported on the Word of Mouth Marketing Association's website, when a customer was unable to meet Zappos' deadline for returning shoes within 15 days of purchase, due to a death in the family, Zappos not only waived the deadline, but also sent flowers to the customer! Now that's customer service!
I'm not one to buy shoes online, but lately I have been seen surfing the Zappos.com website...
That's the power of a true story.
Got a good story? Please share it here.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Creating a Connection
Hello,
Welcome to my blog. Thanks for stopping by.
Just as it brought you to my blog, the Internet is an amazing tool with the potential to connect all of humanity -- a tool through which we can get to know, understand, and appreciate each other.
With the advent of Web 2.0, the power of the Internet to unite all humans in a worldwide community is greater than ever before. Through such connections, we can overcome fear, prejudice, misunderstandings, and hatred; we can replace war and suffering with peace and joy.
Will we tap the full potential of the Internet to create a better world? It's up to you and me.
So, let's start with you and me. What can we do to make a positive difference in the world using Web 2.0?
One example I want to share with you is a website I learned about recently: www.6billionothers.org. Check it out.
Please share your ideas about how we can tap the power of the Internet to create positive connections between people throughout the world.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Michaela
Welcome to my blog. Thanks for stopping by.
Just as it brought you to my blog, the Internet is an amazing tool with the potential to connect all of humanity -- a tool through which we can get to know, understand, and appreciate each other.
With the advent of Web 2.0, the power of the Internet to unite all humans in a worldwide community is greater than ever before. Through such connections, we can overcome fear, prejudice, misunderstandings, and hatred; we can replace war and suffering with peace and joy.
Will we tap the full potential of the Internet to create a better world? It's up to you and me.
So, let's start with you and me. What can we do to make a positive difference in the world using Web 2.0?
One example I want to share with you is a website I learned about recently: www.6billionothers.org. Check it out.
Please share your ideas about how we can tap the power of the Internet to create positive connections between people throughout the world.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Michaela
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]