A 19th Century Poet's Beard, A School Leader's Last Board Meeting, And A Scorpion Stings A Monk: How Storytelling Hijacks Attention And Improves Communication
The 3-Word Quote: “Start With Story”
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1.
On July 9, 1861, Fanny Longfellow sat down to write a letter.
She didn't know it would kill her.
The exact events leading up to her death aren't known for sure.
However, once Fanny finished writing her letter in her Cambridge, Massachusetts home, she folded it up and placed it in an envelope.
She then grabbed a lit candle and used some melted wax to seal the envelope.
But as she sealed the envelope, the flame from the candle brushed up against her clothes.
The flame ignited her loose clothing, and they quickly caught fire.
Fanny was engulfed in flames in a matter of moments.
Her husband, Henry, was nearby and raced to her aid.
He tried to extinguish the flames as best he could, beating them down with his hands, trying to starve the fire of oxygen.
But Henry was too late.
Fanny died of her injuries the next day.
2.
The school board meeting was packed.
It wasn't a fancy affair - school board meetings never are.
But this meeting was not only his last formal board meeting, but it was a celebration too.
The room was packed.
The crowd wasn’t there for the school business that was conducted. They were really there because it was also a retirement celebration.
The celebration was for the outgoing superintendent of schools and was held in the district administration office.
During his education career, Dr. Scott Robison served as a teacher, a principal, a chief financial officer, and a superintendent.
But those were his formal roles and titles.
Informally, he had served as a friend, life coach, marriage counselor, job advisor, sounding board, and dozens of other roles over his forty-year career.
Many people came not only to wish him well but also to thank him.
He had led the district successfully and led its people skillfully.
He was the type of leader who not only knew everyone but was interested in everyone.
He valued the relationships with people over the rigors of the job.
He is what they call a 'people person.'
He knew if someone's son was having his wisdom teeth removed.
He knew which colleges someone's daughter was applying for.
He knew these things because he asked - not out of workplace obligation but out of sincere interest.
So toward the end of the meeting when the incoming superintendent had to say a few words about Dr. Robison, she didn't simply run down his resume.
And she didn't give an overview of his career.
So, what did she do to give the people in attendance an idea of Dr. Robison's career and impact?
She used a common and straightforward storytelling technique.
It’s a technique that nearly all speakers use.
3.
You may have heard the tale of the monk and the scorpion.
Centuries ago, a monk traveled between two distant villages.
One evening, he stopped by the riverbank to rest.
At dusk, the monk walked into the river to wash.
He noticed a scorpion edging along on a stick hanging over the water. When the scorpion reached the end of the stick, it fell into the river.
The monk waded over to the scorpion.
He cupped his hands together, scooped the scorpion up, and deposited it on a nearby rock.
But before the monk put it down, the scorpion viciously stung him.
The monk recoiled but waded back to the river and continued washing.
A few moments later, the monk saw the scorpion traveling down the same stick.
And again, when the scorpion reached the end of the stick, it fell into the water.
Once again, the monk waded toward the scorpion, picked it up, and placed it safely back on the riverbank.
But once again, the scorpion viciously stung the monk.
Another traveler who had witnessed the events between the scorpion and the monk was in disbelief.
The traveler wondered how the monk had been so dumb as to be stung twice by a scorpion.
So, the traveler decided to ask.
The Takeaway:
So what does a woman who died while writing a letter in the 1800s, a school superintendent's retirement party, and a monk and a scorpion have in common?
The answer is, of course, absolutely nothing.
These stories are not connected.
But if you present material, deliver speeches, or write frequently, these stories can show the importance of telling stories.
Fanny Longfellow died a tragic and painful death.
Her husband, Henry, had tried to save her but couldn't.
You may have heard of her husband - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
He was perhaps the most famous poet in The United States at a time when writers were rock stars and poets were popular.
You might remember Longfellow from a high school or college literature class.
Or you may recognize him from this well-known photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron.
Cameron's black-and-white image shows the poet looking rather stern and serious, with flowing white locks and a bushy white beard.
The beard became synonymous with Longfellow.
The poet was a respected and prolific writer.
His friend and fellow writer Ralph Waldo Emerson eulogized Longfellow as a 'sweet and beautiful soul.'
But the fire that killed Longfellow's wife destroyed him too.
Longfellow's career and life changed the night Fanny died.
The famous poet became more reserved and wrote little after his wife's death.
But Longfellow was also injured on the night of the fire.
As he struggled to save his wife, he reportedly suffered burns to his hands and face.
The flames scarred his face.
And many believe these facial scars led him to grow his famous white bushy beard.
The beard hid his injuries - the scars would have been a constant reminder of his failure to save his wife from the flames.
Longfellow would wear his beard for the rest of his life.
So what does a 19th-century poet's beard have to do with communications?
Longfellow's tragic backstory is memorable.
His unsuccessful effort to save his wife is memorable.
The reason he grew his beard is memorable.
These things may not be critical to know if you were learning about Longfellow's poetry.
But if you were teaching Longfellow's poetry, this memorable information—this story would be important because it is memorable.
Often, when we present a talk, our material can be anything but memorable.
So, the world's best presenters will wrap their information in a story - or often lead their talk with a story.
Look at your favorite TED talk or graduation speeches. Most often, they start with a story.
Because stories stick in a person's memory.
Now, you can't just tell any memorable story. This obviously would detract from presentations.
Stories need a purpose.
They need a reason to live inside a presentation or speech.
So, if a teacher was discussing Longfellow's work, she should avoid starting with the poems themselves.
She could do two things instead:
Project Julia Margaret Cameron's photograph of Longfellow
Tell students the detailed story of his wife—talk about her writing a letter, a tragic fire, describe the poet's efforts to save her, and explain why he grew his beard
The story hijacks their attention.
Now, students will pay more attention to a discussion of his work, his style, and his subject matter - because you gave them a reason to be interested.
Students will pay more attention because you started with a story. If this occurs, the story has earned its place in the presentation.
But you don't teach 19th-century poetry, I assume.
But that doesn't matter.
Regardless of your field, stories can effectively be used for most events - business presentations, graduations, weddings, funerals - and retirements.
And it was Dr. Robison’s final board meeting of his career, where the incoming superintendent used a common storytelling technique.
Before she said a few words about Dr. Robison, the incoming leader asked a question of the crowd.
She asked everyone there to raise their hand if they had ever received a handwritten note from Dr. Robison.
Nearly every single person had a hand raised high in the air.
Some had received notes of congratulations about personal events; others received notes of praise for stellar performances; still other notes were simply words of encouragement.
The topics of Dr. Robison’s notes were all different, but the spirit behind them was the same—it was an effort by one person to reach out to others and let them know he cared about them.
A question was asked, and hands were raised.
And likely at that moment, each person thought of their own Dr. Robison story and the reason behind the note he had sent.
The hands in the air were a visual story. They showed he was a compassionate leader.
The audience didn't need to be told this. A few short anecdotes could have driven the point home as well.
But with a quick question, the speaker was able to show.
And showing and not telling is a hallmark of much fiction writing.
It is a cardinal writing rule.
Fiction writers don’t tell us a criminal is terrible - they show him committing armed robbery in detail.
They don't tell us a character is sad - they show her shoulders shaking from her sobs, and describe her mascara running down her face from her tears.
And the crowd wasn’t told Dr. Robison was a 'people person' - they were allowed to see it by all the hands in the air of the people he impacted.
Show vs. tell is mainly used in fiction, but business leaders use it in their presentations by sharing stories.
Telling passes along information. It delivers material.
Showing provides details, elicits emotion, and engages readers and listeners.
Both telling and showing are needed, but showing grabs you by the collar and says listen to what I have to say.
***
And what of the often-told story of the monk and the scorpion?
The scorpion had twice walked off the stick into the water.
Twice, the monk saved the scorpion from drowning.
And, also twice, the scorpion had viciously stung the monk.
And after watching the monk get stung twice, another traveler approached the monk.
The traveler asked the monk, 'Sir, why do you continue to rescue the scorpion when it stings you every time?'
The monk replied, 'It is in his nature to sting. The scorpion cannot help himself. It is what he has been put on earth to do.'
The traveler answered, 'That may be, sir, but if you know it will sting you, why do you continue to rescue him?'
And the monk replied, 'It is in the scorpion’s nature to sting. But it is in my nature to help. It is what I was put on this earth to do.'
This familiar story is quick, memorable, and can be adapted for many purposes.
Most listeners will equate the scorpion in the story to 'human scorpions' in their workplace or life.
These 'human scorpions' can cause harm, spread rumors, and otherwise 'injure' us.
But if it is in your nature to be kind and to do good, their negative actions shouldn't change your actions.
The monk did not lower himself to the scorpion's level. He did not crush it, and despite being stung, he did not let it drown.
The monk maintained his mission - to help others because it was what he did.
His purpose was to help.
Detractors shouldn't determine your direction.
***
Stories help show what you want people to see and understand.
They make your point more memorable.
Often, stories stick, and data detracts.
And the stories don't have to be personal to be powerful.
But they do have to be purposeful.
There are hundreds of anecdotes and stories that could make whatever point you are aiming for.
There are dozens of great books on storytelling, but often, the best stories for presentations do the following:
They should be entertaining on their own - even if you were not trying to connect them to an additional point in your presentation; as the saying goes, 'no tears for the writer, no tears for the reader.'
They should be told with detail that makes the audience care—two sentences will have little impact. Two paragraphs or more will allow your audience time to get invested and for you to add drama and suspense.
You likely will need to tell the takeaway - spell out the connection between why you told the story and your intention - you don't want them whispering, 'Why did he just talk about a monk and a scorpion?' Try to make the story’s point clear.
The stories should be relatively uncommon - you're hoping the story is new to your listener to have the most impact.
Be on the lookout for good stories and write them down when you read or hear one - even if you don't have a purpose for them.
Communication is vital to so much of our work.
Being clear, concise - and engaging is crucial.
And a well-told, purposeful story can catapult your presentation and make it stand out.
So, start with a story.
3 things before you go:
Here are 3 songs that do some storytelling:
Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell cover) by Counting Crows
Jack & Diane by John Mellencamp
Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen
Thanks for reading. See you again in 10 days (when I’ll be back with 3 more stories).
-Jeff