Why Showing Not Telling Works: The Power of Positive Storytelling
Fables have existed ever since humans first learned to communicate. Ancient civilisations used them. Future civilisations will too — because fables use the power of story to show, rather than tell, truths in ways that are immediately acceptable, forever memorable and easily scalable.
Fables are increasingly being used in the training room. They allow learners to absorb material memorably and quickly, presenting lessons within a familiar story structure rather than requiring a tome of management publications or an extensive list of on-the-job mistakes. The following seven fables are among the very best every leader and manager should read during their career.
1. Optimise Your Strengths — James Brook and Dr Paul Brewerton
Finalist in the International Book Awards
This fable uses a proven methodology for helping leaders put their strengths to work and get the best out of themselves and their teams. It follows the story of Jo, a recently appointed leader in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world of recruitment, who hits a crisis point due to the pressures of a struggling management role and work overload. Turning to a strengths coach, Jo learns to recognise how a deficit-based mindset has been self-limiting progress. Learning to understand strengths, how to identify them, and how to use them to stay on a positive path, Jo regains control.
With a clever device in the form of Jo's own learning journal embedded into the end of each chapter, as well as models and exercises included within the body and in the appendix, this title is a realistic and practical read.
Learning Log
- Understand strengths — what a person is good at gives them energy. Align strengths with values, aspirations and abilities.
- Adopt the four Stretch Leadership Habits: sharing vision, sparking engagement, executing and sustaining progress.
- Create a road map detailing stretch goals, success measures and enabling strengths. Ensure everyone is aligned with these goals and their strengths contribution.
- Recruit across the full spectrum of strengths. Align people's strengths with their roles and give them a clear vision — a reason to be passionate about their work.
- Choose the path of possibility. The path of limitation is unproductive and drains energy. The path of possibility gives a sense of power and enhances energy.
- Focus on strengths whilst addressing performance risks caused by limiting weaknesses, strengths in overdrive and sources of interference. Moderate strengths and call on the strengths of others when facing risks. Be disciplined about tasks that do not energise but need to be done.
- Stretch is a continuous journey through the stages of aspiration, awareness, action, agility and achievement.
2. Fish! — Dr Stephen Lundin, John Christensen and Harry Paul, with Philip Strand
"Imagine a workplace where everyone brings energy, passion and a positive attitude to the job every day. Imagine an environment in which people are truly connected to their work, their colleagues, and their customers." This invitation from the authors sets out the blueprint the book delivers.
In this parable, a fictional manager is charged with turning a chronically unenthusiastic and unhelpful department into an effective team. Across the street from her office is Seattle's very real Pike Place Fish Market, world famous and wildly successful thanks to its fun, joyful atmosphere and customer service. Applying simple lessons learned from the actual Pike Place fishmongers, the manager learns how to energise those who report to her and effect an astonishing transformation in the workplace.
Addressing issues including employee retention and burnout, this fable offers profound wisdom that is easy to apply.
Learning Log
- Fish! is not a programme — it is a philosophy. Always invite people to engage at and with their work; never tell them to.
- Truly engaged employees are usually inspired by one courageous person within an organisation, not from an order issued from above.
- People leave two legacies: what they do and who they are while they are doing it.
3. The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive — Patrick Lencioni
In this follow-up to his best-selling The Five Temptations of a CEO, Patrick Lencioni focuses on a leader's crucial role in building a healthy organisation. The reader's focus is on trying to work out what the four obsessions are that the extraordinary executive discovers, distils and keeps on a piece of paper on his desk.
It is a story of corporate intrigue. The frustrated head of one consulting firm faces a leadership challenge so great that it threatens to topple his company. Meanwhile, the extraordinary executive heading up the competitive consultancy across the road faces a leadership challenge from a new recruit. This recruit slipped the net of the not-so-extraordinary executive's recruitment policy. An act of treachery leads to his departure. He leaves with a copy of the four disciplines, which he instantly shares with the classroom. The truth behind the extraordinary executive's extraordinariness turns out to be his very ordinariness.
This title is especially recommended for anyone reflecting on recruitment, as it raises important questions about how to hire and retain the right people.
Learning Log
- Build and maintain a cohesive leadership team
- Create organisational clarity
- Overcommunicate organisational clarity
- Reinforce organisational clarity
4. Who Moved My Cheese? — Dr Spencer Johnson
Who Moved My Cheese? is about choosing an attitude to change. It uses two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two Littlepeople, Hee and Haw, to do so. They are in a maze facing an uncomfortable truth: their never-ending cheese supply has ended.
It is easy to see why so many organisations give this title to all their employees to help create a shared language for dealing with change. The book starts with a group of old school friends meeting at a reunion, where one shares the Who Moved My Cheese? parable. This discussion enables readers of all learning styles to understand the metaphor.
Learning Log
- Accept it happens.
- Anticipate it.
- Monitor it.
- Adapt quickly to it.
- Change.
- Enjoy change.
- Repeat.
5. The New One Minute Manager — Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson MD
As compelling as the original, this updated parable of a young man looking for an effective manager has been revised to ensure its continuing relevance. Though less fluid than best-selling, well-loved parables such as Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, it follows a similar, familiar story arc and is perhaps because of this easy to remember. Classic, concise and easy to read, this fable reveals three leadership secrets.
Learning Log
- Set one minute goals — write each on a single page with a due date; take one minute to review the most important goals daily; ask whether behaviour matches the goal — if not, take action.
- Give one minute praisings — praise new people and those doing new tasks as soon as possible; spend 30 seconds telling them what specifically was done right; pause; spend 25 seconds encouraging them to do more of the same.
- Give one minute re-directs — when people do not perform to plan, confirm facts and review the mistake together; be specific; express how the mistake made things feel; remind them that confidence and trust in them will support them.
6. Our Iceberg Is Melting — John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber
Our Iceberg Is Melting is based on a proven eight-step change programme. A simple fable about doing well in an ever-changing world, it shares the story of a penguin colony faced with an unexpected claim by a little-known penguin. The claim is simply: "Our iceberg is melting."
Most of the colony sneer at Fred, the quiet but observant scout who detects worrying signs that their home is melting. Fred must somehow convince the leadership team if he is to save the colony. He does, eventually, and the ongoing story brings to life the underlying method, memorably.
Simple, explanatory material follows the fable, adding value by clarifying meaning, making it accessible to all learning styles, and encouraging readers to reflect on how it relates to their lives.
Learning Log
To lead positive change:
- Create a sense of urgency
- Put a carefully selected group in charge of dealing with the change
- Create a sensible vision of a better future
- Communicate that vision so that others understand and accept it
- Remove as many obstacles as practical
- Create some sort of success — quickly
- Never let up until the new way of life is established
- Ensure stubborn traditions do not sabotage the new way of life
7. The Tao of Coaching — Max Landsberg
The premise is simple: to become an effective coach, a manager need master only a few techniques — mastery then requires practice. Each chapter follows Alex, a senior manager, on a journey towards a board position by focusing on a golden coaching rule. Generations of leaders have found this book to be one of the eternal truths in management literature.
Learning Log
There are 20 Golden Rules of coaching. Most are widely known. One that provides new frameworks is around goal setting:
- Become eloquent in the language of setting goals — set process, performance and outcome goals using the GROW (Goal; Reality; Options; Wrap up) method.
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