STORYTELLING YOUR CAREER
Cannexus 2010
John Horn | Career Manager & Storyteller | UBC
Storytelling: Overview
Stories
Spot | Create | Deliver
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Challenge | Connection | Creativity
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Adventure
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Transparency
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
YSM
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Resilience
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Troubleshooting | WOO
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Writing and Talking
The Horn of Africa
"A Hamitic people, [Tutsis] were not true negroes but
probably Whites darkened by centuries of sun."
- Gil Courtmanche, A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali
"If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent
would ever get done."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein, on John going to Africa
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Love | Laugh | Cry
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Rwandan Proverb
Storytelling: Preliminary Findings
Community
John Horn
“collecting ideas from everywhere
and using them to build community”
The Bornks!
“collecting ideas from everywhere
and using them to build community”
Johnism
“collecting ideas from everywhere
and using them to build community”
Endorsements
“John is a pleasure to work with...regardless
of the task. I would recommend John to any
team looking for a dynamic, hardworking,
energetic, pirate loving leader.”
- Howie Outerbridge, Director, UBC Career Services
“John Horn has superpowers. Here they are:
1. Super Giggle.
2. Intergalactic flight (without leaving the
room).
3. Dental hygiene.
-
- David Sovka, Marketing Director, Camosun College
Embrace Johnism
A Modest Proposal for Right Now

Let’s take less than
seven minutes to
introduce ourselves to
each other. Try using a
story.
My Classroom Policy


Edutainment
“People who live in
glass houses…”
 Let me explain.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this workshop learners will be able to…

Recognize the value of narrative as it relates to career development

Identify a fantastic, six step formula for creating a great story

Tell (and teach to tell) great, formula-inspired stories using three
important mediums: in print, in person and digitally

Apply “tips and tricks” for storytelling your career centre (not to
mention yourself and your clients, too)
Data and Findings








Cliff Atkinson | presentation as narrative – the arc of the story
Sir Ken Robinson | good stories reflect our element
Chip and Dan Heath | ideas that are made to stick
Tom Peters | we are “branded, branded, branded”
Malcolm Gladwell | lying outside the tipping point
Andy Goodman | storytelling as best practice
This Story’s Villains | the curse of knowledge, the presentation
not the message, decision paralysis
Backpocket COO | creating a painted picture
Data and Findings
<80%
Data and Findings
“Statistics are like people; if you torture them long
enough they will say whatever you want.”
Telling a Great Story
Fun activity!
• Creating a story that sticks
• Developing a great career narrative
•
blank slide
U BCCE RICR CMPJ FKN ATON ASA
blank slide
UBC CERIC RCMP JFK NATO NASA
blank slide
Make Your Story Stick
Six Steps to Make Your Story Stick

Simple | strip your story down to its core

Unexpected | transform common sense into uncommon sense

Concrete | explain your value in terms of human action

Credible | help your audience test your idea for themselves

Emotional | make people feel something

Stories | mentally rehearse a situation before you’re in it
Source: Chip and Dan Heath, Made to Stick
Make Your Story Stick
Things in Threes | what is your idea’s core?
Simple | strip your story down to its core

Choose | if you remember one thing about myself or my
organization it should be ____________

Schema | what is a pomelo?

Example | “Names, names, names” and “THE low-cost airline”
Make Your Story Stick
Things in Threes | why are you interesting?
Unexpected | transform common sense into uncommon

Gap Theory | make the complex simply surprising

“YSM” | surprise your clients so they surprise themselves

Example | “have you heard about the Somali Coast Guard?”
Justin Rutka
Friend
 Teacher
 Actor
 Unexpected

Make Your Story Stick
Things in Threes | make your story like real life
Concrete | explain your value in terms of human action

Talkin’ | language is abstract, your story shouldn’t be

Velcro Theory | David Rubin thinks your ideas need “hooks”

Example | communicating your value as a small business plan
Make Your Story Stick
Things in Threes | make your story believable
Credible | help your audience test your idea for themselves



Subjective Facts| fill up on details, like Historians do
Professionalism | dress and behave like the people who
work where you want to
Example | research and knowledge makes you stand out
Make Your Story Stick
Things in Threes | get people to care
Emotions | make people feel something

The Element | find the intersection of your talent and passion

The Truth| share a touching personal account

Example | you will feel disgusted and inspired
Make Your Story Stick
Things in Threes | get people to act
Stories | mentally rehearse a situation before you’re in it

Be prepared | embrace self-interest and have an agenda

Example | Entitled and affluent business students in the DTES

Formula | My boss’s storytelling tips come in a CAR

C – the context or situation

A – the actions you take to address the above

R – the results achieved (primary and secondary)
The Storytelling Formula
Plot types | challenging, connection, creativity
 Formula | create your storytelling culture

Who’s the protagonist?
 What’s the hook?
 What keeps it interesting?
 Where’s the conflict?
 Have you included telling details?
 What’s the emotional hook?
 Is the meaning clear?

Andy Goodman, When Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes
Relevance to Career Education

The Organization | create a compelling value proposition

The Person | engage the people who evolved with storytelling

The FIVE Best | importance of defining our career stories

Knowing Audiences | …and hooking them with Velcro

The Mediums | stories transcend everything…even résumés!
Your Presentations
“Powerpoint is like a loaded AK-47:
you can do very bad things with it.”
STORYTELLING: THINGS IN THREES
•
A Case Study from the Sauder School of Business
•
•
•
In Print
In Person
Digital
Storytelling: Sauderized
Job
List of
options
Specialization
or focus
Education
and
training
Storytelling: Sauderized
Volunteer work
Networking
Academic Courses
Work
Experience
Job Opportunities
Specialization
and Training
Mentors
©Copyright UBC Career Services (Pirate and “treasure” theme are John’s ideas)
Career Development Term Project
Ideally, this
exercise combines
a bit of “eventsimulation”
(working out a
problem through
narrative) and
“outcomesimulation”
(focusing on the
desired future
outcome).
“If we were meeting here five years from
today, looking back over those five
years, what has to have happened
during that period for you to feel
happy with your progress?”
©Copyright Dan Sullivan, Strategic Coach: The R-Factor Question
Things in Threes | Limitations
1.
________________________________________
2.
________________________________________
3.
________________________________________
Things in Threes | Strengths
1.
________________________________________
2.
________________________________________
3.
________________________________________
Things in Threes | Opportunities
1.
________________________________________
2.
________________________________________
3.
________________________________________
Discussion | Your Story In Print
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

What are some ways you deliver this in print story?

How is showcasing this version (in print) better than
doing it in any other way?
Discussion | Your Story In Person
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

What are some ways you deliver this in person story?

How is showcasing this version (in person) better than
doing it in any other way?
Discussion | Your Story In Person
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

What are some ways you deliver this digital story?

How is showcasing this version (digital) better than
doing it in any other way?
Digital Examples are pretty cool…

Telling your professional story on YouTube

Blogging about life, the universe and everything

Best. Value proposition. Ever. From The Dark Knight

How do you engage students today?

The power of reflection with e-portfolios

Mind-mapping your career…digitally
Fun activity!
The Cannexus Storybook
• How will you tell the story?
•
•
•
•
In print
In person
…see where this is going?
Homework: The Cannexus Story

Reflect on this conference through story
 Take
a few minutes
 Think about who you’ve met and what you’ve seen
 How can it be immortalized with a “sticky” story?

Create it
 Is
it SUCCESsful?
 How will you deliver it?

SHOW ME!
 Deliver
your amazing story idea to your Emcee
 Or email it to john.horn@sauder.ubc.ca
Reflection
By the end of this workshop learners will be able to…

Recognize the value of narrative as it relates to career development

Identify a fantastic, six step formula for creating a great story

Tell great, formula-inspired stories using three important mediums: in
print, in person and digitally

Apply “tips and tricks” for storytelling your career centre (not to
mention yourself and your clients, too)
Questions?
Storytelling?
• Personal branding?
• Pirates?
• Gumboots?
•
Research and References
•
No, I didn’t make all of this up…just some of it!
References to Research

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Websites
•
TED – www.ted.com • SocializeMobilize – www.socializemobilize.com
•
Social Signal – www.socialsignal.com • www.todmaffin.com
Blogs
•
Robin Sharma’s blog • Guy Kawasaki – blog.guykawasaki.com
•
Worpress.com • Social Media Watch • Talent Egg
•
www.mashable.com • Nerd Girl - http://www.globecampus.ca/blogs/nerd-girl/
•
The Daily Gumboot: dailygumboot.ca • Demetri Martin: “Some Jokes”
Books and Articles
•
Don Tapscott, Grown up Digital • Domanska, Encounters: Philosophy of History •
Chip and Dan Heath, Made to Stick • Andy Goodman, Why Bad Presentations
Happen to Good Causes • Dan Sullivan, The R-Factor • Sir Ken Robinson, The
Element • Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers and Tipping Point
CONTACT JOHN
john.horn@sauder.ubc.ca | 604.822.0097
STORYTELLING YOUR CAREER
Cannexus 2010
John Horn | Career Manager & Storyteller | UBC