The Astonishing Power of Storytelling

Robert J. Garmston is Emeritus Professor of Educational Administration at California State University, Sacramento. He is co-developer of Cognitive Coaching with Art Costa and co-developer of Adaptive Schools with Bruce Wellman. He has worked as an educational consultant and made presentations and conducted workshops for teachers, administrators, and staff developers on leadership, learning, and personal and organizational development in twenty-four countries on five continents. Formerly an administrator and teacher in Saudi Arabia and the United States, his work has been translated into Arabic, Dutch, Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish. Bob lives in El Dorado Hills, California, near his five children and five (bright and cute) grandchildren.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Author and Illustrator PART I: WHY STORIES WORK 1. Why Tell Stories Communication Suffocation Leading Through Narrative Watch A Story Being Told How Storytelling Began 2. The Neuroscience of Narrative Story Worth Watching Stories Arouse Cooperative Instincts $$$ The Million-Dollar Story Desired-State Stories PART II: FIND, DESIGN, AND DELIVER YOUR STORY 3. Finding Personal Stories Story Categories Locating Personal Story Material Stories About Your Organization Finding Your Personal Stories 4. Other Story Sources Six Story Sources Biographies Films and Television Histories Literature Stories Unique to a Particular Culture Two Stories Worth Watching Metaphor Stories 5. Why Are Metaphors Important? How Metaphors Are Processed Right Hemisphere Engagement Four Uses of Metaphor Teach Concepts Generate Ideas Empower Go Beyond Logic Subtexts of Metaphor 6. Desirable Story Features Engaging Openings Have a Beginning, Middle, and End Use Present Tense Use Sensory Images Include Tensions Embed Conflict Create Voices Use Memorable Closings Seven Steps to Preparing a New Story 7. Delivering Your Story Animation Stand Like You Are Credible Centering Vocal Variety Intentional Movement Story Worth Watching Use Questions to Invite the Audience In PART III: CHANGING BEHAVIORS WITH STORY 8. Promote Change: Story Structure and Examples Desired State Resistance Applying the Desired-State Map: Three Examples 1. Shouting at a Parent 2. Bear in the Cage 3. A Strong, Yet Delicate Rose Presume Positive Intentions 9. Meet Groups Where They Are Pacing Indirect Suggestions What Listeners Experience 10. Design for the Intuitive Mind Invoking Receptivity Beyond Waking Awareness Story Elements for Subliminal Processes Pacing Misdirection Artfully Vague Language Tensions Indirect Suggestions 11. How Two Stories Changed Behaviors General Components of a Well-Formed Story Factual Specificity Presentation Congruity Audience Appropriateness Elicits Empathy Contains Submerged Moral or Point of View Creates Internal Representations Bypasses Protective Filters Parallels the Audience's Situation Lingers on Point of Irresolution Marks Embedded Commands Offers Resolutions 12. In Conclusion Story Catalog Organizing the Stories Shifting Perceptions Inviting Learning Inspiring Action Seeking Desired States Guide to Story Locations APPENDIX Worksheet 1: Metaphor Subtexts Worksheet 2: Anatomy of Desired-State Stories Worksheet 3: Constructing a Desired-State Story Poetry Referenced in the Preface Storytelling Study Companion References Index

From this point forward, this book will be one of those cherished friends I keep on my nightstand and pack during long travel journeys. I encourage every educator to give yourself the gift of The Astonishing Power of Storytelling - it will have a profound impact on your personal and professional journey. -- Stephanie Hirsh, Director of Learning Forward You will never find a more insightful book on the nature and power of storytelling as leadership. This book will stir your emotions, inform you, and inspire you to rethink how you lead. It will then guide you to become a better storyteller by helping you 'shift perceptions, invite learning, inspire action, and seek a new desired state' in your local context. A unique and inspiring leadership book. -- Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education - University of Toronto Bob Garmston captures the science and the magic of stories as essential tools for leading, collaborating, communicating, and connecting, showing how and why leading through story is vital in our complex world. This book is a must read for education leaders of all kinds-principals, central office leaders, facilitators, and all who want to support the growth of others in powerful ways. -- Ellie Drago-Severson, Professor of Education Leadership & Adult Learning and Leadership; Teachers College, Columbia University This book has comprehensiveness, careful structure, and graceful writing. Garmston didn't just pick a topic and write a book. This wisdom piece has been a lifetime in the making. It is really quite something. -- Jon Saphier, Founder and President, Research for Better Schools We hear stories every day. But we don't necessarily tell-or retell-stories well. Every leader needs to reach people, their hearts and minds, and Garmston's new book speaks to the power of storytelling for just this purpose. A surprising read, I now see stories differently, as sparks for human transformation. -- Wenny Kusuma, United Nations; Women Country Representative; Kathmandu, Nepal In this book, Bob Garmston-a mesmerizing storyteller himself-brings an age-old tradition to life with useful guides for crafting good stories and using them in our work and daily lives. -- David Chojnacki, Executive Director Emeritus; Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools; Athens, Greece It has been said if you want to change the culture, change the story. Bob Garmston has been a premier professional development trainer and practitioner for over thirty years. This book will provide background knowledge and great practical tips on the use of stories as a teaching strategy. -- William Sommers, Bricoleur, Leadership Coach, & Author; Austin, TX For eons, storytelling has linked one generation of humanity to another and Robert J. Garmston does us all a great favor by reminding us that story is the conduit of human experience. Those who lead, present, and consult will find this book an enduring friend for influencing and communicating to a variety of audiences, especially in one's own voice. -- James L. Roussin, Executive Director of Generative Learning; Strategic Change Consultant/Leadership Coach; Stillwater, MN With rare insights, Bob Garmston offers many pathways into the practice of storytelling, most powerfully by showing how metaphors are basic structures for making stories meaningful, heartfelt, and enlightening across diverse cultures. -- David Hyerle, Author of Pathways to Thinking Schools (2014); Lyme, NH Guided by his rich life experience in helping educators embrace meaningful learning and development in schools, Bob Garmston has brought us another gem! He offers the why, what, and how for using this most effective means of inspiring change in individuals and organizations. -- Sally Alturki, Co-founder of Dhahran Ahliyya Schools and the Educational Book House; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia In The Astonishing Power of Storytelling Bob Garmston confirms with brain science and sound research what we all know intuitively - stories have the power to both persuade and inspire. What's more, the book is chock-full of practical tips and approaches to plan and deliver stories with intention and aplomb. Bob has gifted all of us an excellent "how to" manual to make our stories sing! -- Joelle Basnight, High School Principal, American International School; Chennai, India Inspiring...this book will add to your leadership capacity and help shape you into a storyteller to transform your skills as a professional. -- Kelly Armitage, Elementary School Principal, International School; Bangkok, Thailand Bob has taught me most of what I know about presenting and this book is a wonderful addition to my repertoire. The scaffolds and rich examples provide models for my own storytelling that I can now harvest from my life experiences. I am already crafting an introductory story for my next workshop. -- Lucy Fisher, Manager Emeritus, Learning Education Department Educational; Consultant, Tasmania, Australia Robert J. Garmston has touched upon who teachers naturally are. Storytellers. Throughout The Astonishing Power of Storytelling Garmston provides evidence that validates the power of telling stories, and offers tools to enhance the innate instincts of a teacher. This book will nurture abilities that some are not aware they possess. After all, what is teaching but a way to inspire students to search for knowledge? What better way to set the stage than to "Tell a Story"? -- Karen Tribble, Elementary School Teacher, Fairfield, CT One of the most important facets to effective change leadership is the ability to engage and create meaning. In Astonishing Power of Storytelling Garmston draws the connection between an engaging story and the ability to stimulate positive change. -- Gregory A. Hedger, Director, The International School; Yangon, Myanmar Al-Hakawati in Arabic, is a person who narrates the old stories transferring values and traditions across generations and inspiring the listeners. In this sense Garmston's Astonishing Power of Storytelling is a transcultural book; one can help you use storytelling in your profession with easy-to-follow-and-use tools and strategies. -- Jihad Dwaidar, Literacy Coach, International Programs School; Khobar, Saudi Arabia Bob Garmston's latest book, Astonishing Power of Storytelling is a welcome resource which strategizes the use of storytelling for leaders at all levels. The skills he offers through storytelling can help present sometimes bland information with personal and internalizing effectiveness. For leaders who seek to achieve lasting change, this book makes impressive sense! -- David B. Cloud, Alaska Administrator Coaching Project; Homer, AK This book has helped me to understand and experience how storytelling is an essential element for anyone who presents, lectures, or conducts workshops. Astonishing Power of Storytelling encouraged me to use storytelling as a strategy to hold the students' attention and better achieve my instructional goals of shifting their perceptions, while encouraging learning and action. As I prepared talking points on working with resistant teachers for my class on supervisory practice, stories from personal experience came to mind. While sharing a story with my students about a teacher I was working with, I demonstrated the body language (crossed arms and legs) he displayed during the post-observation conference. We then explored what was being said by this body language and strategies for how to respond effectively. The results were amazing. Not only were the students intrigued, the story also enabled me to engage them in meaningful discussion with productive results. This book will continue to be my guide as I prepare for future classes and presentations. -- Marcia Knoll, Professor, Educational Administration, Hunter College, NY Great storytelling feels almost magical. It creates natural connections between speakers and listeners that are personal, meaningful, and authentic. We all remember the stories that captivate us, inspire us, and open our minds to new ideas. Storytelling is at the heart of good teaching and this guidebook promises to teach all of us to become splendid storytellers. I can't wait to share it with my teacher education students. -- Aixa Perez-Prado, Professor of Education, Florida International University; Miami, FL I remember gathering around my mom listening to her stories light up the room. Her stories had a big impact on who I am today. This book is a perfect guide to discover your own personal story and suggests ways for why and how you can use your story to make a memorable impact on others. -- Servet Altan, International Educator & Educational Researcher, Bilkent University; Ankara, Turkey Bob Garmston provides astonishing examples of the power of storytelling. Through storytelling, he that wit and wisdom can be companions on the journey to gain knowledge and insight. -- Gary Whitely, Leadership Consultant; Kenai, Alaska