One of the things I see get in the way of successful storytelling for many non-profits is having the wrong orientation to what a "great" story is.
You see, there's a misconception that the best stories are the ones that pull on people's heart strings. And this is typically conflated to mean feeling all the good, happy feelings or feeling the sad, heart broken ones.
That's a very narrow view of which emotions drive someone to action.
And I find that because of this, many organizations either pigeon hole themselves in to only telling these types of stories, or assume they can't tell "great" stories.
The good news is that there are other options.
Some of the best stories I've told were way outside this black and white view of storytelling. And they worked because. . .
: They captured what the audience might already be feeling
: They were true
: They were authentic
It is valuable and generative to question the norms of how we do something and what the outcome should look like. Storytelling is no exception.
As you consider your other storytelling options, consider this.
: What feelings is your audience really feeling about the issues?
: What kinds of stories could you tell to be with them in that emotion?
These questions will help you unearth your other options, your better options, for authentic storytelling.
Telling only happy or sad stories aren't your non-profit's only options.
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