Review

This book is a revelation. The 7 storylines are great, expect your first ‘aha moment’ when you select the right one, fill in your context and an eloquent storyline emerges in no time at all. It makes perfect sense to me that a handful of storylines can be used for 80% of the things you have to communicate at work. If you don’t have a natural talent for storytelling these templates are gold.

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Key Takeaways

The 20% that gave me 80% of the value.

• Using a storyline template can help clarify your thoughts & save time
• Increase clarity of thinking & comms
• Allow faster & better decision making
• Focuses collaboration around ideas
• Build credibility and trust
• Your Output * Persuasive Ability = Your Impact

• The Introduction has 3 parts (C+T+Q)
• A good intro makes getting a ‘so what’ that deals with the issue at hand more likely
1. Context → The commonly agreed starting point. The topic. The right place in time.
2. Trigger → The reason for the discussion. A ‘complication’, why are we communicating now?
3. Question → Ask the single most important question (they should already be thinking it)
• Include key information known or needed by the audience. Lead to the question you want your audience to ask / then answer it!
• The So What
• 5 Rules for the so what section:
1. Answer the question  in one short powerful sentence
2. Unify your whole story
3. Be one idea, framed as a single short sentence. 25 word maximum. Be specific
4. Synthesise or summarise all the ideas below
5. Be powerful and supportable
• Supporting ideas has 2 different options (Grouping or Deductive)
• Must be arranged to make sense to the audience.
• Revisit who they are, what they know and what they might want to know.
• Their needs (and shared context) should inform what option you choose
• There are 2 main structures (Grouping or Deductive). Use only 1.

The 7 Classic Business Storyline Patterns

• Grouping
1. Action Jackson → for action plans
2. The Pitch → for pitches and proposals
3. Traffic Light → for updates
• Deductive
4. Close the gap → for improvements and recommendations
5. Houston, we have a problem → for explaining how to solve problems
6. To B or Not to B → for explaining which option is best
7. Watch out → to counter emerging risks

→ See detailed notes for the templates

Deep Summary

Longer form notes, typically condensed, reworded and de-duplicated.

Why Storylines?

Storylines help clarify your thoughts & save everyone time

Increase clarity of thinking & comms

• Help breakdown complex ideas
• Make ideas clear & compelling
• Help you think before you communicate
• Structure and set way of thinking will help you
• The rules will help you marshal ideas
• Helps you check the clarity of your argument

Allow faster & better decision making

• Provide audience with that they want and need
• Less requests for more information
• Communication comes from a clear point of view
• Why your data matters
• Increase focus by removing clutter
• Read it through and understand it quicker
• Choose their own path

Focuses collaboration around ideas

• Shows you when your strategy isn’t clear
• Brings teams together, quickly agree storyline, saves time

Build credibility and trust

• Output * Persuasive Ability = Impact
• You need a clear point of view AND the ability to engage well
• A tight storyline helps persuade by
• Engaging the audience quickly with the core question
• Helping you deliver with confidence
• Enabling you to answer tough questions

Three things to know before you can unlock the power of storylines

• Think about which one to use beforehand
• Think about how to structure the storyline based on what components there are
• You can test a storyline is fit for purpose if you understand the rules that underpin the relationships between the ideas in that storyline

Design, Develop and Deliver Framework

Design

• Clarifying the purpose
• What do you want your audience to know, think or do?
• As a result of receiving my communication, I want my audience to…
• Understand the audience

Who they are	• Decision makers • Influencers • Who else needs to be considered.
What they care about	• What keeps them up at night about this? • Are their interests different or aligned? • If different… consider split
What style will engage them	• What are their working styles? • Detail or a quick overview • What type of information they need

• Decide best medium
• Presentation. Report. Memo. Face 2 Face (discussion guide).
• The medium can influence the storyline and form
• Process
• Who can sign it off?
• What's the usual process?
• Are they available?
• What are the key deadlines?

Each Storyline follows a similar structure

• A: Introduction → Context + Trigger + Question
• B: So What → Answer ‘so what?’ in a sentence
• C: Supporting Ideas → Grouped or Deductive

A. The Introduction has 3 parts (C+T+Q)

• A good intro makes getting a ‘so what’ that deals with the issue at hand more likely
1. Context → The commonly agreed starting point. The topic. The right place in time.
2. Trigger → The reason for the discussion. A ‘complication’, why are we communicating now?
3. Question → Ask the single most important question (they should already be thinking it)
• Include key information known or needed by the audience. Lead to the question you want your audience to ask / then answer it!

B. The So What

• 5 Rules for the so what section:
1. Answer the question  in one short powerful sentence
2. Unify your whole story
3. Be one idea, framed as a single short sentence. 25 word maximum. Be specific
4. Synthesise or summarise all the ideas below
5. Be powerful and supportable

C. Supporting ideas has 2 different options (Grouping or Deductive)

• Must be arranged to make sense to the audience.
• Revisit who they are, what they know and what they might want to know.
• Their needs (and shared context) should inform what option you choose
• There are 2 main structures. Use only 1.

C.a) Grouping

• Use to explain why, how or what:
• Why something is so
• How it should be implemented
• What it is
• Structure:
• Small number of separate ideas.
• Grouped together
• Strong enough to support the ‘so what’
• Collectively they should be Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive
• Individually they should:
• Respond to just one question
• Synthesise or Summarise children
• Parents 2 - 5 mini ideas
• Adds genuine value to the story

C.b) or Deductive

• Enables you to explain why, what and how in a single storyline.
• Build a case for a specific course of action (why, what, how)
• It takes the audience on a journey.
• 3 parts. Statement. Comment. Therefore.
• Each can have 2-5 mini points underneath

• Collectively → the ideas leads to only 1 possible recommendation
• Individually they should
• must do its job as a statement, comment or recommendation
• must parent a structure that’ mutually exclusive  & collectively exhaustive
• must add genuine value to the story
• Caution: Deductive story lines are fragile. The statement & comment, and the links need to hold. They require patience from the audience, but are powerful

How to test a storyline is fit for purpose?

Stick to the rules. On this 10 point test, you need to score 7 or higher. Ideally 10.

Is the introduction right?

1. Is the context right? Does the storyline start in the right place in time?
2. Does the trigger describe why you are communicating with this audience now?
3. Is the question really the single question we want to answer?

Is there one clear, powerful statement of the ‘So what’?

4. Is there once clear ;So what; that is 25 words or less?
5. Is it powerful - does it summarise or ideally synthesise?

Is the supporting storyline robust?

6. Is the tip-line support for the ‘So what’ logically sound? Grouping or Deductive?
7. The second and third level supports logical sound? Grouping or Deductive?
8. Is the storyline Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive? MECE (categorised and well evidenced?)

Does it meet the audience's needs?

9. Does it meet the audience's needs and concerns?
10. Does it suit their style - type and level of support?

The 7 Classic Business Storyline Patterns

• Grouping
1. Action Jackson → for action plans
2. The Pitch → for pitches and proposals
3. Traffic Light → for updates
• Deductive
4. Close the gap → for improvements and recommendations
5. Houston, we have a problem → for explaining how to solve problems
6. To B or Not to B → for explaining which option is best
7. Watch out → to counter emerging risks

Pointers:

• Picking and populating is faster than working out an original storyline structure
• Decide early
• If audience only needs ‘why’ or ‘how’ or what’  - grouping will work best
• If the audience needs to know both why and how, then yo0u will need a deductive storyline
• See what feels right or start with audience needs

Grouping ones:

1. Action Jackson - for action plans

We have a sound plan

2. The Pitch - for proposals and recommendations

You should implement our great idea

3. The Traffic Light - for updates and compliance stories

Overall we’re on track

The Deductive Ones:

4. Close the gap - for improvement recommendations

We need to close the gap to ensure we succeed

5. Houston, we have a problem - for explaining how to solve problems

Need to fix X to solve Y

6. To B or not to B for explaining which option is best

We should do B to solve the problem X

7. Watch Out to counter emerging risks

Need to address emerging risk to ensure ongoing success

Other Points

• Medium types: email, speech, a paper, a presentation pack, a verbal briefing, a workshop
• Choose a medium that makes it easy for the audience to follow your storyline.
• Use visuals as a means to cut verbiage.
• Workout your message first
• Confirm your stakeholder management strategy
• Speak to them beforehand to understand their perspective
• Practice your delivery and your Q&A rehearsing in front of colleagues
• Lock yourself away and practice
• If you expect a challenge, try
• Communicate your storyline sequentially
• Be open to the idea that a one-page storyline may be enough on its own
• Get Feedback after your presentation:
• Demonstrates you’re keen to improve
• As a few in the days after a communication is delivered
• Ask what they can remember about your key messages
• Book recommendation: Gene Zelazny’s book - Say it with charts
• Criteria to a good story line
• An introduction that flows, is relevant, is interesting, and zero’s in on the question you want to ask 
• A single clear and powerful idea. The ‘so what?’
• Supporting ideas should be ordered in a logical hierarchy 
• Must meet the need of the audience