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Stories At Work
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256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 21, 2018
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March 22, 2020
Stories at Work.
Unlock the secret to business storytelling. This is the tagline of this book. Very apt I thought. I was at the Delhi T3 airport, ready to board my flight to Atlanta to start my year long STA and this would be the apt book to give me company on my long flight, and also be the right learning that I should master to make the most of my stint and have a thriving caree. Telling stories, is this not what all of us do all our lives as Humans? In a corporate setup I remember Chella Pandyan, my Summer intern guide in Cadbury, asked me, “Where is the story in this presentation? It all has to flow like a well weaved storyline”
I picked up the book and took more than a month to devour it. I wanted to imbibe every bit of it, and like is my habit, I was reading another book too in parallel.
The author is an IIML passout and has worked in Unilever when he came across this Australian company, Anecdote which pioneered this form of corporate training to make professionals impactful. IC, like the author is known, frequently refers to Shawn Callahan and Mark Schenk of anecdote through the book.
A story is a fact that need to be wrapped in context and delivered with emotion.
The author suggests a process early on in the book, where he suggests to catalogue stories and create an easy retrieval system, maybe using Evernote, etc.. While I find the idea helpful, the whole thought of doing that regularly seems cumbersome. Plus, I am not convinced that it would work from a retrieval perspective when the time comes. I remain a sceptic, but would give this a shot. Build my own story bank.
The book is structured well starting off with the foundation explaining why stories, and how to build your story bank. The second part of the book explains the various story patterns and how stories can be used to build rapport and credibility. The final part of the book is putting them all together touching upon values to be understood, understanding complex human stories, storytelling with data, etc..
He also touched upon Brain Rules (written by John Medina), which explains that when the brain detects and emotionally charged event, the amygdala releases dopamine into the system, which greatly aids memory and information processing. It is like creating a post-it note that reads, “Remember this”.
The five essentials elements of a story are –
1. Start with a time marker, or a place marker
2. About something happening
3. If you hear names/dialogues, it is a story
4. Something unanticipated happens
5. A relevance statement: why am I telling you this story?
Story triggering is an important facet of leadership where instead of proclaiming their beliefs and asserting their character, it would be more powerful if leaders seized every opportunity to live the same and let other people come to their own conclusions.
Connection story is when you think up of a situation where you need to display some capability (honest, creative, etc..) and then you think of a moment in time where you did something that demonstrates any of those traits. For example, “I have always been very creative. I remember when I was in school…”.
A life story is a carefully shaped narrative that is replete with strategic forgetting and skillfully spun meetings.
It is difficult to remove by logic an idea not placed there by logic in the first place, and thus we need to counter it by a better story. Narrating a real event is even more powerful than analogies and metaphors.
The illusion of transparency is when we think than others are much more in sync with what we are thinking than they really are.
Clarity story, for building a narrative –
1. In the past
2. Then something happened
3. So now
4. In the future
The influence story can be structured thus –
1. Acknowledge the anti story
2. Share the story of the opposite point of view
3. Make the case
4. Make the point
The three sources for stories are –
1. Your own stories
2. What other people tell us
3. Business books
And the three ways to get a story are –
1. Tell a story
2. Ask the right questions
3. Use emotion words in a question
The three best ways to start a story are –
1. Using an “Imagine” scenario
2. Use a statistic/factoid to shock
3. Tell a story
And three ways to end a story are –
1. With a call to action
2. With a rhetorical question
3. With a story
Seven approaches that help us identify stories in storytelling with data –
1. Change over time
2. Contrast
3. Intersection
4. Outliers
5. Factors
6. Drill down
7. Zoom in/out
Overall the book, while not so thick, seems like cramming up too much information. The author probably felt that he needs to touch upon all the aspects of business storytelling while still keeping it within the word limit which makes it like a sprinkle upon everything. I would have personally loved more space given to the various forms of storytelling and how someone can follow a structured process to build in this art of storytelling.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend this book to all involved in corporate to understand the importance of storytelling and developing a subconscious ability to identify and tell a good story when one is being narrated. It is all about building a narrative after all. The best story wins.
References
1. Putting stories to work: mastering Business storytelling, Shawn Callahan
2. Corporate culture and performance, John Kotter and James Heskett
3. The element, Ken Robinson
4. Story proof: The science behind the startling power of story, Kendall Haven
5. Story smart: using the science of story to persuade, influence, inspire and teach; Kendal Haven
6. Stories, Scripts and Scenes: Aspects of schema theory; Jean Mandler
7. Start with Why, Simon Sinek
8. The leader’s guide to storytelling, Stephen Denning
9. The storytelling animal, Jonathan Gottschall
10. Good thinking: Seven powerful ideas that influence the way we think
11. Whoever tells the best story wins, Annette Simmons
12. The writer’s journey: Mythic structures for writers, Christopher Vogler
13. Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences, Nancy Duarte
14. Talent is overrated, Geoff Colvin
Unlock the secret to business storytelling. This is the tagline of this book. Very apt I thought. I was at the Delhi T3 airport, ready to board my flight to Atlanta to start my year long STA and this would be the apt book to give me company on my long flight, and also be the right learning that I should master to make the most of my stint and have a thriving caree. Telling stories, is this not what all of us do all our lives as Humans? In a corporate setup I remember Chella Pandyan, my Summer intern guide in Cadbury, asked me, “Where is the story in this presentation? It all has to flow like a well weaved storyline”
I picked up the book and took more than a month to devour it. I wanted to imbibe every bit of it, and like is my habit, I was reading another book too in parallel.
The author is an IIML passout and has worked in Unilever when he came across this Australian company, Anecdote which pioneered this form of corporate training to make professionals impactful. IC, like the author is known, frequently refers to Shawn Callahan and Mark Schenk of anecdote through the book.
A story is a fact that need to be wrapped in context and delivered with emotion.
The author suggests a process early on in the book, where he suggests to catalogue stories and create an easy retrieval system, maybe using Evernote, etc.. While I find the idea helpful, the whole thought of doing that regularly seems cumbersome. Plus, I am not convinced that it would work from a retrieval perspective when the time comes. I remain a sceptic, but would give this a shot. Build my own story bank.
The book is structured well starting off with the foundation explaining why stories, and how to build your story bank. The second part of the book explains the various story patterns and how stories can be used to build rapport and credibility. The final part of the book is putting them all together touching upon values to be understood, understanding complex human stories, storytelling with data, etc..
He also touched upon Brain Rules (written by John Medina), which explains that when the brain detects and emotionally charged event, the amygdala releases dopamine into the system, which greatly aids memory and information processing. It is like creating a post-it note that reads, “Remember this”.
The five essentials elements of a story are –
1. Start with a time marker, or a place marker
2. About something happening
3. If you hear names/dialogues, it is a story
4. Something unanticipated happens
5. A relevance statement: why am I telling you this story?
Story triggering is an important facet of leadership where instead of proclaiming their beliefs and asserting their character, it would be more powerful if leaders seized every opportunity to live the same and let other people come to their own conclusions.
Connection story is when you think up of a situation where you need to display some capability (honest, creative, etc..) and then you think of a moment in time where you did something that demonstrates any of those traits. For example, “I have always been very creative. I remember when I was in school…”.
A life story is a carefully shaped narrative that is replete with strategic forgetting and skillfully spun meetings.
It is difficult to remove by logic an idea not placed there by logic in the first place, and thus we need to counter it by a better story. Narrating a real event is even more powerful than analogies and metaphors.
The illusion of transparency is when we think than others are much more in sync with what we are thinking than they really are.
Clarity story, for building a narrative –
1. In the past
2. Then something happened
3. So now
4. In the future
The influence story can be structured thus –
1. Acknowledge the anti story
2. Share the story of the opposite point of view
3. Make the case
4. Make the point
The three sources for stories are –
1. Your own stories
2. What other people tell us
3. Business books
And the three ways to get a story are –
1. Tell a story
2. Ask the right questions
3. Use emotion words in a question
The three best ways to start a story are –
1. Using an “Imagine” scenario
2. Use a statistic/factoid to shock
3. Tell a story
And three ways to end a story are –
1. With a call to action
2. With a rhetorical question
3. With a story
Seven approaches that help us identify stories in storytelling with data –
1. Change over time
2. Contrast
3. Intersection
4. Outliers
5. Factors
6. Drill down
7. Zoom in/out
Overall the book, while not so thick, seems like cramming up too much information. The author probably felt that he needs to touch upon all the aspects of business storytelling while still keeping it within the word limit which makes it like a sprinkle upon everything. I would have personally loved more space given to the various forms of storytelling and how someone can follow a structured process to build in this art of storytelling.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend this book to all involved in corporate to understand the importance of storytelling and developing a subconscious ability to identify and tell a good story when one is being narrated. It is all about building a narrative after all. The best story wins.
References
1. Putting stories to work: mastering Business storytelling, Shawn Callahan
2. Corporate culture and performance, John Kotter and James Heskett
3. The element, Ken Robinson
4. Story proof: The science behind the startling power of story, Kendall Haven
5. Story smart: using the science of story to persuade, influence, inspire and teach; Kendal Haven
6. Stories, Scripts and Scenes: Aspects of schema theory; Jean Mandler
7. Start with Why, Simon Sinek
8. The leader’s guide to storytelling, Stephen Denning
9. The storytelling animal, Jonathan Gottschall
10. Good thinking: Seven powerful ideas that influence the way we think
11. Whoever tells the best story wins, Annette Simmons
12. The writer’s journey: Mythic structures for writers, Christopher Vogler
13. Resonate: Present visual stories that transform audiences, Nancy Duarte
14. Talent is overrated, Geoff Colvin
May 15, 2020
Some books change the way you think about a particular topic and Stories at Work was one of them for me. A few people might already be weaving powerful stories at work and will not find the contents of this book earth-shattering. It might also not be the most comprehensive book on effective story telling out there but for me it marks the start of a journey where I consciously try to craft better stories. I always understood the importance of stories but never thought it was essential to be developed into a skill. This book articulates the importance and gives clear actionable steps to develop the skill of storytelling. Would highly recommend for people who find it difficult to to convey the merits of their idea to a wider audience or who want to leave a lasting impression with their data.
November 3, 2018
'Stories at Work' is practical. It maps out a clear storytelling journey and actually has exercises for readers to complete in order to embark on it. The advice is real, suited to the modern, hyper-impatient corporate world.
It is almost 100% tried and tested. At jobs, at workshops, at story listening sessions, the tips and tricks seem to be written for the sceptic. The concept of 'anti stories', for example, is something we have grappled with and now have a strategy to tackle them.
It is succinct. The author refers repeatedly to the low attention span of potential story-listeners and breaks up the book into manageable chapters with a clear hook to start and a clearer call to action to end.
As the corporate world becomes more ROI-focused and data-driven, it is now critically important for managers to invest the masses of data with context. What is the data trying to say? What went into it? What came out of it? In short, every activity, every investment and every outcome needs a story. And this handy guide shows exactly how to do it!
It is almost 100% tried and tested. At jobs, at workshops, at story listening sessions, the tips and tricks seem to be written for the sceptic. The concept of 'anti stories', for example, is something we have grappled with and now have a strategy to tackle them.
It is succinct. The author refers repeatedly to the low attention span of potential story-listeners and breaks up the book into manageable chapters with a clear hook to start and a clearer call to action to end.
As the corporate world becomes more ROI-focused and data-driven, it is now critically important for managers to invest the masses of data with context. What is the data trying to say? What went into it? What came out of it? In short, every activity, every investment and every outcome needs a story. And this handy guide shows exactly how to do it!
July 29, 2020
Stories at Work by Indranil Chakraborty
Mohammad Bilal A Bhada
Assistant Professor
SSR Institute of Management & Research, Silvassa
“Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.” --Dr. Howard Gardner, Professor-Harvard University
Indranil Chakraborty, an IIM Lucknow Alumni and Engineer with computer science specialization presents a power pack book with insights on the influence of stories and ways to be an original and effective storyteller. His anecdotes from his experiences with brands like Unilever, Meru, Tata Teleservices, Mahindra Holidays and interviews with stalwarts of Industries have helped him bring that nick in creating a remembrance impact for a long time as against the short-lived advices and insights. His YouTube channel has a repository of short videos with impactful results of creating a lasting impact.
One can easily connect with his stories as the title of the book “Stories at Work” lives up to expectations of aligning the readers with their daily routine work experiences. The book also provides some room for self-exercises and thus makes the book as a handy tool.
A non-fiction but intriguing at the same time, the book is a feast for readers who are stuck at their home in this pandemic and are obsessed with attending webinars (like me!) and also for the professionals at work who wants to create a channel of meaningful communication in their work atmosphere. The contextual and emotional strings of readers also gets activated as one can put themselves into the shoes of the characters and easily retrieve their own versions.
The challenging part for the readers cum implementers would be connecting the dots based on relevancy and appropriateness as it might be tricky in terms of extempore context. Nevertheless, as the author strongly feels that these stories shall be created and delivered for message to be remembered for a long-long time and its resemble in a similar manner of fables being told to us by spiritual, religious and academic orators. The books have a good structure in engaging the readers and linking the same with creating a creative style of imposing the formula that needs to be understood for complex story telling.
Story telling has been a part of our personal and work life since ages and leaders have had a better hand in delivering their decisions and its justifications instead of monotonous verdicts of work orders. It also gives an opportunity for the leaders for create a powerful aura and to be recalled by the audience as a great storyteller.
During the launch of her book “Here, there and everywhere”, Sudha Murthy affirms that while she was a teacher of computer science in a college, she had made it a practice of narrating a story in quarter of the lecture time. And after 29 years of those days, one of her student Madhavi recalls only stories sections from her lecture. That’s the power of stories that the author Indranil tries to bring on the plate for readers.
I highly recommend this book, for all those searching to create an impact in their communications irrespective of the profession one belongs.
Mohammad Bilal A Bhada
Assistant Professor
SSR Institute of Management & Research, Silvassa
“Stories constitute the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.” --Dr. Howard Gardner, Professor-Harvard University
Indranil Chakraborty, an IIM Lucknow Alumni and Engineer with computer science specialization presents a power pack book with insights on the influence of stories and ways to be an original and effective storyteller. His anecdotes from his experiences with brands like Unilever, Meru, Tata Teleservices, Mahindra Holidays and interviews with stalwarts of Industries have helped him bring that nick in creating a remembrance impact for a long time as against the short-lived advices and insights. His YouTube channel has a repository of short videos with impactful results of creating a lasting impact.
One can easily connect with his stories as the title of the book “Stories at Work” lives up to expectations of aligning the readers with their daily routine work experiences. The book also provides some room for self-exercises and thus makes the book as a handy tool.
A non-fiction but intriguing at the same time, the book is a feast for readers who are stuck at their home in this pandemic and are obsessed with attending webinars (like me!) and also for the professionals at work who wants to create a channel of meaningful communication in their work atmosphere. The contextual and emotional strings of readers also gets activated as one can put themselves into the shoes of the characters and easily retrieve their own versions.
The challenging part for the readers cum implementers would be connecting the dots based on relevancy and appropriateness as it might be tricky in terms of extempore context. Nevertheless, as the author strongly feels that these stories shall be created and delivered for message to be remembered for a long-long time and its resemble in a similar manner of fables being told to us by spiritual, religious and academic orators. The books have a good structure in engaging the readers and linking the same with creating a creative style of imposing the formula that needs to be understood for complex story telling.
Story telling has been a part of our personal and work life since ages and leaders have had a better hand in delivering their decisions and its justifications instead of monotonous verdicts of work orders. It also gives an opportunity for the leaders for create a powerful aura and to be recalled by the audience as a great storyteller.
During the launch of her book “Here, there and everywhere”, Sudha Murthy affirms that while she was a teacher of computer science in a college, she had made it a practice of narrating a story in quarter of the lecture time. And after 29 years of those days, one of her student Madhavi recalls only stories sections from her lecture. That’s the power of stories that the author Indranil tries to bring on the plate for readers.
I highly recommend this book, for all those searching to create an impact in their communications irrespective of the profession one belongs.
October 10, 2022
A story in business is a fact wrapped in context and delivered with emotion. This is the basic premise on which this book is based upon, thus marking the importance of stories in businesses and corporate life. The author beautifully pinpoints the three powers of storytelling - stories are easy to understand, stories are easy to remember and stories are easy to retell.
Humans think in story terms since birth, hence storytelling wrapped with facts and figures becomes a very important messaging tool for leaders, managers trainers, salesmen, educators, motivators and psychologists.
This book teaches the art of story telling in a very easy to understand format. Real life examples of stories in business keeps the reader interested at all times. The author talks about different story patterns and how to keep them together, and also talks about a story retrieval system to use it when you need it. There is also emphasis on story listening to stimulate further stories.
Chapter 16 on 'story telling with data' was one of my favourites and is a very impactful chapter. It illustrates some very purposeful anecdotes around real life examples from the field of medicine and cricket.
My favourite lines from the book (from page no. 199) a quote by Chinua Achebe - "Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."
Overall, a good book in the non- fiction genre, will keep you engaged at all times. Go for it!
Humans think in story terms since birth, hence storytelling wrapped with facts and figures becomes a very important messaging tool for leaders, managers trainers, salesmen, educators, motivators and psychologists.
This book teaches the art of story telling in a very easy to understand format. Real life examples of stories in business keeps the reader interested at all times. The author talks about different story patterns and how to keep them together, and also talks about a story retrieval system to use it when you need it. There is also emphasis on story listening to stimulate further stories.
Chapter 16 on 'story telling with data' was one of my favourites and is a very impactful chapter. It illustrates some very purposeful anecdotes around real life examples from the field of medicine and cricket.
My favourite lines from the book (from page no. 199) a quote by Chinua Achebe - "Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."
Overall, a good book in the non- fiction genre, will keep you engaged at all times. Go for it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2021
'Never judge a book by its cover', in my case it turned out to be 'never choose a book by its title'.To be very frank, I chose the book assuming that the book will contain stories 'from' workplace. Was utterly surprised when I realised my mistake after reading the foreword. Off course, if the foreword is by Piyush Pandey, you just dont keep the book aside, you continue reading it.
The book explains ( though with a bit of complexity) the whole process of story-telling. I feel the book could have been a much light read ( considering the reason why i bought it ) for me, but I am sure the real audience of the book would have totally related with the book ( I still remember the 'Mahindra' experience). I would certainly take a cue or two from this book for my future communications.
Overall, a nice read!!!
The book explains ( though with a bit of complexity) the whole process of story-telling. I feel the book could have been a much light read ( considering the reason why i bought it ) for me, but I am sure the real audience of the book would have totally related with the book ( I still remember the 'Mahindra' experience). I would certainly take a cue or two from this book for my future communications.
Overall, a nice read!!!
December 10, 2018
The boredom-killing stratagem of storytelling has become the new business in business communication and invaded boardrooms. CEOs are discovering the virtues of storytelling as the medium for their message in this age of information overload and attention deficiency. Storytelling has also provided a platform for the voices of Kalawatis and Sufiya Begums for larger causes. Indranil Chakraborty is one of the small tribe of business storytelling trainers in the world with the gift of the gab and with experience in large organisations. He has authored the book, which is halfway between a magazine article and a research paper, a la mode, to be a bedside companion for corporate czars and their cohorts.
Stories can range in size from a six-word gut-wrenching terribly tiny tale by Ernest Hemingway to the monumental epic Mahabharata, which seeks to point the moral compass of the believer timelessly to true north. Stories trigger parts of our brain to release the hormones dopamine and norepinephrine that influence memory and information and also synchronise or align listeners in empathy, which often triggers the nobler emotions. They are, therefore, an invaluable tool in persuasion methods and inculcation of values. “The book eggs us on to get back to storytelling and use it in everyday business,” says advertising guru, Piyush Pandey, in his delightful foreword.
Chakraborty teaches the “science of storytelling”, which is a process approach amenable to a quality management system type of induction in an organisation. His world includes employee and customer engagement, anecdote circles, a classic management representative working under the aegis of the CEO’s office, an assessment of added value by achieving improved results and preventing negative effects, all rounded off with a sustainable cycle of story collection. The importance of constructing a story library with profiles, soundtracks and smartphone videos, accumulating case studies and building a narrative to provide meaning and an emotional connect is emphasised. To the Aristotlean dramatic form of “a beginning, a middle, and an end”, however, he has added other structural props, triggers and pattern recognition to elevate the art of storytelling to a science. This book is no Aesop’s business fables or Yiddishe Kop, however, and the parable gathering is largely left to the reader.
I think that the book is a primer in that it is good as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go very far. For example, it does not deal with the development of story arcs into mega-serials or with tuning the ‘beat’ into a melody. Legends and myths are dismissed as not being relevant to the corporate world. However, the embedment and alignment (narrative cueing) with the company’s goals in the collective unconscious is a subject that requires attention. ‘Getting strategies to stick’ (a chapter in the book) is a sticky wicket. A simple clarity story approach is not enough to tackle the problem.
As Goodyear chairman Kramer said, “Consistency of message to all stakeholders leads to trust and confidence. When associates hear the same things we are telling Wall Street, they know that we are committed to our strategy and direction”.
As the Akira Kurosawa classic Rashomon shows, four people involved in an incident can tell varying accounts of what happened. Even AI’s algorithms and deep learning systems can amplify human prejudice and create hoaxes that can fool other AI systems and humans. So, unification and encapsulation of stories into a corporate bible will require sustained efforts at keeping problems from getting embedded in any given system. But that is another story.
Stories can range in size from a six-word gut-wrenching terribly tiny tale by Ernest Hemingway to the monumental epic Mahabharata, which seeks to point the moral compass of the believer timelessly to true north. Stories trigger parts of our brain to release the hormones dopamine and norepinephrine that influence memory and information and also synchronise or align listeners in empathy, which often triggers the nobler emotions. They are, therefore, an invaluable tool in persuasion methods and inculcation of values. “The book eggs us on to get back to storytelling and use it in everyday business,” says advertising guru, Piyush Pandey, in his delightful foreword.
Chakraborty teaches the “science of storytelling”, which is a process approach amenable to a quality management system type of induction in an organisation. His world includes employee and customer engagement, anecdote circles, a classic management representative working under the aegis of the CEO’s office, an assessment of added value by achieving improved results and preventing negative effects, all rounded off with a sustainable cycle of story collection. The importance of constructing a story library with profiles, soundtracks and smartphone videos, accumulating case studies and building a narrative to provide meaning and an emotional connect is emphasised. To the Aristotlean dramatic form of “a beginning, a middle, and an end”, however, he has added other structural props, triggers and pattern recognition to elevate the art of storytelling to a science. This book is no Aesop’s business fables or Yiddishe Kop, however, and the parable gathering is largely left to the reader.
I think that the book is a primer in that it is good as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go very far. For example, it does not deal with the development of story arcs into mega-serials or with tuning the ‘beat’ into a melody. Legends and myths are dismissed as not being relevant to the corporate world. However, the embedment and alignment (narrative cueing) with the company’s goals in the collective unconscious is a subject that requires attention. ‘Getting strategies to stick’ (a chapter in the book) is a sticky wicket. A simple clarity story approach is not enough to tackle the problem.
As Goodyear chairman Kramer said, “Consistency of message to all stakeholders leads to trust and confidence. When associates hear the same things we are telling Wall Street, they know that we are committed to our strategy and direction”.
As the Akira Kurosawa classic Rashomon shows, four people involved in an incident can tell varying accounts of what happened. Even AI’s algorithms and deep learning systems can amplify human prejudice and create hoaxes that can fool other AI systems and humans. So, unification and encapsulation of stories into a corporate bible will require sustained efforts at keeping problems from getting embedded in any given system. But that is another story.
February 1, 2019
If there's one thing that I don't bother myself with too much, its sleeping. I'm not a nocturnal creature (thank heavens) and can sleep quite well at night. But that wasn't always the case. As a child I used to struggle with it. So I always nagged my mother to tell me a story. Every night it was the same story about a mother wolf out on a journey with her 3 pups. The story had elements of caring, loyalty, protection and honesty. These are the very values and themes that I grew up with and only now have I realized the source behind them. It was my mother's stories.
See what I just did there?
I've always believed that I am a great communicator. I believed that as long as I have a commanding presence and hard hitting content that's backed with stats and facts, any presentation will be a success. This book destroyed that myth and I'm glad it did.
Stories at Work is a non-fiction book by Indranil Chakraborty, the founder of StoryWorks, a company that helps organizations and leaders to harness the power of storytelling to deliver a message with impact. This book is a manifestation of his past experiences with storytelling and how these stories have helped him in driving home the point with maximum impact.
The author beautifully captures a collection of his experiences, stories of real people and some tips & tricks that individuals and organizations can apply every day. He talks about the influence that REAL stories can have on a company's mission/vision and how its employees can only realize and fully understand this through these REAL stories that can easily draw a connection. While drawing on examples to prove a point, he doesn't leave the reader high and dry. The book is quite engaging with spaces to scribble your notes and pen down your ideas for some of his quick exercises.
There's a lot that one can take away from this book. From finding the right story, recalling it when required and producing it, this books gives you all the ins and outs of great storytelling. I'd personally recommend this book to every communications professional. We are charged with driving a brand's message every single day. This book skillfully takes you through storytelling techniques that can make this a cakewalk.
For those of you looking for a light non-fiction read, you should definitely give this one a try. Not only will it make you think, it will also induce you to put its techniques into practice.
See what I just did there?
I've always believed that I am a great communicator. I believed that as long as I have a commanding presence and hard hitting content that's backed with stats and facts, any presentation will be a success. This book destroyed that myth and I'm glad it did.
Stories at Work is a non-fiction book by Indranil Chakraborty, the founder of StoryWorks, a company that helps organizations and leaders to harness the power of storytelling to deliver a message with impact. This book is a manifestation of his past experiences with storytelling and how these stories have helped him in driving home the point with maximum impact.
The author beautifully captures a collection of his experiences, stories of real people and some tips & tricks that individuals and organizations can apply every day. He talks about the influence that REAL stories can have on a company's mission/vision and how its employees can only realize and fully understand this through these REAL stories that can easily draw a connection. While drawing on examples to prove a point, he doesn't leave the reader high and dry. The book is quite engaging with spaces to scribble your notes and pen down your ideas for some of his quick exercises.
There's a lot that one can take away from this book. From finding the right story, recalling it when required and producing it, this books gives you all the ins and outs of great storytelling. I'd personally recommend this book to every communications professional. We are charged with driving a brand's message every single day. This book skillfully takes you through storytelling techniques that can make this a cakewalk.
For those of you looking for a light non-fiction read, you should definitely give this one a try. Not only will it make you think, it will also induce you to put its techniques into practice.
June 19, 2020
For an uninitiated like me, stand-up comedy and storytelling belonged to the same genre, almost bordering on the voodoo type. But no more, thanks to a Webinar (the virtually mandatory pastime of the lockdown days) on storytelling by Indranil Chakraborty, the author. IC, as he prefers to be called did a remarkable job of telling stories of storytelling at the Webinar. He is a pro. The curiosity generated by the author at the Webinar led me to buy this book. Thank God I did it. Today I am less illiterate on a subject that is sure to dominate both the written and the spoken world whenever one has to sell ideas.
In the book the author with his impressive academic and professional credentials has managed to masterfully transform an art form into science. This is a book that is more in the nature of a self-help guide in selling one’s ideas to an audience even on a serious subject like business. The biggest takeaway for me was the book’s ability to sensitise me to the enormous opportunities present in the business world for storytelling. The art of storytelling is still a work in progress with very little awareness out there about its potential.
Reading the book was a breeze. The author did not appear to have aspirations of turning out an erudite book rich in intellectual content. He has also generously borrowed from others who had written about this subject giving credit, of course, to them for their contribution. The author with his background in management sets out to give the readers a list of ‘how to’ guidelines. But storytelling, being an art form, is a highly personalised matter and cannot be reduced to a formulaic set of practices. Readers are advised to use them only as general guidelines. Highly recommended to those who may have considered this as an esoteric subject for entertaining and regaling audiences without realising its potential even in business settings. There are very few books on the subject of storytelling and still lesser number of people who tell stories for a living. I am glad that I made an investment in the book so much so that I considered writing this review starting with a story. Alas, I couldn’t see one like IC.
In the book the author with his impressive academic and professional credentials has managed to masterfully transform an art form into science. This is a book that is more in the nature of a self-help guide in selling one’s ideas to an audience even on a serious subject like business. The biggest takeaway for me was the book’s ability to sensitise me to the enormous opportunities present in the business world for storytelling. The art of storytelling is still a work in progress with very little awareness out there about its potential.
Reading the book was a breeze. The author did not appear to have aspirations of turning out an erudite book rich in intellectual content. He has also generously borrowed from others who had written about this subject giving credit, of course, to them for their contribution. The author with his background in management sets out to give the readers a list of ‘how to’ guidelines. But storytelling, being an art form, is a highly personalised matter and cannot be reduced to a formulaic set of practices. Readers are advised to use them only as general guidelines. Highly recommended to those who may have considered this as an esoteric subject for entertaining and regaling audiences without realising its potential even in business settings. There are very few books on the subject of storytelling and still lesser number of people who tell stories for a living. I am glad that I made an investment in the book so much so that I considered writing this review starting with a story. Alas, I couldn’t see one like IC.
November 14, 2021
It is engaging to hear the story of school dropout becoming a entrepreneur. The journey of opening a small store, overcoming challenges, and innovating new products with anticipating customer requirements is heartening. That’s the story of PC Musthafa iD Fresh Food is engaging. His narration of business story is filled with emotions connecting the heart of listeners while delivering the story. The power of stories helps in connect, engage, gain insights and inspire and Effective leaders are good story tellers. Thus, stories help in explain critical, complex messages in a simple way inspiring action.
Stories at Work - is structured into three parts, first part is on creating the need on why and how to build your story bank. The second part of the book explains the various story patterns and how stories can be used to build rapport and credibility. The final part of the book is putting them all together touching upon values to be understood, understanding complex human stories, storytelling with data, etc.
The five essentials’ elements of a story are –
1. Start with a time marker, or a place marker
2. About something happening
3. If you hear names/dialogues, it is a story
4. Something unanticipated happens
5. A relevance statement: why am I telling you this story?
Four situations in business where we start our story telling journey are
1. When we are building a rapport with people we hope to work with – clients, team members and stakeholders
2. When we explain change – this could range from new vision, mission to transformation agenda to a small change in a administrative process
3. When we are trying to get people to change their minds and when we are trying to handle objections or mental blocks
4. When we are looking at sharing best practices, knowledge or success.
Story collection can also be used using Cynefin framework adopting a structure of Probe, Sense and Respond
The second and third part of the book is bascially reference part of many other books -
Stories at Work - is structured into three parts, first part is on creating the need on why and how to build your story bank. The second part of the book explains the various story patterns and how stories can be used to build rapport and credibility. The final part of the book is putting them all together touching upon values to be understood, understanding complex human stories, storytelling with data, etc.
The five essentials’ elements of a story are –
1. Start with a time marker, or a place marker
2. About something happening
3. If you hear names/dialogues, it is a story
4. Something unanticipated happens
5. A relevance statement: why am I telling you this story?
Four situations in business where we start our story telling journey are
1. When we are building a rapport with people we hope to work with – clients, team members and stakeholders
2. When we explain change – this could range from new vision, mission to transformation agenda to a small change in a administrative process
3. When we are trying to get people to change their minds and when we are trying to handle objections or mental blocks
4. When we are looking at sharing best practices, knowledge or success.
Story collection can also be used using Cynefin framework adopting a structure of Probe, Sense and Respond
The second and third part of the book is bascially reference part of many other books -
April 14, 2021
About an year ago when I joined NielsenIQ, i was really excited to start my journey and start my journey I did. Few months down the road my team was changed and nearly all the discussions I was a part of had the word story common in them.
However, if I'm being honest i wasn't clear on what it was or how it worked but as time went by I started to catch what my peers and seniors were talking about. Still a rough stone, I was on the lookout for a good book which would help me with the same and on a random trip to the iconic Kitaab Khaana I found this gem.
In stories at work by Indranil Chakraborty talks about the science, the process, the logic and nearly everything one needs to start their journey on garnering this new and very essential skill in today's times. He talks about the different types of approaches we can take to tell a story, the different structures that we can harness to make a point and have people understand it in a way that nothing else can. I wish I could list everything in this book in a small summary but that would be best served in the author's words.
Every person working in a corporate environment whether customer facing or not, whether on a senior level or just starting with their journeys should give this book a chance. I'm very sure they would like it.
P.S : I've started taking notes from the books I read and this was a great book to start with. The note taking makes the reading so much more of an interactive activity.
However, if I'm being honest i wasn't clear on what it was or how it worked but as time went by I started to catch what my peers and seniors were talking about. Still a rough stone, I was on the lookout for a good book which would help me with the same and on a random trip to the iconic Kitaab Khaana I found this gem.
In stories at work by Indranil Chakraborty talks about the science, the process, the logic and nearly everything one needs to start their journey on garnering this new and very essential skill in today's times. He talks about the different types of approaches we can take to tell a story, the different structures that we can harness to make a point and have people understand it in a way that nothing else can. I wish I could list everything in this book in a small summary but that would be best served in the author's words.
Every person working in a corporate environment whether customer facing or not, whether on a senior level or just starting with their journeys should give this book a chance. I'm very sure they would like it.
P.S : I've started taking notes from the books I read and this was a great book to start with. The note taking makes the reading so much more of an interactive activity.
June 11, 2025
The author is trying to tell us 3 things in this book:
1. The importance of stories
2. Its usage
3. How to craft stories
In the how-to part, he tries to break it into a science, but unfortunately, many scholars have already done exemplary exercises in this regard already.
My notes:
1. Find out your objective of story-telling
2. Associate the values that you want to drive during this story-telling in order to achieve your objective
3. Write stories highlighting these values
Three worst ways to start a speech:
1. Thanking everyone at the outset
2. Clearing your throat
3. By introducing yourself
Best ways to start is: "imagine", shocking factoid, story.
He mentions one book: Resonate by Nancy Duarte which I marked TBR.
Last and most importantly, he yearns that we don't view storytelling as a way of manipulation. He tells us to stick to honesty, integrity, fairness, concern for others, respect for others and accountability.
1. The importance of stories
2. Its usage
3. How to craft stories
In the how-to part, he tries to break it into a science, but unfortunately, many scholars have already done exemplary exercises in this regard already.
My notes:
1. Find out your objective of story-telling
2. Associate the values that you want to drive during this story-telling in order to achieve your objective
3. Write stories highlighting these values
Three worst ways to start a speech:
1. Thanking everyone at the outset
2. Clearing your throat
3. By introducing yourself
Best ways to start is: "imagine", shocking factoid, story.
He mentions one book: Resonate by Nancy Duarte which I marked TBR.
Last and most importantly, he yearns that we don't view storytelling as a way of manipulation. He tells us to stick to honesty, integrity, fairness, concern for others, respect for others and accountability.
January 6, 2019
This is the first book i've read in 2019 and what a special one it is !
Storytelling is the buzzword that i've been hearing for my entire career. I've gathered some narratives and models at my work over the years but reading this is an entirely enriching experience. This is one of those books you regret not reading early enough.
Reading this book is like adding salt and spices to a dish. It completes and compliments your understanding of storytelling and solidifies it. A very well structured book that explains the power of stories and how you can follow a few models to tell great stories in a number of work and personal situations.
Happy reading !
Storytelling is the buzzword that i've been hearing for my entire career. I've gathered some narratives and models at my work over the years but reading this is an entirely enriching experience. This is one of those books you regret not reading early enough.
Reading this book is like adding salt and spices to a dish. It completes and compliments your understanding of storytelling and solidifies it. A very well structured book that explains the power of stories and how you can follow a few models to tell great stories in a number of work and personal situations.
Happy reading !
October 15, 2019
You know why we cry when we watch an emotional scene in a movie? Because oxytocin hormone is released in the brain. This hormone makes us more empathetic and more connected to the characters.
Our brain stores memories as stories. The more powerful the emotions related to the incident are, more likely that we will remember the event vividly.
So, you want your message to be remembered outside the lecture hall too? You want your message to have effect on the audience? No! Excellent PPTs with incredible logic will not work. Stories can be the most powerful tool.
Our brain stores memories as stories. The more powerful the emotions related to the incident are, more likely that we will remember the event vividly.
So, you want your message to be remembered outside the lecture hall too? You want your message to have effect on the audience? No! Excellent PPTs with incredible logic will not work. Stories can be the most powerful tool.
November 11, 2019
I think this is a must-read for everyone whether you do business or not. Indranil has mentioned several benefits of storytelling very concisely without the content feeling repetitive. I found the book very interesting which in itself adds to the credibility of the author. Indranil has used various examples and has given a few template that we can use to implement storytelling in our every day lives.
I think using these examples can really help people become better conversationalists as well. Everyone loves listening to stories, especially from people who tell it really well. Indranil basically turns that art into a science, breaking down the components without making any of it boring.
I think using these examples can really help people become better conversationalists as well. Everyone loves listening to stories, especially from people who tell it really well. Indranil basically turns that art into a science, breaking down the components without making any of it boring.
March 27, 2021
I am a techie to the core. This book is not for techies for sure. May be a go to book for management professionals.
There are quite a few opinions the author
mentions which i would like to defer on.
One big deferring opinion, the importance of shared vocabulary a team needs to have to convey ideas and set everyone in a team with common context. This books emphasises on ditching that shared vocabulary and wrapping that in the form of story. God! i cant imagine talking like that to my team mates.
A good read though. one can glide through the book.
There are quite a few opinions the author
mentions which i would like to defer on.
One big deferring opinion, the importance of shared vocabulary a team needs to have to convey ideas and set everyone in a team with common context. This books emphasises on ditching that shared vocabulary and wrapping that in the form of story. God! i cant imagine talking like that to my team mates.
A good read though. one can glide through the book.
April 27, 2021
Before go for this set your expectations right. My expectations from this was to experience many unheard corporate stories from which I could get learning and apply in my professional environment. But I was not wrong, it’s not author’s fault, it’s mine, my expectations were not in line the content. Ok, now coming to matter of this book, this book focused on the psychology, process and outcome of story telling. If story telling is your hobby and you want apply it in your career then you must go for it. My interest is more towards reading real world stories.
January 12, 2024
"Stories At Work" by Indranil Chakraborty goes beyond business storytelling, offering a refreshing take on active communication's universal significance. Chakraborty explores how storytelling enriches not only professional realms but also everyday life and relationships. The book emphasizes that storytelling is a fundamental human skill, woven into our shared experiences and values. By presenting relatable anecdotes and practical techniques. "Stories At Work" serves as a versatile guide, transcending the boundaries of the boardroom to empower individuals in fostering connections, understanding, and engagement in both personal and professional spheres.
March 24, 2019
While reading this book, I realized that the concept of storytelling in business was always present but rarely anyone was consciously aware of it. This book explains in detail how and why storytelling works in businesses. If you are a leader, a manager, or an entrepreneur this book will surely give you ideas that will improve your work, increase engagement with the team, and help you initiate new strategies in business.
January 19, 2020
This book is a go to for learning how to create ever lasting stories. The book though has a high relevance in a business setup, it can be extended for getting your work done when persuasion is the key!
The 3 sections in the book effectively navigate the reader through the complete story conceptualiasatiin to building to story delivery and best of all how to capture them from our day to day lives.
The 3 sections in the book effectively navigate the reader through the complete story conceptualiasatiin to building to story delivery and best of all how to capture them from our day to day lives.
August 4, 2020
Neat storytelling techniques book.
Relevant examples to each of the topics and also how to prepare our stories are given. How to present the facts as stories are neatly explained. The explanation of the five-step model is precisely done.
i) In the Past
ii) Then Something Happened
iii) So now
iv) (Optional) Talking about an anti-story
v) In the Future
The above technique can be used in almost all the contexts where some persuasion is needed.
Relevant examples to each of the topics and also how to prepare our stories are given. How to present the facts as stories are neatly explained. The explanation of the five-step model is precisely done.
i) In the Past
ii) Then Something Happened
iii) So now
iv) (Optional) Talking about an anti-story
v) In the Future
The above technique can be used in almost all the contexts where some persuasion is needed.
September 1, 2019
Highly recommended in today's workplaces filled with data driven decision making. Two key learnings:
1. Data driven decision making is great. But no one remembers data. Communication through stories can be a lot more viral
2. Stories that are not based on honest facts will eventually backfire and lead to an anti story about you
1. Data driven decision making is great. But no one remembers data. Communication through stories can be a lot more viral
2. Stories that are not based on honest facts will eventually backfire and lead to an anti story about you
April 24, 2020
Absolutely brilliant
He is ome author who literally walks his talk. In this book, he has demonstrated various techniques of story telling by telling some wonderful stories from his personal and professional experience. He has laid a clear roadmap of how one can start developing skills for storytelling. The book needs to be reread for internalising all the concepts presented
He is ome author who literally walks his talk. In this book, he has demonstrated various techniques of story telling by telling some wonderful stories from his personal and professional experience. He has laid a clear roadmap of how one can start developing skills for storytelling. The book needs to be reread for internalising all the concepts presented
May 17, 2020
I picked this autographed book in November 2018. Back then, being in management and corporate, I thought this would be helpful. Besides, looking at a helpful book, I enjoy stories. Now, I am in the development sector working as a fellow. This moment, I find this book more helpful than ever.
Full review at http://abhinayrenny.blogspot.com/2020...
Full review at http://abhinayrenny.blogspot.com/2020...
February 1, 2021
Very good - IC has written this book in a simple language easy to understand.
While I learnt about Gunning Fog Index from this book - i would give this book 5.5
Story Triggering
Story listening and most important how to create story bank are explained very well.
Student, working professionals, for anybody this is a good read.
While I learnt about Gunning Fog Index from this book - i would give this book 5.5
Story Triggering
Story listening and most important how to create story bank are explained very well.
Student, working professionals, for anybody this is a good read.
December 23, 2021
Indranil drives home the point without beating around the bush. He has a holistic outlook of storytelling at work which helps you relate from different perspectives. Personally, I was thrilled to see the book touch upon "data storytelling". Folks in sales, marketing, product management, BI reporting - I'd recommend this book to you. Great read!
April 5, 2022
Imagine someone trying to make his point with his two friends verbally but very ineffectively. And the same person, in an auditorium filled with thousands of people makes a dashing presentation and gets standing ovation. That’s the power of a good speech. This books tries to decode the skills and science and physiology behind it. Worth having it in your library. Practically practical.
November 23, 2018
An amazing book on a concept which hasn't been spoken off earlier & something which can help one look at as to why things just don't stick with others despite our best efforts.Loved every minute of it.
December 30, 2018
The book is practical and relevant with some insightful stories and ways to adopt the same in business parlance . However it begins to drag towards midway, propagating the same point again and again. Could do with better editing. I felt it was too long. However it can be re read on occasions .
January 1, 2019
Excellent book for the new product companies and companies who want to make a difference in the market. Business story telling is the key criteria for taking the products to market. Indranil Chakraborty has articulated this in a structured format in his book.
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