Shoot the Monkey

A few evenings ago, my husband was telling me about one of his college classes 30 years ago. A law of physics was illustrated by dropping a stuffed monkey from a height and shooting it with a dart gun; demonstrating that the pull of gravity on the dart was the same as that on the monkey, regardless of mass. Therefore, the dart could be aimed directly at the falling monkey – not where one expected the monkey to be – letting gravity do the work. Ron recalls this as the “Shoot the Monkey” lesson. How does a professor manage to imprint a specific class lesson on a student in a way that is memorable 30 years later? This is the art and power of storytelling – a valuable principle well learned by all business professionals. When and how are stories well used? FOR PRESENTATIONS: Presentations must always have a clear purpose. Often, they take place for the purpose of influencing or obtaining approval for action. Your story should paint a clear picture of the current situation and need, bring your solution alive, and describe the new world order once your brilliant idea is funded and adopted. Go beyond dry, boring bullets. Use creative graphics and audio to tell your story and provide a lasting memory. AS MARKETING TOOLS: One obvious example of storytelling in marketing is the Case Study. You’ve given me all the specifications and standard marketing pitch about your product; now tell me a real life story of how it worked for someone. That is compelling! Another opportunity is advertising. I’ve always found commercials that tell a story to be the ones I remember. Have you seen the Brinks (now Broadview) Security commercials where they show lifelike scenarios of scary home break-ins? (There's an example at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28o21UFsmO0. ) If I didn’t already have a security system, I would run straight to the phone to order one. In this case, storytelling makes the danger of being unprotected something to which we can relate. IN MENTORING: Sharing career experiences and wisdom through storytelling is a natural tool in mentoring relationships. “When I started my career 20 years ago…”, “I used to have a boss that told me…”, or “I learned that lesson the hard way when I…” could be the beginning of all kinds of true stories about the successes and foibles of work life. They are an effective and memorable way to provide guidance without directly saying, “You should do this…” or “Be sure not to do that…”. When you have an important message to share, remember “Shoot the Monkey” and find a way to create a memorable communication through storytelling.