Workshops

 

 

Working with your team or organization to bring professional and organizational storytelling into your work culture through guided exercises and focused work.

It’s sort of like capacity-building for resilience.

~anonymous participant survey

Customizable Workshop Modules:

  • Intro to Storytelling (1 hr)

  • Mapping Stories to Mission (90 mins)

  • The Transformative Power of Storytelling (2-3 hrs)

  • Storytelling for Impact & Evaluation (3 hrs)

  • Manifesting Stories (1-3 hrs)

Shannon is a spectacular presenter. She engaged immediately with a room full of people whom she had just met, a group of Fellows with the Mandela Washington Fellowship at GSU. Shannon’s presentation is as authentic as she is, and she presents with confidence and compassion. I can clearly see how Shannon’s storytelling expertise resonates in her presentation style, and her deep care for humans and their stories shine through as she speaks.

Erin Oakley

Training Development & Operations, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Workshop Activities

“It was really amazing to hear people let their guard down. I was so honored to hear everyone’s story.”

Sample Workshop Outline

Workshop Outline for Georgia State's LEAD Retreat (October 2019)

Reference: Dr. Cynthia Searcy, Assistant Dean, Andrew Young School of Public Policy

Introductions/Ice Breakers (20 mins)
  • Conversation 
    • What is your history with storytelling?
    • What are your goals for this time?
  • Overview
    • Give brief introduction to what we’ll be doing today
    • Meeting agreements
  • Shannon tell a story: DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
    • What are the elements of a good story?
    • Can you draw the line of your story?
Building Energy (5 mins)

Energy/theatre games

  • Pass the whah
  • Morphing whah
Deep Listening (10 mins)

Tell a story in pairs – cannot nod or verbally respond

Reflection/Discussion (10 mins)
  • Why we’re talking about deep listening
Vulnerability (15 mins)
  • Play clip of Brené Brown (3:45) and discuss vulnerability as a leadership & personal skill
  • Reflection on storytelling challenges and opportunities 
  • Telling a story at just the right leadership moment 
  • Discuss floodlighting
Break (15 mins)
Life Maps (30 mins)
  • Draw a map of your life that reflects moments of your leadership path and how you got to be in the place you are today – leave room for the future
  • Share with a small group
Honing In (25 mins)

Choose one story you want to develop from the Life Maps exercise 

  • Why not to write your story out – the brain science of oral vs. written.
  • First line/last line
  • How could you use this story to help people understand what you do?
  • Get a few people to share as time allows
Reflection / Wrap-up (30 mins)
  • Opportunity for open dialogue
  • Talk briefly about the history of this movement here in the U.S., how it is differs from the folklore tradition
  • Why is this an important skill for you and why did your leaders choose to offer this workshop?
  • Mention the resources page that will be distributed afterward
  • Play story from Snap Judgment (0:35) and/or “pitching as storytelling” video?
  • Mention Carapace & other local opportunities to practice
  • How you can find Shannon later
  • Workshop Evaluations

Want to discuss a workshop?
Select a date and time for a free phone consultation to discuss here.