Andrew talks about the capacity that stories have to be an agent of positive change. He draws from his personal experiences and those of others.

1. Stories – an agent of Change
Andrew Thorp
5th April 2012

2. William Kamkwamba
“The Boy Who Harnessed
the Wind”
• A wonderful story from the TED Talks archive.
• Big influence on me, coming out of a trough at the time.
• I took from it what mattered to me…
• It’s about self-empowerment and following your passion.
• William’s sense of purpose transported him to a better place.
• We personalise stories we hear – make them about US.

3. Finding Purpose - Finding a Voice
The Sara Knowles Story
• Lost a job she loved.
• Job hunting unsuccessful (‘push’ marketing broken).
• Wrote a blog.
• Placed it in LinkedIn Groups.
• Got noticed.
• Asked to speak at Embassy event in Slovenia.
• Created new opportunities for herself.
• Became a ‘pull’ marketer – started a company.

4. Stories had clearly brought about positive Change
I’ve always had a passion for stories
Got it from my mother!
Curious to know what forces were at play

5. Job Seeker
Stand Out!
Got to get noticed amongst
all the noise.
Bland, factual explanations of
what you do won’t cut it.
Start telling your STORY.

6. Make it personal
SP
Put more of YOU in it.
There’s only one of you, isn’t there?
Talk about your experiences,
not just your experience.

7. Richard’s Story
Was out of work for some time.
We helped him tell his story better.
Once raised money for charity by cycling
from Manchester to Paris…dressed as a
He’s now employed
butler! (Interviewers liked that)
(not as a butler!)

8. Stories
Connect
´
Dr Brene Brown
• Wonderful TEDx Talk about the power of vulnerability.
• Revealing more about what’s on the inside helps people connect with you.
• Business people (and interviewees often shy away from this).

9. Opening up about Dyslexia
• We chaired a round-table discussion in Whitehall in 2011.
• Talked about employee engagement.
• One delegate admitted he felt disconnected from his team.
• He’d always battled with dyslexia, but tried to hide his ‘weakness’.
• He subsequently convened a meeting with his team, and came clean.
• The connection he experienced thereafter was astonishing.

10. The storyteller
• Also interested in the impact of storytelling on the storyteller.
• Interviewed Richard McCann (his mother was first victim of The Yorkshire Ripper).
• He later found his calling as a professional speaker and author (the impact….?)
• Found his voice (and confidence).
• Helped him make sense of everything that had happened.
• Realised he had value.

11. Stories are not dead,
static things.
Not just about the
past.
STORIES

12. If you have an idea you think is worth spreading,
Stories give ideas
craft it into a story and watch it take flight!
legs!

13. Andrew Thorp
5th April 2012