This is the ‘win with stories’ newsletter. Every week I send an email with a message wrapped in a short story. Along with that I share one actionable tip and a recommendation for you to enhance your storytelling skills.
If you are as old as I, then you probably revere Michael ‘Black Jesus’ Jordan. Haven’t heard of him? Let’s just say that he is the greatest basketball player of all time and arguably the best sportsman ever.
But this story is not just about him, it is about the famous Chicago Bulls team featuring him, Rodman, Kukoc, Kerr and others. This team coached by Phil Jackson won six NBA championships between 1989 and 1998. In 1998, due to some unpleasant reasons, the players were meant to bid goodbye to the team and each other. Understandably, it was a difficult time for everyone. This is a story about that time…
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls and a difficult goodbye.
Phil Jackson, the coach of the Bulls, was heavily influenced by spiritual practices of indigenous American people. His coaching methodologies were said to be unconventional, focusing on the subliminal as opposed to the obvious.
The onus of ensuring a closure to everyone fell upon him. Understandably, this was a challenge even for the brilliant coach. Each player was a star in his own right and amidst them was a superstar like no other. Despite being brothers-in-arms there were differences among them and Jordan was not known to betray his emotions.
Jackson revealed in the Netflix series ‘The Last Dance’ that he decided to use a ritual he had learnt from his wife who worked in the development sector.
All team members were called in one day. He gave them a piece of paper each, and asked them to write what the team meant to them.
This really made players face their emotions for the team and towards one another.
Steve Kerr wrote a poem. It is said that even Jordan shed a rare tear. After the team bonded in this collective display of emotions, Phil asked them to burn the papers and throw them into a coffee can.
It is said that this emotional goodbye helped players move on to the next chapters of their lives.
This is the power of symbolism and rituals. Like Jackson helped players move on, rituals and symbols can be used to inspire loyalty and action among other things.
Have you come across an interesting business symbol or ritual? Let me know.
Now for today’s communication tip:
Business anecdotes:
An IIT Kharagpur alum, Malini, recently launched Deconstruct Skincare. She wanted to position her brand as science-based and for the modern Indian woman. But articulating her brand’s defining idea proved to be challenging.
We worked together. Through story exercises we came up with the brand idea of ‘information over impulse’. A bigger competitor got inspired and used something similar in their communication. That, according to Malini, was a sign of success.
Interesting, right?
This is one of the anecdotes I use in business conversations. I have noticed that this helps me make what we do a lot more interesting and compelling. Capturing anecdotes for your business is powerful. I am thinking a lot these days about how to build a process to capture 3-5 line anecdotes. If you want to know more, ask questions and help me refine this process, reach out to me.
One podcast you could listen to today:
Robert McKee is the world’s leading story coach. He is popular with screenwriters and movie actors. And he has written a book called ‘Storynomics’ which is useful for applying storytelling techniques and story forms to business. In this podcast, he talks about storytelling being as old as time and the difference between a narrative and a story. He has some interesting tips for using stories in business. You can listen to the podcast here on Youtube.
Hope you enjoyed this edition of ‘win with stories’ newsletter. If you have a question about building or narrating your brand or business’s story, feel free to reply here or connect with me on Linkedin or Twitter.
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