Stories and Anecdotes

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Attitude and Mindset.
• Communication Skills.
• Influence and Persuasion.
• Negotiation Skills.
• Teamwork and Collaboration.

Notes:
This story can be used to illustrate the point that our own behaviour affects the behaviour of others, and that communication and relationships can too easily enter a downward spiral when things go wrong.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where you want to:
• Demonstrate the importance of recognising when you have failed to build rapport with another party, or where a relationship has been damaged.
• Show the dangers of assuming the blame is on the other side, when negotiations or team relations falter.
• Illustrate how positive action can help rebuild team spirit, or improve relations with a client, customer or supplier, but that instant results are unlikely, particularly where there has been a breakdown in trust.

Source:
Rod Webb.

Related Topics:
• Learning.
• Personal Development.
• Trainer Development.

Notes:
This humorous, but true, story demonstrates the power of experiential learning.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You want participants to understand how they learn, and the importance of mistakes in learning.
• You want to develop your trainers' awareness of the importance and value of experiential learning.

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Motivation.
• Personal Effectiveness.

Notes:
The morale behind this story is that starting a project or task is easy. It is however, more difficult to keep momentum and motivation up, when things get difficult. Starting is natural – finishing requires determination.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You are examining personal motivation and effectiveness.

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Attitude and Mindset.
• Change.
• Creativity and Innovation.

Notes:
This short story can be used to highlight the need for organisations to stay ahead of their competitors.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You want to show participants that during difficult times, for example periods of economic downturn, companies that are able to adapt to a changing situation fastest and move with greatest flexibility and speed are the ones that are most likely to survive.
• You want to show the importance of creativity and innovation to an organisation. The ability to take new ideas from concept to implementation quickly and effectively can create that space between one organisation and the others.

Source:
Rod Webb.

Related Topics:
• Creative Thinking.
• Decision Making.
• Problem Solving.

Notes:
This story can be used to illustrate the need to nurture and explore ideas before evaluating them. The eggs in the story represent ideas – one is bad the other is good. On day one the chicken has no idea which is the good egg and which is the bad egg, but after nurturing both for a few weeks it is very easy to tell.

The same is true of ideas. We might think we can tell a good idea from a bad idea immediately, but we can't. Only if we take the time to explore and nurture the ideas, will we be able to recognise which are the good ones

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Communication Skills.
• Customer Care.
• Negotiation.
• Marketing and Sales.
• Teamwork and Collaboration.

Notes:
This story highlights the dangers of making assumptions about the needs and feelings of others, whether colleagues, suppliers or customers.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You want to show participants that we all have a different 'map' or perspective of the world, and it is dangerous to assume that others feel the same way as we do.
• You want participants to recognise the importance of building an understanding of others' needs and feelings, rather than making assumptions based on our own feelings.

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Attitude and Mindset.
• Change.
• Personal Development.

Notes:
This story can be used to encourage participants to think about the nature of fear. It illustrates the tendency to build obstacles up in our minds until they appear insurmountable.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You want participants to challenge their own perceptions about what is, and is not possible.
• You want to encourage participants to overcome obstacles or face a challenge.

Source:
Rod Webb.

Related Topics:
• Effective Meetings.

Notes:
This is a silly, but fun story that makes a lot of important points about effective meetings.

A full exercise, based around this story, is included under Course Modules/Time Management in Trainers’ Library.

Source:
Neil Wilkins, Train2Develop.

Related Topics:
• Attention to Detail.
• Customer Care.
• Influence and Persuasion.
• Information Gathering.
• Marketing and Sales.
• Planning and Preparation.

Notes:
The following story can be used in training around sales and marketing, and in particular telesales training. It demonstrates the importance of honesty and integrity when selling.

This story can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You want participants to think about the 'script' they use to sell the organisation's products or services.
• You want to discuss the importance of preparing effectively for a sales call.
• You want to explore the importance of qualifying sales leads.
• You want to demonstrate the value of asking the customer questions, rather than talking at them about your product.

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Negotiation.
• Sales and Marketing.

Notes:
This story shows the importance of needs when selling.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You want to participants to see the importance of identifying the customer need and selling to that, rather than listing features and benefits.

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Attitude and Mindset.
• Decision Making.
• Equal Opportunities and Diversity.
• Influence and Persuasion.
• Negotiation Skills.
• Teamwork and Collaboration.

Notes:
The following story can be used to illustrate the point that we all have a different view of the world in which we live, based upon our own personal experiences.

It can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• You want to demonstrate the importance of building an understanding of other people's needs and feelings.
• You want to encourage participants to think about how they make decisions.
• You want to show how deep-set our beliefs can be, and how they affect our attitudes and actions.

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Attitude and Mindset.
• Equal Opportunities and Diversity.
• Teamwork and Collaboration.

Notes:
The following story can be used to illustrate the point that each of us has our own unique flaws. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

It can provide a useful inclusion in training where:
• You are looking at the benefits of diversity in a team.
• You want to encourage participants to avoid judging others.

Source:
Unknown.

Related Topics:
• Attitude and Mindset.
• Change.
• Internal Customer Care.
• Motivation and Personal Effectiveness.
• Teamwork and Collaboration.

Notes:
The following story can be used in training around teamwork, and in particular attitudes. You can use it as a prompt for a discussion about the effect as our own words and actions ripple out in an organisation.

This story can be a useful inclusion in any training where:
• Participants talk about 'the organisation', perhaps forgetting that the whole is only a sum of the parts.
• You want to explore the impact local changes can have on an organisation.
• You want participants to examine their own attitudes and the power of positive thinking; showing the impact that positive thinking can have on others.