Storytelling in Business Consulting

Foreword:
In business consulting, stories are often used to illustrate points to clients. While data-driven analysis is the basis of our suggestions, stories help to make them more understandable and relevant. The stories are vocal, short, and illustrative of data. This story was found on businessballs.com, which claims that it is a true story.

Example Story:
Setup: A service-based company has hired consultants to solve its poor customer service ratings. We found that the problem is due to inconsistent application of industry best practices, and are going to give suggestions on why and how to fix this problem. This story is used as a set-up before I give the presentation.

The bank concerned had introduced a charge to be levied when people paid in money to be credited to an account held by a different bank. The charge was 50p and had been in force for about 6 months or so. A well to do, upper-class lady enters the bank and presents the cashier a check which she asks to be paid into an account held by a different bank. The cashier duly tells the lady that there will be a charge of 50p. Indignantly, she tells him, "I wasn't charged the last time."
To which the cashier immediately replies, "Well that will be a pound then..." 


Analysis:
This story is illustrative of the importance of having standardized processes across a company. The persuasion is through a pathetic appeal of humor. It clearly demonstrates the problems that can result when changes are not completely and simultaneously implemented across a company.

Retelling the Story:
If I was telling a story to a labor group explaining why they should advocate for changes like the ones mentioned above, I could tell the story like this.
George is a teller at the local branch of a large bank. He has been working there 8 months now, and is really starting to get into the swing of things. He enjoys his job and feels that he is on the road to success with the firm. One day, unbeknownst to him, a supervisor puts a memo on top of his task while he's in the bathroom. Another teller walks over and drops some more papers on top of the stack. Unfortunately, the memo, which details a new pricing regimen to be applied to inter-bank transfers, gets lost in the pile. Because the business relies completely on tellers to apply prices with no electronic backup, hundreds of customers every day are helped by George without. Then one day, George's supervisor calls him into his office.
"George, our company auditors just came through, and they tell us that we've been losing 50p from you every time you perform a transaction. I'm going to have to put you on temporary probation."
George protests, but because he did indeed receive the memo, his statements that he didn't see it fall upon deaf ears, and he is soon fired and later prosecuted for embezzlement, all because his company had outdated price management systems.
I changed the story so that rather than being through the eyes of the customer, it comes from the eyes of an innocent, up-and-coming employee who is accidentally caught up in the errors caused by inefficient management systems. Whereas the first story would appeal more to management who are most concerned with customer experience, this applies more to those who advocate for workers by drawing attention to the dangers that these systems present to the company labor force.

Storytelling in Event Planning

Foreword:
Event planning is all about telling a story. The best event planners tell such an all encompassing story that the audience is often unaware that they are being told a story. One of my favorite stories in told in event planning is the story of love on one's wedding day. Often times, the story told on wedding day is less about the audience than the authors. Wedding planners have a few hours, at most, to help the couple tell their story to the people they care most about.

Example Story:
Toni and Cameron met while living in Denver doing door to door sales. At the end of the summer they made their relationship official; the next year, in October, they decided to share their love publicly with their family and friends. At the reception, a slideshow detailing their lives, before they met, and after.

Analysis:
Wedding planners help the couple to share the important aspects of their lives together. The couple persuades their family and friends of their love, and the audience reciprocates by attending the event. The slideshow depicts the change that has occurred in their lives as their relationship progressed.

Retelling the Story:
As the slideshow plays, Toni and Cameron watch with their closest friends and family as the screen retells their story. Just hours before, Cameron cried as Toni walked down the aisle in a beautiful lace dress. "I can't believe it all started with door to door sales," Toni mentioned in her vows.

Often times the wedding planner is asked for advice on what the maid of honor or mother of the bride or father of the bride or even bride and groom should say in their speeches. As a wedding planner, it is important to help them tell their story their own way. The retold story is a little more persuasive because it helps the audience connect more, shows a little more emotion, and has a bit of a surprising ending.

Storytelling in Computer Science

Foreword

It is often necessary for programmers to discuss bugs in operating systems that they've released. One of the most important skills for someone creating a product for the public is identifying and resolving any conflicts with the product, often after it has been released. That is why beta programs exist; the product is released to a small group of people so that any major bugs can be patched before the final product is given to the public.

Example Story

Setup: This example is for a video game, because who doesn't love a good video game from time to time?

Story: The Beta weekend for Titan II has been a success. However, some players are experiencing issues. Once they have finished creating their characters, the world isn't rendering. As they can't interact with the world around them, these players aren't able to test out any of the game past the beginning. These players are streaming these issues to the community, and it's having negative effects on our projected player base. Some of the people that pre-ordered the game have asked for refunds. We need to work on the visual coding for the game or we're dead in the water.

Analysis

This seems like it would be the typical discussion between fellow programmers of a major bug directly following a game's release. It first identifies what is causing the problems, and it then implies what some of the negative effects of the problem will be.

Retelling the Story

Programmers must now convince their superiors that this major bug must be patched.

Projected sales for our game have drastically plummeted. Social media outlets are showing that common expectations for the game are dropping lower and lower. Popular streamers are revolted at the designs lack of foresight. One of our most consistent correspondents has begun making several videos showcasing game-breaking glitches in our design. Even opposing companies are mocking are game, calling it "Floating Titan II." We need to go into the programming and fix the problem so that this project doesn't die before it has even launched.

I reversed the order of the story so that the result, which is the really worrisome piece of information, is being presented first. I also added other pertinent information that may help persuade the audience, my superiors.

Storytelling in English Teaching

Foreword
In the field of teaching, specifically English teaching, it is crucial for teachers to be able to retell stories effectively and efficiently. Teachers may tell stories to make a point, to spark conversation, or to explain a concept--not to mention the obvious storytelling that occurs when teachers summarize literature. The following story is a summary of the beginning of the novel "The Lord of the Flies" by William Golding (incidentally, a novel that basically everyone had to read in my high school).

Example Story
William Golding's The Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of young boys who, as a result of a plane crash, get stranded on an island. The boys establish a primitive system of leadership (one of the boys, named Ralph, becomes chief), but one of the other boys- Jack- disagrees with Ralph's ideas and starts gathering his own followers. Ralph's group is focused on building shelters and maintaining a smoke fire in order to attract the attention of potential rescuers. Jack, on the other hand, is more on the party side and his group goes on hunting expeditions.

Analysis
A teacher could use a story similar to this in order to prep a class for a reading assignment or to review it before a discussion of the text. The summary isn't analysis heavy at all--in fact, there's none of it. However, in this situation, analysis isn't necessary--it will be (hopefully) brought out when the class discussion begins.

Retelling the Story
If a teacher was to tell this story in an English class more focused on analysis, it would be structured differently.

In The Lord of the Flies, we know that the boys' humanity deteriorates over time, ending in the murder of two of the kids. We first see the foreshadowing of such events when the boys split into two "tribes"--the leaders being Jack and Ralph. What other early events foreshadow the dramatic events that occur later in this novel?

In this retelling of the story, I started with the end of the novel, went to the beginning, and worked my way back to the middle. Because this story would be used to address a different audience, such as an honors English class, it makes different points and ends with a question to inspire class discussion.

Storytelling in Clinical Social Work

Forward

            Uniquely, the job of a clinical social worker is to tell the client's own story in a way that they haven't seen it before.  The reason a person goes to a therapist is to get a new perspective of their problems so that they can fix them.  By helping them to understand their own inner workings, the social worker shows them where their levers and pulleys are so they can take control of their own lives.  The key is explaining the story in a way that the patient will easily comprehend it.  The example I will give is the part of the repertoire of my advisor at Wasatch Mental Health that he uses to help people understand how long-standing mental habits can change in a positive way.

Example Story

            Your mind is like a hill made out of dirt.  When you are born, your hill is smooth and unblemished.  As time goes on, you have many thoughts and experiences that are like raindrops trickling down the hill.  When thought patterns are repeated over and over again, it is like streams of water frequently running down the same part of the hill:  tiny ruts become large trenches that are difficult to change.  However, by consciously changing your thought processes and consistently making them a part of your routine, you can re-carve the grooves of your mind and improve your functionality.

Analysis

            The persuasive power of this story is the straightforwardness of the analogy.  It translates the emotional complexity of a mental illness into a simple phenomenon that makes sense to the listener.  Even more, it transforms the overwhelming prospect of deep life change into one basic task that can be completed with some effort.  That idea persuades the listener that they can make meaningful shifts in lifestyle because the connection between the cause and effect of water running down a hill of dirt is so obvious.  It encourages them to believe that hope is on the horizon even though their previous attempts at improving their lives may have failed.

Retelling the Story

            Habits are difficult to change.  It is easy to feel that you are sliding back into the same habits without making any progress.  However, if you follow certain steps, I know that you can rise above your depression.  The process is difficult, but anyone who puts their mind to it can do it.  Let me explain how this is done:

            Your mind is like a hill made out of dirt.  When you are born, your hill is smooth and unblemished.  As time goes on, you have many thoughts and experiences that are like raindrops trickling down the hill.  At first, when you think negative thoughts about yourself it probably didn't make much of a difference, just like a single rivulet of water wouldn't do much to the mound of dirt.  Over time, however, the negative emotions that you return to again and again are like streams of water constantly running down the same part of the hill.  They begin to cut ruts into your mind that are difficult to escape from.  That is why thinking positively about yourself for a day or a week is not enough to change the way you feel overall.  However, by consciously changing your thought processes to make a positive self-image a consistent part of your routine, you can re-carve the grooves of your mind and have the relationship with yourself and your family that you have told me you wanted.

            I put this story in the context of a single person's situation, specifically a patient suffering from depression.  I connected the thought processes they are experiencing to elements of the story to bring them inside of it more deeply and help them see how it relates to what they have already expressed in therapy.

"King of the Hill," no changes made, by Russ Allison Loar. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode

Storytelling in Journalism

Foreword

Journalism is all about telling stories. We have a variety of formulas to write stories—chronological, the inverted pyramid, kabob. These different styles are used to best communicate news to our audience (the general public). Stories vary in length, depending on the type. Print journalists communicate through writing, either in print or online.

This is an example of a crime story.

Example

Setup:

There is a thief on the loose and the news media needs to inform the public about the incident.

Story:

Jack and Jill were robbed late last night in their suburban home. Several pieces of jewelry as well as two laptops were taken.  This robbery is the third one of it’s kind this month. The suspect is still on the loose. Police are asking for anyone with information. (Initial story written by the journalist.)

Analysis

This is a very basic narrative story, identifying the “who, what, when, where,” though not “how” or “why.” As Kotahi mentioned in her post, these questions are basic in journalism. Persuasion is at work in pathos (a little) in appealing to the audiences emotions about this story. This could perhaps work as a pitch to editors or possible as a quick online update.

Retelling the Story

This is now for a general public audience.

Jack and Jill were robbed on Friday Oct. 15 around 2 a.m. while the couple was asleep in their suburban home. Several pieces of jewelry and two laptops were taken.

“We didn’t even hear him come in,” Jill says. “He silenced the alarm and feed our dog a treat so she didn’t bark.”

Police say that this is the third break in this month, and they have no leads at this point.

“If anyone has any information we would greatly appreciate it,” Officer Smith says. “The break ins have not been violent so far, but we want to catch this thief to prevent the robberies from continuing or escalating.”

Please contact 555-5555 with any information.

I added dialogue and more detail to appeal to the audience’s pathos more. The quote from the victim makes the story more real. The quote from the officer adds ethos. I also included a call-to-action, which is attempting to be directly persuasive.

Storytelling in Undergraduate Education Preparation

Foreword

• When students are faced with the decision of whether or not to go to college, anecdotal storytelling is often used as a persuasion tool to convince the students not to attend a college or university. These stories can be short or long and even given in an oral presentation or in formal or informal blogs. In my quest for my own purpose in life, I have stumbled across many stories of college dropouts who found greater meaning in their life after they retired from main-stream education. I became aware of this particular autobiographical story in a translation class as part of a consecutive interpreting assignment. 

Example Story

• This story was shared by Steve Jobs when he gave the commencement speech at Stanford University. Most of the information is now fairly well-known as Mr. Jobs' story is also such. His purpose is to show that all things don't have to work perfectly for everything to work out perfectly.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

Analysis

• Spoiler alert! Mr. Jobs actually begins his story with a statement of what happens at the end of the story. This proves to be quite effective because his purpose in telling the story is not to give a timeline of events but to provide useful analysis of the sequence of events and give them greater value. This is clearly indicated by the rhetorical question he asks near the beginning. He then goes on to answer the question, providing hidden motivations for every action being taken throughout the story. At the end of [this section of] the story, Mr. Jobs explains his mixed emotions after reaching his own catharsis and explains the positive outcomes of what may seem like a negative or tragic ending to the story.

Retelling the Story

• Because I am so familiar with the Steve Jobs story, I will add a some TRUE details to this story in order to persuade students to take courses they are interested in but not to drop out

I never believed my college education would have any practical application in my life. But 10 years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, what I learned in my calligraphy class proved very valuable. And we designed it all into the Mac, which became the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. 

Even though my motivation for trying a new class came from the stress of paying an expensive tuition with my parents savings, I found more joy and more success in following my own interests than sticking to the status quo. The truth is, at the time, I just didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I was wandering, and quite frankly, wasting my time and my parents money. I'm glad that, in spite of the fear and the difficulty, I stepped outside my comfort zone and tried something new.

• I feel like I may have cheated by adding too much information. But by adding a more specific benefit, the persuasion for trying a new class becomes much more powerful. I'm not sure that I was able to reach persuasion as succinctly as Steve Jobs was, but I do feel like my retelling of the story is persuasive to the new purpose. 

Storytelling in Localization

Foreword

It's the good stuff.

Localization seems to be an under appreciated industry. Having to convince the monolingual world that a bilingual person is not a translator is very difficult and exhausting. Fortunately, horror stories about mistranslations and their consequences abound. Many translators and localizers are constantly telling stories to customers, so they will be willing to spend more money for an accurate translation. These stories can and are told in any way possible; in fact, an entire website is dedicated to mistranslations gone awry.

Example Story
Setup: Let's use a story I heard from my brother-in-law, who is a dentist. We'll say I'm helping another dentist understand the importance of getting the translation right.
Story: The other day, my brother-in-law, who is a dentist in Idaho, told me about a translation that he had for his practice. They go with a lot of Spanish-speakers so they had written instructions of what to do after a root canal. One patient came back in a couple of weeks after the root canal and asked when he could start eating regular food again. The dentist asked, "what have you been eating?" "baby food," responded the patient. The dentist let him know that he only needed to be eating soft food, not baby food. Obviously, they didn't pay much for that translation and it hurt them in the end. 

Analysis
This is a very typical type of story told within the localization industry. The translator relates to the customer a story of when a bad translation hurt their future business. The translator is trying to help the customer know that his expertise in the field will keep him from making any mistakes that would hurt the customer's image.

Re-telling the story
Because the translator is trying to keep the dentist's business he or she can make the consequences more vivid.
Diego goes back to the store with the last of his family's food stamps thinking to himself: "There has got to be a cheaper way around this." You see, Diego was forced to the dentist two weeks earlier, when his tooth was hurting him so badly, he could no longer work. When he got home after the operation, he was amazed that the instructions required him to eat baby food 'until further notice.' He soon noticed how expensive Gerber was when feeding a grown man. After two weeks and a diminishing bank account, he returned to the dentist only to find out that 'baby food' was a mistranslation and that he only needed to eat 'soft food.' Frank, do you think Diego is ever going back to that dentist?
I emphasized Diego's predicament by adding his own thoughts and background. I put the middle of the story at the beginning to catch the readers attention. I finished with a question that will help the reader agree with my opinion. I don't think Frank is going to want his patients to be buying 10 cans of Gerber a day.

Storytelling in Hospital care Nursing

Foreward:

In nursing, there is a lot of hands-on practice involved.  Nurses often learn from mistakes and successes either of themselves or of others.  These stories are usually passed down verbally, oftentimes by nurses who have worked for many years.  The stories are often told with a specific emphasis on what many nurses do wrong- or what they did right that was crucial.  They help new nurses and students to learn what to do and what not to do.  

I made up an example of a story of a nurse Sarah with two viewpoints  

Example Story:

• A nurse who already works at the hospital might tell a story of another nurse who had messed up, hoping to convince the new nurse not to do the same thing.

• Story: “Sarah was working late one night, completely exhausted- she’d been working for 24 hours straight and with no breaks.  She’d covered a shift for a friend and was in her last hour before she had to go home.  All night she’d been running from place to place and she was exhausted.  Sarah knew she should be making her rounds one last time before the next nurse got there, but the patients were all fine just a half hour ago, they’d be fine.  She sat for a bit, allowing her legs to relax and passed on the charts to the incoming nurse.  As she was heading out the door, she heard a scream.  One of the patients, Eric, was on the floor, lifeless.”   

Analysis:

As an incoming nurse, or a student studying about nursing, there are many errors that are pointed out in this story to help persuade the nurses to be on their guard, giving 100% until the end.  It also persuades nurses to be smart about their working hours- focusing on the importance of the patient.

Retelling the Story:

• If the nurses telling the stories really want to persuade the new nurses to work better, they should focus on love and care as a motivator so they’ll keep pushing even when they don’t feel like it.

• “Eric was about 5 years old when he was rushed to the hospital because of a heart malfunction.  He was the youngest of 4 brothers and sisters who loved him very much.  He had been in the hospital for about 2 months.  There was excitement Eric’s family’s home as they knew he would be coming home in just 2 short days.  They couldn’t wait to play with him and just hug him.  Little did they know, after that night they wouldn’t get to see their brother again- something that could have been prevented had Sarah, one of their favorite nurses, made her last rounds that night (had he been helped immediately, he would have survived.  The family came into the hospital with tear stricken cheeks.  Eric was gone.  Sarah sat, helpless.”  

This focus takes more of an approach on the family and allowing those feelings of loving the people to help persuade the nurses to be at the top of their game, and not allowing themselves to slack off. They think of what good can happen if they do their job.  Everyone gets exhausted, but they need to recognize lives are at risk here.  Stories can also help more people to want to go into the profession of nursing when the nurse does do her job and saves a life.

Storytelling in Anesthesiology

As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), a common form of storytelling is relaying specific medical information to doctors, nurses, surgeons, and patients. Because the medical field is so specialized these days, there is a lot of passing off of patients from nurse to anesthesiologist to surgeon, and so on. The purpose of storytelling is to make sure that everyone is on the same page and has the information they need. Time is usually a precious resource so the extent of this communication needs to be efficient. In the medical field, written communication is required almost all the time to document patient information, vitals, and procedures. Verbal storytelling, however, is crucial to ensure that the most important information is not overlooked. This quick story comes from online information about positive relationships between anesthesiologists and surgeons.

Dialogue between physicians as the surgeon comes in to the operating room. CRNA: "Good afternoon doctor, the patient has informed me that he prepared well, he looks good, his vitals are steady, and he is ready for operation" Surgeon: "Thank you, it looks like his blood pressure is steady, but could we drop that lower to assist with exposure?" CRNA: "I would advise against that because it would put the patient at risk based on his history." Surgeon: "Thank you for your work and input."

The CRNA needs to give the information and explain potential risks while understand the authority of the surgeon, staying professional and building ethos in the way that they communicate. An effective way to build credibility is to convey in a concise way that you are accountable for everything you are responsible to do. Accountability and competency allows both physicians to remember that they are working together instead of against each other or just around each other.

The only thing that changes here is the timing in which this interaction takes place. Surgeon: "Sorry I'm late, how is everything with the patient?" CRNA:"Good morning doctor, everything looks good, how was your weekend?"Surgeon: "Pretty relaxing, thanks for asking. Now it's back to the grind. Everything looks good." The CRNA and Surgeon walk into the operating room together and address the patient.

This is a minor change with the timing, and probably isn't the strongest example, but it illustrates the point that ethos and pathos can play a roll in storytelling in the medical field. Again, the CRNA builds ethos by being accountable for his duties, but this time he appeals to pathos as well. He addresses the surgeon before entering the room, in more personal and confident in his approach toward the surgeon, and shows that they are working toward the same goal as they walk in together.

Storytelling in Legal Mediation

Foreword:
In the field of legal mediation, it is common to relate an account of each party's perspective on the facts and situation of the case within a legal mediation and to an appointed mediator. The purpose of the storytelling in a mediation is to allow each party to express their opinions and feelings in an informal setting that is not afforded in a courtroom. Once both sides have verbally shared their views, the mediator then can make a decision while acknowledging both sides of the case.

The parameters are fixed and yet fluid in a mediation. Mediation most often takes place in civil litigation cases, where there was a civil disagreement between two people or organizations. Each party, both plaintiff and defendant, have the option of having an attorney present in the mediation. A time limit is set for each mediation since most mediators are either current or retired judges, and their hourly fee is quite expensive. Most mediation can vary anywhere from 2-4 hours in length with a break or two included.

Documents and evidence can be brought to settle the case and used in a mediation. An important part of mediation is that the opinion of how the case should settle that comes from the mediator is NOT binding in any way. It is simply a suggestion, a potential method to resolve the case. In most instances the opinion of the mediator is what does end up occurring, but not always. The story I will be sharing is from an article in The New York Times, and it is representative of my field of legal mediation because it describes a real life example of a mediation.

Example Story:
A few years ago more than 4,000 NFL players and their wives charged that NFL with having concealed for years and even decades what it knew about the long-term dangers of repeated hits to the head. The NFL rejected that arguments, stating they had issued warnings consistent with medical research available at the time. In 2013, the league and the lawyers representing the 4000+ players and wives met in a conference room instead of a courtroom to work to iron our their differences. A U. S. District Court Judge order a retired federal judge to serve as mediator in the case. Although not binding, the opinion and settlement bargain can be taken by the two parties involved in the case.

Analysis:
The ingredients of the story are that the two parties were willing to meet for mediation and that the judge was appointed in this instance to mediate, rather than the two parties coming to the decision themselves. The U. S. District Court Judge who was overseeing the case felt that a mediator would do the parties good, and so she ordered they mediate. Few things are quite as persuasive as a legal mandate. While the conclusion of the case is not indicated, the mediator shared his opinion and let the two parties make the decision on their own. His opinion must have been very persuasive, although it's important to note that in most cases settled neither side receives as much compensation or gives as little as they expect.

Retelling the Story:
I will vary the story by changing its audience. Rather than writing to a general audience, I will write as an attorney to one of the wives of a football player involved in the lawsuit.

As you know, playing in the NFL can be highly dangerous and risky due to the extreme head injuries that can be sustained over an extended period of time. In many cases, these injuries can leave the athletes permanently injured or incapacitated. For this reason we are pursuing legal action against the NFL, along with over 4000 other athletes and their families. The lawsuit has been taken to the mediation phase, per the order of the judge, which means we will have a chance to make a settlement. I promise you that we will not accept the settlement offer unless it will fairly compensate (though no money could) you and your family for the injuries your husband has sustained.

This variation has a much more specific target audience, and for that reason I could be more specific in the role mediation will play in the case. By taking on the role of an attorney writing to a client, you can take on a more pathetic appeal by seeking to empathize and make right the wrongs.

Storytelling in Familial Arbitration and Mediation

Foreword
When families seek the services of a mediator, the officiate occasionally weaves the facts and stories of both sides' cases into a more poignant, easily understood narrative illustrating the key points and issues in a more middle-ground fashion.  These stories vary in length and serve as a means of allowing the families to analyze their own situations from a third-party, less-biased perspective, enabling the wronged on both sides to understand their "opponents."

I made up the following story- As I don't yet have... Err... Any experience in my field, I honestly can't guarantee how much it typifies the stories my future colleagues are currently using: I only have second-hand knowledge from my Career Exploration professor, career fairs, and the occasional expositive mediation specials on television.

Example Story

• Setup: Four siblings seek mediation over the unequal estate settlement of their deceased parents, three of them feeling the house inherited by one, we'll call him Gerald, outweighed the monetary compensation received by the others. 
• "Gerald, in your parents' joint-will, they opted to leave you your childhood home: as far as liquid assets go, the home doesn't (and wouldn't) provide much financially.  In fact, its state of disrepair after all these years poses a substantial financial obligation, making it, in many ways, a negative asset for your portfolio.
  
  "However, your siblings feel there is immense difficulty in placing a price on sentimentality.  You now own the doorstep on which your sister had her first kiss, the living room where your family celebrated every Christmas, the tree under which the family dog was buried... In essence, your inheritance's value is more 3-dimensional than you may have previously accounted for, and shows just whom your parents trusted the most.  You now own a physical representation of every positive and negative experience of your siblings' childhoods, and they wish to negotiate an agreement wherein their emotional upheaval can be assuaged."

Analysis

This story restates what "Gerald" told the mediator, showing that, whatever decisions are to be made, he is, in fact, understood.  It also serves as a representation of similarity/difference, exposing to the intended audience the views of, in this case, his opponents.

Retelling the Story

• If the mediator in this story were to speak to Gerald's siblings instead, he would probably flip the order in which he addressed each party's grievances, establishing understanding communication before introducing difficult subject matter.
• "If I'm understanding you correctly, you three feel, first off, caught off-guard by your parents' apparent favoritism and special treatment of your brother.  They left him your childhoods: Memories of almost every "first," the grave of your family pet, the time capsules hidden in the now finished basement...

• However, Gerald was rather confused at the contents of your parents' will.  The years of neglect due to your parents' senescence have left the house in a sorry state of disrepair, cutting its financial value significantly.  As a negative asset, the money your parents left to you far outweighs the physical worth of Gerald's inheritance.  That being said, he wants to ensure everyone agrees to something: Whether or not it's the exact contents of your parents' will."

Storytelling in Economics

Foreword:
Economists are well known for having very opposing opinions on similar subjects. It takes a very talented and knowledgeable economist to translate the vocabulary of economists into simple English. Not all of them are capable of this kind of presentation, even though it is a necessary skill if they ever want to publish their work. Economists collect data, analyze it, and present it to a business, agency, or political leader. As they present, the way they relay the analyzed data may make or break the situation. Using stories that can relate to the audience will benefit the economist greatly as they strive to persuade their audience.

Example Story:
Setup: This is a summary of a economic story in the Washington Post.
Story:
"Breakfast sandwiches started as a working class meal, popularized because it was cheap and could be eaten while standing up. Today, such foods are being absorbed into luxury culture. What can this tell us about the society we live in?"Washington Post

Analysis:
This is an interesting way of applying comparison into writing. This is a very valuable tool for economists because you see the difference between what has been and what is now, and what is to come. I find it fascinating that they use the word absorbed when talking about luxury culture. It makes it sound like it is apart of everyone's lives. And the question at the end makes it sound like this is a very negative thing that is happening to our society, which I personally would agree with, even if other economists wouldn't.

Retelling the Story:
Refutation can be a powerful marketing tool, especially if an accredited economist is the one refuting which I will do with this story.

Just because you see the CEO of Goldman Sachs eating a breakfast sandwich does not make it an appropriate breakfast meal. You know that breakfast sandwiches used to be a meal for the poor working class. Why the change? We need to keep making healthy meals to feed our children, or they will never know what a real breakfast meal is.

I decided to use a lot more forceful language like "just because", "healthy meals", and "poor working class". These are more extreme versions of the first story that have the intent of refuting the behavior of eating out for breakfast.

Storytelling in ESL Teaching

Foreword

Telling stories while teaching English as a second language is crucial because it helps the students understand situations in which they need to use English, and what will happen if they use the word, grammar form, phrase, etc. correctly or incorrectly. In a way, storytelling is an example of real life that will help the students understand how to use English in a given setting or situation. Storytelling happens in the classroom while teaching, or the students themselves perform stories of their own that will help them understand words/grammar/phrases/situations better so that when a real life situation comes, they will be prepared.

I made up this example based on the fact that the person teaching needs to teach the correct meaning to a certain phrase.

Example Story

A teacher teaches an intermediate-level English class the phrase “the apple does not fall far from the tree,” by telling a story about a real-life situation.

Soo Hyun, a student of an English class situated in his hometown, Seoul, just came out of class. His American English teacher just taught the class the phrase “the apple does not fall far from a tree,” and he was ready to practice it with his American buddy Dave. He talks with Dave on the phone, and Dave tells him, “I am studying economics, just like my dad did when he was in college.” Soo Hyun says, “Wow, the apple does not fall far from the tree!” Dave then says, “Yes, my dad and I have very similar interests.”

Analysis

This is an example of how a student learns a phrase, and then applies it to real life, showing that they learned from the teacher. When given in a class setting, it shows the students what the phrase means based on the dialogue, and shows the proper way to use it when speaking with another person.

Retelling the story

A teacher teaches the phrase “the apple does not fall far from a tree” to students in their first English class.

There was this man named Soo Hyun. He calls his American friend Dave, and asks him, “How is college?” Dave says to him, “Great! I am studying economics, and it is really hard.” Soo Hyun asks him, “Why are you studying it when you think it is hard?” Dave says, “Because I love it! My father studied it when he was in college, actually.” Soo Hyun says, “Wow, the apple does not fall far from the tree!” Dave says, "Yes, I like the same things as my dad."

I simplified this story and took out a lot of the detail because this it is being told at a beginning level, using words and phrases that an audience with little English experience would understand. Also, I added more dialogue to the audience could see a broader example of how the phrase is used. When given in an actual teaching setting, the teacher would give further explanation of the story, asking the students for understanding.