Astonishing Power of Storytelling

Robert J. Garmston is Emeritus Professor of Educational Administration at California State University, Sacramento. He is co-developer of Cognitive Coaching with Art Costa and co-developer of Adaptive Schools with Bruce Wellman. He has worked as an educational consultant and made presentations and conducted workshops for teachers, administrators, and staff developers on leadership, learning, and personal and organizational development in twenty-four countries on five continents. Formerly an administrator and teacher in Saudi Arabia and the United States, his work has been translated into Arabic, Dutch, Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish. Bob lives in El Dorado Hills, California, near his five children and five (bright and cute) grandchildren.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author and IllustratorPART I: WHY STORIES WORK1. Why Tell StoriesCommunication SuffocationLeading Through NarrativeWatch A Story Being ToldHow Storytelling Began2. The Neuroscience of NarrativeStory Worth WatchingStories Arouse Cooperative Instincts$$$ The Million-Dollar StoryDesired-State StoriesPART II: FIND, DESIGN, AND DELIVER YOUR STORY3. Finding Personal StoriesStory CategoriesLocating Personal Story MaterialStories About Your OrganizationFinding Your Personal Stories4. Other Story SourcesSix Story SourcesBiographiesFilms and TelevisionHistoriesLiteratureStories Unique to a Particular CultureTwo Stories Worth WatchingMetaphor Stories5. Why Are Metaphors Important?How Metaphors Are ProcessedRight Hemisphere EngagementFour Uses of MetaphorTeach ConceptsGenerate IdeasEmpowerGo Beyond LogicSubtexts of Metaphor6. Desirable Story FeaturesEngaging OpeningsHave a Beginning, Middle, and EndUse Present TenseUse Sensory ImagesInclude TensionsEmbed ConflictCreate VoicesUse Memorable ClosingsSeven Steps to Preparing a New Story7. Delivering Your StoryAnimationStand Like You Are CredibleCenteringVocal VarietyIntentional MovementStory Worth WatchingUse Questions to Invite the Audience InPART III: CHANGING BEHAVIORS WITH STORY8. Promote Change: Story Structure and ExamplesDesired StateResistanceApplying the Desired-State Map: Three Examples1. Shouting at a Parent2. Bear in the Cage3. A Strong, Yet Delicate RosePresume Positive Intentions9. Meet Groups Where They ArePacingIndirect SuggestionsWhat Listeners Experience10. Design for the Intuitive MindInvoking ReceptivityBeyond Waking AwarenessStory Elements for Subliminal ProcessesPacingMisdirectionArtfully Vague LanguageTensionsIndirect Suggestions11. How Two Stories Changed BehaviorsGeneral Components of a Well-Formed StoryFactual SpecificityPresentation CongruityAudience AppropriatenessElicits EmpathyContains Submerged Moral or Point of ViewCreates Internal RepresentationsBypasses Protective FiltersParallels the Audience’s SituationLingers on Point of IrresolutionMarks Embedded CommandsOffers Resolutions12. In ConclusionStory CatalogOrganizing the StoriesShifting PerceptionsInviting LearningInspiring ActionSeeking Desired StatesGuide to Story LocationsAPPENDIXWorksheet 1: Metaphor SubtextsWorksheet 2: Anatomy of Desired-State StoriesWorksheet 3: Constructing a Desired-State StoryPoetry Referenced in the PrefaceStorytelling Study CompanionReferencesIndex

From this point forward, this book will be one of those cherished friends I keep on my nightstand and pack during long travel journeys.  I encourage every educator to give yourself the gift of The Astonishing Power of Storytelling – it will have a profound impact on your personal and professional journey.