Issue No. 214 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting highlights a DVD that might be the perfect idea-starter for jumpstarting new approaches to storytelling in your organization. If you’re a listener—grab the popcorn and enjoy this one! And this reminder: check out my Management Buckets website with dozens of resources and downloadable worksheets for your staff meetings.
Grab-Your-Heart Storytelling
Peter Drucker often reminded leaders to discern if the key people around them were readers or listeners. Think of your circle: board chair, boss, direct reports, colleagues, donors, key volunteers, etc. Are they readers or listeners? What’s your preferred style? Does your circle know that?
I’m a reader. I comprehend more by reading than by listening. Yet, Drucker’s counsel has caused me to be sympathetic to listeners—so this issue is for listeners. If you’ll listen (and view) this DVD for just one hour and 43 minutes, it may change the way you think about telling your story.
While the subject matter of Waiting for “Superman” (the movie was released in 2010, the DVD arrived this past February) appears to be of the ho-hum educational documentary variety—don’t kid yourself (no pun intended). It’s riveting. You might agree or disagree with the content, but that’s not why I’m recommending it.
My gut though is that you’ll resonate with the dismal shape of education in America. The up-close-and-personal student stories will touch you and the dedication of school administrator and teacher heroes will inspire you. But that’s not why I’m recommending it.
While viewing the DVD last week, I counted at least seven things you can learn about telling your organization’s story. So here’s my recommendation: schedule a two-hour staff lunch. Order the pizza and the popcorn and presto—you’ll have an add-water-and-stir staff meeting. Create a worksheet handout with these questions:
1) What problem does this documentary film address? Why has this problem remain unsolved for so long?
2) What approach did the director, Davis Guggenheim, employ to pull the viewer’s mind and heart into the subject matter?
3) In your opinion, what were the three most creative techniques he used to communicate his message (both the problems and the solutions)?
4) What graphic arrested your attention the most? Do you remember the statistics that accompanied the graphic? Why was it so memorable?
5) What individual’s story grabbed your heart?
6) This is not a faith-based documentary. But if it were, what would be your rallying cry to Christ-followers—to inspire them to be part of the solution?
7) What did you appreciate most about the film?
8) If you had a small team, a camera, and one week—what story about your organization would you like to put on film—and why? How would you storyboard it?
That’s it. No spoilers. Enjoy the popcorn! (The title? You’ll understand it when you view the film.)
To order this DVD from Amazon, click on the graphic below for Waiting for “Superman,” directed by Davis Guggenheim. (The DVD was released on Feb. 15, 2011.)
Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:
1) How thoughtful are we in recognizing that our staff, volunteers, donors and clients are both readers and listeners? Do we tilt inappropriately towards one learning/communication style? Can we fix that?
2) Who will make the popcorn for our two-hour Waiting for “Superman” staff meeting?
Supermen Need Not Apply - Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit
One of the big ideas in the Delegation Bucket, Chapter 16, in Mastering the Management Buckets is to…delegate! (Duh!)
Peter Drucker (I know…I quote him a lot) said, “No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings.”
Superman was not a good delegator. (Imagine how dull the movies would have been if he’d enlisted just the ordinary citizens of Metropolis to handle each crisis.) Yet the Superman syndrome is alive and well. Many CEOs, pastors, senior leaders, managers and volunteers often tackle their daily work as if they were Superman. As they fly across the screen, rooting out evil, they look back at the applauding crowd. When the affirmation feels so good, why delegate?
Does your team need a delegation refresher course (or a Delegation 101 session)? Check out the resources on the Delegation Bucket webpage. Download my "Dysfunctional Delegation Diseases" worksheet and diagnose the soft spots in your delegation skill sets. Are you a Code Green, Code Yellow or Code Red?
Comments