The So What Strategy

Introduction 1

1 Understanding why mastering storylining is worth the investment 7

Storylining drives clarity of thinking and communication 8

Storylining drives faster and better decision making at all levels of a business 11

Storylining builds a culture of intelligent collaboration around real business issues 17

Storylining builds credibility and trust 20

2 Learning how to use storylines to identify and harness the ‘So what’ 23

What to think about before building your storyline 24

How to structure a storyline 28

How to test if your storyline is fit for purpose 44

3 Mastering the seven classic business storyline patterns 47

Action Jackson – for action plans 50

Close the Gap – for improvement recommendations 55

Houston, We Have a Problem – for explaining how to solve problems 60

The Pitch – for pitches and proposals 66

To B or Not to B – for explaining which option is best 74

Traffic Light – for updates 81

Watch Out – to counter emerging risks 87

4 Using storylines to shape the communication you share 93

Packaging your ideas into the most useful medium 95

Delivering your ideas clearly and powerfully 98

Getting feedback 102

5 Introducing storylining in your business 103

Being clear about your purpose and expectations 104

Putting simple support systems and structures in place 104

Allowing time to master the fundamental skills 105

Finding and encouraging role models 106

Planning to make it stick 106

Next steps for you 109

Appendix A: A storyline developed into a Word document 111

Appendix B: A storyline developed into a PowerPoint pack 117

About Davina and Gerard 123

Clarity College Resources 125

Bibliography 127