Teachers and Stories
Everyone has a story. Your experiences and your perspective make you uniquely you. The stories you tell yourself, and the stories that you tell others shape your character – the way you show up in the world.
My son Oscar recently reminded me that your stories also shape the experiences and perspective of the people around you. Oscar has a new teacher. When we asked him what he thought of her he said, “She’s awesome!”
“She told us a story about how when she was our age she had a cat that fell in the toilet bowl!”
The next day he excitedly told us that his teacher used to play basket ball. The next day it was something else. Every day he (and we) learned another little story about this woman’s life and each story contributed to his enthusiasm about having her as his teacher.
I think part of his awe is that through her stories, Oscar is finding a person he can relate to. She isn’t just the authority in the room. She used to be a kid. She’s interesting and she’s a real person.
My wife Megan is a teacher and she gets the same reaction from her students. When she tells them stories about our guinea pigs and takes in pictures, the kids hang on every word. Through her stories, she builds a connection that makes the kids want to learn from her. The result is that every year parents end up sending her letters that say, “I don’t know how you do it. My son hated going to school but since he’s been in your class he looks forward to going to school.” That’s the difference a real connection can make.
How do your stories (or lack of stories) shape the experiences and perspectives of the people on your team? Remember, it can have a profound impact on people to realize that their boss has been in their shoes. Have you mentioned that to anyone lately?
Category: All, Quick Stories
Tags: Inspire