I remember as a little girl asking my dad which was better, Mac or PC, it was during the PC heyday, Macs were a pale boxy second to the omnipotent PCs. He answered me that PCs were popular but as computers Macs had quality and maybe someday that would come through, So it did - that was the man and the company that accomplished that feat, all the comeback success stories supporting Steve Jobs standing at that podium. You know that the audience will listen, and what will this man say?
As a storyteller observing a storyteller to learn I noticed two things in particular.
Steve Jobs told three stories. This may seem insignificant, however the number three is a significant number in storytelling. Its a round, full number, similar to the dozen. We expect it and feel that three is enough: three sons, three wishes, three kingdoms. In fairy tales three is the standard. The end.
Second, Steve Jobs always took a moment to frame his stories. He didn't dive straight in, he gave a few simple sentences to introduce the listeners to the story, and provided a context for its significance. When he reached the conclusion, he "wagged the tail" of the story. So each story was introduced, told, and wagged.
Stories connect the dots.
Contemplating this week's paper on Storytelling for community planning by Ganley, I found the speech complimentary. Ganley mentions our data-driven society which can lose sight of the full picture and lack heart. Like Ganley I think data can drive change but we look to stories for inspiration/value because they give context. Jobs' first story of the three about "connecting the dots" touches on this perspective.He was getting a degree and taking the "right" classes, following the data-driven way. However it was calligraphy that gave him inspiration in the future for computer design - typography and seeing the spaces between the letters and words. I myself took calligraphy in college, and learned to look for the right amount of space for each letter. Art has its place in design.
