You ought to write a book!
That's what they told me...
“You ought to write a book about that!” is what people say when they hear my stories about being the youngest of ten kids. In the past, I would always chuckle and say “Yeah, I should!” Then I would talk myself out of it because I didn’t think my stories were all that special. Everyone has amusing stories to tell - right? I would forget all about it, until the next time someone told me to write a book.
It wasn’t until I started using my stories while coaching business leaders on effective communication that I realized the value of the stories. During a manager training at a multi-billion dollar company about personality types and how the differences can cause misunderstandings, I found myself telling stories about some of the arguments I witnessed growing up. We had a lot of strong personalities in my family. Sometimes the problems occurred when the personalities were so different, and sometimes because they were so similar!
At an accounting firm, while discussing conflict resolution, active listening was the hot topic. Growing up with 9 older siblings, all of whom would qualify for Mensa and wanted to be in charge, made active listening a necessity! I had to pay very close attention to what was happening at all times in order to navigate that environment. I learned to listen closely to what was said, and more importantly, what their words actually meant.
While training a large hospital group about handling patient complaints, we talked about body positioning and how important it can be once emotions flare. Three quarters of all serious arguments at our family dinner table were between people sitting on opposite sides of the table. Once finger pointing and leaning over the table to get into the other person’s space happened, Mom or Dad would have to step in and put an end to it. The psychological difference of being literally on the same side of the table went a long way. The medical staff realized that sometimes, they need to come out from behind the glass barrier and sit next to a patient if things started to get heated.
Look at the stories that you tell over and over. What lesson did that event teach you, and how can you use that story to teach others? If it is important enough to tell and retell, I bet there is a good lesson in there. Perhaps you ought to write a book!
