Anecdotally Speaking

Does presentation matter? Here’s a story you can tell or trigger to convince your colleagues that it does. If you regularly read our blog, you will be familiar with story-triggering. Story-triggering is what occurs when someone does something so remarkable that the people who see, or experience it, tell stories about it. In our last […] The post 041 – Icing breakers and presentation matters appeared first on Anecdote.

As easy as riding a bike? Karen Stanton will bet you can’t ride this bike.  This week, Karen Stanton, the Global Branding and Marketing Director at IFF (International Flavours and Fragrances), joins us from New Jersey. She shares the story of the ‘backwards brain bike’.  When riding the backwards brain bike, you have to turn […] The post 040 – Moving forward on a backwards bike appeared first on Anecdote.

Have you ever felt nervous about making a mistake at work? Jill Roche shares a story which suggests you should look at mistakes as opportunities. This week we welcome our first guest speaker for 2019 to Anecdotally Speaking! Jill Roche is the Chief of Corporate Affairs at World Vision Australia. She shares a story which […] The post 039 – Reply all and touch many appeared first on Anecdote.

Micheal Phelps broke both his personal record and the world record when he won the men’s 400m Individual Medley Final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Four years later, he battled for 4th place in the same event. Don’t become complacent, it takes hard work to stay on top. A few years ago, Shawn was working […] The post 038 – Dolphin kicks out number one appeared first on Anecdote.

Dorothy Vaughan was a mathematician who worked for NASA during the 1960s. Her story provides an excellent example of the importance of continually learning and effectively responding to disruption. Happy New Year! We took two weeks off over the holiday period to relax and recharge. Now, we’re back and ready for a big year!  Here […] The post 037 – Fortran reveals Hidden Figures appeared first on Anecdote.

When presented with a problem, its easy to assume big interventions will best prompt change. This week’s story suggests that we should think about the small things we can do, before jumping to bigger interventions that other people can implement.  This week, Shawn shares another story. The story demonstrates how small things can make a […] The post 036 – The way to a rioter’s heart appeared first on Anecdote.

People tend to be resistant to change. So, what is the best way to keep people interested in a new product? This story suggests finding a balance between new and familiar features is the answer.  It’s now Shawn’s turn to share a story. The story he has chosen suggests the success of new products relies […] The post 035 – Spotify bugs bite back appeared first on Anecdote.

The story behind Southwest Airlines’ ‘Bags Fly Free’ campaign demonstrates how having a clear purpose can help an organisation make better, more profitable decisions. Having a clear purpose can help an organisation make better decisions. Southwest Airlines’ purpose to ‘democratise the skies’ helped the airline add over $1 billion to their bottom line, despite a […] The post 034 – When baggage really flies appeared first on Anecdote.

Is poverty a lack of character or a lack of cash? This story could change your mind.   This week, it is Mark’s turn to share a story. The story he has chosen is one which demonstrates how stories can change minds and influence people. This story changed his mind. It reminded him to be […] The post 033 – Nixon on the poverty line appeared first on Anecdote.

The story of how James Dyson designed and produced the first bagless vacuum cleaner is one of perseverance and iteration. We know the ending of this story, but the fifteen years which precede it are well worth sharing for the insights they offer into innovation. Most of us know the Dyson brand. Their vacuum cleaners, […] The post 032 – Dyson innovation really sucks appeared first on Anecdote.

Sir Charles Masefield describes the series of events by which, under his leadership, BAE Systems’ worst performing factory became their best. Continuing to share stories from those we’ve met on our travels, in this episode we’re joined by Sir Charles Masefield. Charles shares a story from very early in his career with BAE Systems. Charles […] The post 031 – Charles Masefield on humility and productivity appeared first on Anecdote.

Steve Crompton shares an inspiring, real-life rags to riches story, which proves that anyone can make a difference and achieve their dreams if they take the initiative and are willing to work hard to make it happen.  Anecdotally Speaking is back! We’ve taken a short hiatus while travelling all over Australia and the world. We’ve […] The post 030 – Damit Samit, what a great idea appeared first on Anecdote.

It’s not what you know, but who knows you and trusts what you say! Looking after your business connections is important for maintaining communications, especially for your ‘news feed’. But does your attention to the news depend on the messenger? In today’s story, we contrast the famous Paul Revere with the not so famous William […] The post 029 – Paul revered while Dawes knocked appeared first on Anecdote.

Today’s episode illustrates the importance of not just noticing a pattern of excellence, but working out why it happens. Sometimes this means jumping in and talking to customers. It’s so easy to become disconnected as you become more senior in a company. It seems like the guys at Apple are combating that tendency and putting […] The post 028 – Hot Brazilians futsal weapon appeared first on Anecdote.

Bringing your data to life is crucial in making others understand why it’s important. In this example, we hear how John Snow had to be creative and clear with his data to prove his theory right. If you work with data, this story is particularly useful for you. While we disagree on some things in […] The post 027 – John Snow versus the Miasma appeared first on Anecdote.

What do you do when you have high turnover? Henry Ford’s solution made his shareholders angry. In this example, we see how Henry Ford ignored what everyone around him thought and went ahead with a decision that would more than double his profit. We discuss how this is a great example of how a company […] The post 026 – Henry Ford did that? appeared first on Anecdote.

When people don’t understand what we’re trying to convey to them we get frustrated. Sometimes we wonder why they aren’t getting something so simple. This is called the curse of knowledge. This week’s story is my favourite type – a scientific experiment story. It’s about Elizabeth Newton, a Stanford University graduate who conducts an experiment to […] The post 025 – How to tap into your audience appeared first on Anecdote.

An important part of leadership is taking care of your team. This story is a beautiful example of how taking care of others and helping them through tough times is beneficial for everyone. The focus of this story is U2 at their 1986 Tempe concert, and how a death threat almost led to them cancelling their […] The post 024 – U2 can protect your tribe appeared first on Anecdote.

Putting the customer first and shifting your perspective to seeing how your design might be viewed by others is really important in today’s globalised, competitive market. It’s Mark’s turn to tell a story this week and the example he tells is particularly useful if you’re designing products, processes or services. Doug Dietz works for years […] The post 023 – Industrial design with child’s play appeared first on Anecdote.

We’ve changed things up a little for this week’s episode of Anecdotally Speaking! We have Gerry Lynch, former General Manager of Mars New Zealand and now CEO of Delmaine Fine Foods tell the story this week. Mars New Zealand has been awarded as the best place to work in the country. Everything in their work is […] The post 022 – Saving Rubles with mutual Mars appeared first on Anecdote.