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Today's post written by YV Intern Erica Wu.
Do you know how some people and organizations effectively mobilized the public? How Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully led the African-American Civil Rights Movement and united people by his "I Have a Dream" speech. And how did President Obama connect his vision of change with Americans in such a powerful way? They all mastered the concept of public narrative, a skill we will showcase in today's blog.
“Public Narrative” is a simple - and powerful - way to move an audience to action using storytelling, according to professor Ganz from the Harvard Kennedy School. Leaders use public narrative to interpret themselves to others, engage others in a sense of shared community, and inspire others to act on challenges that communities must face. Check out this article where he shares why stories matter.
The power of a personal story is in the genuine, personal feelings being shown. It's also about the shared story developed between the viewer and the account being given. Think of anyone’s story you’ve heard in the past and been inspired to take a specific action by. Analyze it in the three elements: a story of self, a story of us, and a story of now. Then, think of your experiences in a sequence of challenge, choice and outcome. To learn more about this technique, check out the article about how to develop a strong public narrative?
Public narrative can benefit you AND your organization. Consider grant grant writing: evidence shows that grant applications that are able to tell the stories of organizations or projects more often win the grant. Check out this article that illustrates ideas and examples of storytelling in fundraising.
Photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/e-strategycom/1054179588/
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