Engage the Audience with “Me Too Moments”

I was recently facilitating a strategic planning session sponsored by two senior executives. Each of the two executives opened the session in two distinct ways.

Executive #1 went to the front of the room and thanked the participants for coming.  He said he was excited about the work we were going to do.  Ho hum.  Nice, but boring.

Executive #2 went to the front of the room and started with a story about driving his car… to work? To their biggest client’s office? To the beach? To Disneyland?  He had a choice to make, much like the work the group was about to do together.  He immediately engaged the participants by creating an analogy between his drive and the group’s strategic planning efforts.  The audience was much more interested in his remarks.  They were different, they were personal, and they could see themselves about to embark on their own drive together.

Since the dawn of man, we have gathered around the fire, rapturously listening to stories that define what is important to the clan.  Our teams are not too different from our ancestors. When listeners hear a well-told story, they take a journey with you, correlating their own experiences with yours.  Your story becomes their story or it reminds them of a similar story from their own lives.  This is called a “Me Too Moment.”  Your stories help you build a connection with your team.  It could be a story about yourself or someone you know.  Just make sure your story is concise and tied to the team’s work.  It’s a great way to build rapport with your team!