This week one of our number was using a storyline with their manager for the first time and was wondering whether there were ways to set up the conversation better.
In the spirit of helping, I have outlined some suggestions to help you explain to a ‘non storyliner' how to engage in a storyline.
Here's the draft for you to cut and paste into your own email or to stimulate a conversation as well as an opportunity to download the draft here.
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Hi colleague / boss,
I have been thinking about X issue and have outlined my early thinking on a page for your consideration.
Before you review it, I'd like to explain how the page works so the diagram makes sense to you.
- It is a discussion draft. Although the ideas are I hope in a clear and logical place within the structure, the ideas are very much open for debate. I thought mapping them out like this would help us discuss the issue further so we can land on the final messaging.
- It outlines my current thinking in a way that may seem more assertive than usual. You will see that the ideas are anchored around a single message that is crafted as a point of view. The technique I am using encourages us to flush out the main thought and be upfront about it, before diving into the details below. As mentioned, the ideas are very much open for debate.
- Once we agree on the messaging, we can easily turn these ideas into a well-structured document of any kind. I would like to hold off on preparing the document until we agree the ideas to minimise rework. Focusing on the one-pager first will keep us focused on the main ideas and encourage us to ‘nail these' without being distracted by document formatting. My experience so far suggests we can save time this way.
I look forward to discussing issue X with you further in our upcoming meeting.
Regards,
Fred
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I hope that helps.
Kind regards,
Davina