#4 What makes a great WholeStory?
In this video, we’re going to walk through how to build a great WholeStory.
Like every great story, you need a clear beginning, middle, and end.
For each of your stories, be sure to answer these three questions:
- What happened? Or, what realization did you have about it?
- In what ways did you change as a result?
- How did this realization or change influence how you work as a professional?
Then make sure you’re able to draw a string through story to connect the beginning to the end.
Let’s look at a couple real examples from some folks on our platform:
Example #1
Backcountry Guiding contributed to my growth in Stress Response, Responsibility, & Courage through introducing many situations where mine and others survival depended on my level-headed decision-making. I developed a capacity for calm under pressure that has served me well as a professional in a variety of roles.
In this example, they tell us what happened:
they were in a high risk situation and had to make big decisions.
Then they tell us both how they changed and how it applies to their work:
they are now more calm under pressure and that helps them at work.
Example #2
Dyslexia contributed to my growth in Perseverance, Courage, & Ingenuity through forcing me to be creative in how I learn and communicate. In my early 30s, I discovered that my struggle with reading and writing were likely due to Dyslexia. With maturity, discipline, and a deepening curiosity, I’ve developed a voracious appetite for reading and a knack for writing. It has given me the capacity to think big picture, synthesize information, and communicate more clearly.
This example is not really an event but more of a realization.
It’s effective because it tell us about their realization and what they learned about themselves.
Then, they tell us how it’s applicable to their work:
they are able to think at a high level and clearly communicate.
What’s most important in your stories is that you share how you came to have those strengths
and how that applies to how you work.
That’s what makes a great WholeStory.