FIND

Stories rarely arrive in polished form.

They begin as memories.

Something a manager once said to you. A project that went wrong. An employee who surprised you. A customer you could not satisfy. A decision you wish you could make again. A moment when you discovered that something you believed was wrong.

You may remember the incident clearly without understanding why you remember it. That is enough to begin.

A story contains two essential ingredients: events and change.

Events give the story movement. Change gives those events meaning. The work begins by finding experiences that may contain both.

1. Your professional life

• —Mistakes you still think about
• —Accomplishments that changed you
• —Difficult assignments
• —Career turning points
• —Advice you followed
• —Advice you ignored
• —Times you were unprepared
• —Moments you realized you had become better at your work

2. People

• —Managers
• —Employees
• —Teachers
• —Mentors
• —Peers
• —Customers
• —Friends
• —People who challenged you
• —People who disappointed you
• —People who saw something in you before you saw it yourself

3. Events

• —A first
• —A last
• —A failure
• —An unexpected success
• —A difficult conversation
• —A crisis
• —A transition
• —A trip
• —A frightening moment
• —An embarrassing moment
• —A time something went completely differently from what you expected

4. Values

• —You stood up for something
• —You stayed quiet and regretted it
• —Someone earned your trust
• —Someone lost your trust
• —You compromised
• —You refused to compromise
• —Someone treated you with unexpected kindness
• —You extended kindness when it was difficult
• —You felt guilt, pride, anger, envy, fear, or relief