Some stories just come as a gift cont'd...

The following is an extract of a speech I worked on with a senior official in a government agency.  She was addressing a Board of Trade, explaining the ins and outs of new government legislation.  

Even though she was a first rate speaker, describing the ins and outs of legislation in an engaging manner can be a challenge. The extract that follows is self-explanatory and shows how the gift of story and anecdote can make even the driest of topics more engaging. It goes thusly:

"I want to close with a story. You may think it is a little personal. But it illustrates an important point about the exchange of information.

Some years ago I was bathing my son. He must have been about four or five at the time and he asked me one of those innocent questions that children ask. The ones that always give parents cause to stop and perhaps think too much about the answer.

He said "Mom, I have a penis."

I said, "Yes, you do."

And he said "and you don't!"

And then he asked, "Why not?"

And being a younger mother, I launched into a babbling explanation for 12 minutes that was basically Sex Ed 101. And the kid just sat in the bath. Riveted.

Feeling quite proud of my summation of anatomy and biology - at the end of which I said, "so now do you understand?"

To which he replied "I just wondered how you pee' d."

I tell you this story because I think it illustrates an important point in communication.

I assumed when he asked the question that he needed to know everything there was to know on the subject. And everything I knew as well.

When it fact - all he was asking for was an answer to a straight forward question "How do ya pee if you haven't got a penis?" I told him way more than he needed to know, or even asked for.

I want to make sure you have the right information, and that we are answering the questions you ask us. And not give you more than you ask for.

So, if you are leaving here with questions about the new legislation, perhaps you will find our new brochure on that very subject useful. It covers some of the provisions of the Act which I have talked about today. I will leave it with you............"

 

Copyright© 2004 Colin Moorhouse. All rights reserved.