Introduction
Every person’s perceptions, decisions, and actions are guided by the story they have behind their identity.
The foundational principle Start With the Story means that in every situation it is critically important to start with an understanding of your own story, and the stories of the people with whom you’re interacting.
This understanding of all participants’ stories should then guide your subsequent perceptions, decisions, and actions.
Additionally, as you become aware of and evaluate the stories you tell yourself, it is an important step to question whether you are satisfied with those stories and decide if you want to change that narrative.
A few examples of Start With the Story questions that should be asked:
1 What do I and the other person fear, and how is it influencing this situation?
2 What is the dominant question for myself and the other person, and how is it influencing this situation?
3 How is my desire to uphold my existing story influencing this situation?
4 Am I being solution-oriented or problem-oriented?
5 Am I holding an opportunity-mindset or a problem-mindset?
6 Have I actively constructed my story, or has it been passively constructed, or constructed for me?
7 Is my current story built from a position of ignorance? Is it objectively accurate?
Additional articles, case studies, maturity models, and tools coming soon.