🌽 The Greengrocer

Mark Carney’s address at Davos is the talk of the town at the moment and rightly so. He managed to strike the perfect balance between of realism and optimism.

Political speeches pose a challenge for people like me, because the circumstances where we’re likely to address an audience in this manner are few and far between.

And yet, amongst the numerous rhetorical techniques PM Carney used in his 16 minute talk, there was one simple tip that we could all do well to remember.

The simplest way to become a better communicator?
Improve the quality of your examples.

The more unexpected the example, the more interesting and engaging you will be.

It’s hard to believe that an 83 second story about a greengrocer would be powerful enough to capture the imaginations of the global leadership elite.

But clearly, it has.

It set the tone for a speech that resulted in a rare standing ovation at Davos. So simple, yet so effective. Enjoy…🍿 

The Storytelling Framework behind The Greengrocer Story

Mark Carney used Kenn Adam’s Story Spine (also known as Pixar’s Story Structure) to bring the story to life.

But his genius, was that he didn’t follow it to the letter of the law. 

He took the framework and made it his own...

1. Once upon a time…
   “In 1978, the Czech dissident, Václav Havel, later President, wrote an essay called the power of the powerless.”
   

2. Everyday…
   “Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window, “Workers of the World, unite.”
   

3. Because of that… (moved earlier)
   “And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists.”
   

4. Because of that…
   “The system's power comes not from its truth, but from everyone's willingness to perform as if it were true.”
   

5. But, one day…
   “When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.” 
   

6. And the more of the story is…
   “Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down.”

A final thought…

If we’re to find unexpected, interesting examples to bring our messages to life. This year, perhaps more than any other, we need to be extremely selective about the kind of content we’re consuming.

Personally, I’m making a real point this year of curating (and culling) my newsfeed and inbox so that:

1. I don’t get distracted by what other people are doing in my field → (comparison is the thief of joy and original thought)

2. I’m getting exposed to more things that spark and enhance my own thinking → (suggestions welcome)

If you’re lacking a little inspiration, I hope there’s something in here for you this week.

Alex

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