the keepmoving.company

storytelling starts here

Category: Found Things

  • 3 is more than magic.

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    mikeswelsh
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    Using numbers, you can build the best story, pitch, or presentation or be more precise at parties. Specifically 3 and 5. There is no perfect formula for preparation in storytelling at large. But purpose-driven storytelling and persuasion require some level of repeatable behavior to allow you to do other things off-script. There is a relatively…

  • Arcs (of Uncertainty™)

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    mikeswelsh
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    There are many arcs, some called story arcs, arcs of uncertainty, and more. Sometimes, they are not arcs at all. They are lines of thinking. Ways of making an audience follow along, stay interested, and be entertained.

  • The Magic Wand

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    mikeswelsh
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    First, do you know when you are decking your way through a meeting with too many cooks, non-combatants, and ‘talkers’ rather than ‘contributors’? You know them; you may even be one. Folks have much to say but need help understanding how to narrate or storytell well. Some of my posts walk around the issues I…

  • The 5 Slide Rule™

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    mikeswelsh
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    The 5 Slide Rule™ (of thumb) for planning and over-prepping for storytelling success. This is a people, process, and tools article to help anyone who needs another way to get ready potentially. What this ‘rule’ is not What the 5 Slide Rule is: Beginnings Middles and Ends. When story-making, folks often struggle with’ setting the…

  • Macro to micro views

    Macro to micro views

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    mikeswelsh
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    Paint a picture. Zoom in and out. 30,000 feet down to street view and back. Come with me; this is a story. Some of what folks struggle with in telling a story is the story is too high level or over indexes on details. As it happens, this is an attempt to break down the…

  • Strategic Benign Neglect

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    mikeswelsh
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    SBN (Strategic Benign Neglect) is one of the most potent techniques in life, not just in presentations and meetings. The idea is simple and powerful. Do you need to answer every question? Do you need to address everything that comes to you in any form? No. Moreover, you can acknowledge, advance, table, and defer. Acknowledging…

  • Who are you talking to?

    Who are you talking to?

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    by

    mikeswelsh
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    Who are you talking to? Sounds tense. In the world of the Five Slide Rule™ discipline, another deeply powerful practice is understanding the human (book slide), but even more fundamental is where is the human(s) in the audience.

  • Why have slides at all?

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    mikeswelsh
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    Why have slides at all, especially on Monday after a Super Bowl, bolsters this idea? One of the premises of the 5 Slide Rule™ (of thumb) is first to ask if you need any slides; that does not mean you don’t need content. I wouldn’t say I like slides. NASA even attributed PowerPoint contributed to…

  • Takeaways

    Takeaways

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    by

    mikeswelsh
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    Reflecting on personal mistakes and lessons learned, the writer acknowledges their initial hubris, arrogance, and lack of humility. Admitting ignorance led to continuous learning, while dependence on team collaboration resulted in leadership growth. Emphasizing humility, they advocate for the power of asking “How can I help?” to foster successful outcomes and team responsibility. (ai generated…

  • Holding the Line

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    mikeswelsh
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    Inside the Nation’s Preeminent US Attorney’s Office and Its Battle with the Trump Justice Department By: Geoffrey Berman Narrated by: Geoffrey Berman Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins I don’t usually publish on books like this. However, I am fascinated by the behind the scenes machinations that happened and how much of what we see on TV…