Changing Behavior through Strategic Storytelling

Melinda Briana Epler @mbrianaepler | @changecatalysts

My vision: Change the world! How? No idea!!!!

Mass media to build awareness

Community- and business-based change

Individuallifestyle change

Intellectual & emotional awareness building

Individual behavior (through public health)

Now: all of the above.

Strategies & stories that improve individual behaviors, organizational decisions, and social/environmental impact.

STEP 1.Define Your Vision

It’s your collective story:

• It ignites storytellers• It aligns goals• It brings people with you

Paint a picture:

• When the sun comes up on your new day, what does the world look like?

• What does it feel, smell, taste, sound like?

STEP 1.Define Your Vision

STEP 2.Develop Your Big Story

STEP 2.Develop Your Big Story

Who is your hero?What must

he/she do to realize the vision?

How will he/she accomplish this?

STEP 3.Know Your Hero

STEP 3.Know Your Hero

STEP 3.Know Your Hero

Invite them to the table

Learn what they want and need

Meet them wherever they are

STEP 3.Know Your Hero

Who influences him/her?

What are his/her challenges?

What motivates him/her?

STEP 4.Design the Experience

Awareness Contemplation Preparation Action Maintenance

A behavior change model should lay the foundation for your experience journey

Adapted Transtheoretical Model

Transtheoretical Experience!

Awareness Contemplation Preparation Action Maintenance

Adapted Transtheoretical Model

We all want to be a hero.

What’s your story?

STEP 5.TellSHARE Stories

ChallengeChallenge

ChallengeCrisis!

Midpoint

Climax

IncidentNormal New normal

Three act story structure. You know this!

Act 1 Act 2 Act 3

Beginning! Middle! End!

STEP 6.Continuously Engage

STEP 6.Continuously Engage

Invite the “crowd” to tell stories

Spark conversations

Answer questions publicly

Let go and trust your

vision

STEP 7.Listen

STEP 8.Celebrate successes

STEP 9.Allow Your Story To Evolve

Don’t get stuck in the Molasses Swamp!

STEP 4.Design An Experience

STEP 2.Develop Your Big Story

STEP 3.Know Your Hero

STEP 1.Define Your Vision

STEP 5.Share Stories

STEP 9.Allow Your Story To Evolve

STEP 6.Continuously Engage

STEP 7.Listen

STEP 8.Celebrate successes

STEP 4.Design An Experience

STEP 2.Develop Your Theory Of Change

STEP 3.Understand Your Target Audience

STEP 1.Define Your Vision

STEP 5.TellSHARE Stories

STEP 9.Allow Your Story To Evolve

STEP 6.Continuously Engage

STEP 7.Listen

STEP 8.Celebrate successes

STEP 10.RefreshRinse

Repeat

Embrace a culture of entrepreneurship

Release early & often! Agile, simple, inclusive, engaging, iterative, collaborative, forever learning and growing.

Behavior Change CanvasVision The igniting end to your story: what future do you wish to see?

Big storyYour high-level map: Who is your hero, what must he/she do to realize the vision, how will he/she do this? (This is your Theory of Change.)

Heroine/HeroWho must change their behavior?

Heroine/Hero personaDraw a quick visual sketch of your hero, including his/her name.

ChallengesWhat keeps your hero from changing?

InfluencersWho helps your hero to change?

MotivatorsWhat motivates your hero to change?

Experience journeyUsing a behavior model, map what experience you will create for your hero.

Sub-storiesWhat stories will help drive your hero from a > b > c…?

ChannelsWho will tell these stories? What media does hero use regularly?

ResourcesWhat do you need to make this all work?

“Energy to Care” Behavior Change CanvasA national energy efficiency campaign for hospitals.

Vision The igniting end to your story: what future do you wish to see?

Put $1 billion back into patient care through energy efficiency.

Big storyYour high-level map: Who is your hero, what must he/she do to realize the vision, how will he/she do this? (This is your Theory of Change.)

Facility managers lead their teams to at least a 10% reduction per facility, by benchmarking and taking 5 action steps.

Heroine/HeroWho must change their behavior?

Facility managers

Heroine/Hero personaDraw a quick visual sketch of your hero, including his/her name.

ChallengesWhat keeps your hero from changing?

Money, Time, Risk averse

InfluencersWho helps your hero to change?

CFOs, CEOs, ASHE chapter, AHA, environmental services, nurses, supply chain, patients

MotivatorsWhat motivates your hero to change?

Recognition, patient care, jobs

Experience journeyUsing a behavior model, map what experience you will create for your hero.

Design against the challenges.Design utilizing the motivators.

Sub-storiesWhat stories will help drive your hero from a > b > c…?

ChannelsWho will tell these stories? What media does hero use regularly?

ResourcesWhat do you need to make this all work?

Exercise 1. Outline your big storyVision The igniting end to your story: what future do you wish to see?

Big storyYour high-level map: Who is your hero, what must he/she do to realize the vision, how will he/she do this? (This is your Theory of Change.)

Exercise 2. Develop your heroHero/heroineWho must change their behavior?

Hero/heroine personaDraw a quick visual sketch of your hero, including his/her name.What does he/she wear, think, say, do, feel, hear and say?

ChallengesWhat keeps your hero from changing?

InfluencersWho helps your hero to change?

MotivatorsWhat motivates your hero to change?

“Energy to Care” Behavior Change CanvasA national energy efficiency campaign for hospitals.

Vision The igniting end to your story: what future do you wish to see?

Put $1 billion back into patient care through energy efficiency.

Big storyYour high-level map: Who is your hero, what must he/she do to realize the vision, how will he/she do this? (This is your Theory of Change.)

Facility managers lead their teams to at least a 10% reduction per facility, by benchmarking and taking 5 action steps.

Heroine/HeroWho must change their behavior?

Facility managers

Heroine/Hero personaDraw a quick visual sketch of your hero, including his/her name.

ChallengesWhat keeps your hero from changing?

Money, Time, Risk averse

InfluencersWho helps your hero to change?

CFOs, CEOs, ASHE chapter, AHA, environmental services, nurses, supply chain, patients

MotivatorsWhat motivates your hero to change?

Recognition, patient care, jobs

Experience journeyUsing a behavior model, map what experience you will create for your hero.

Design against the challenges.Design utilizing the motivators.

1. Awareness2. Contemplation3. Preparation4. Action5. Maintenance

Sub-storiesWhat stories will help drive your hero from a > b > c…?

ChannelsWho will tell these stories? What media does hero use regularly?

ResourcesWhat do you need to make this all work?

Exercise 3. Commit to next stepsI will commit to doing the following next steps:

I will do the first item on my list by the following date:

I will engage the following people in this process:

Signed and dated:

PlanningWe help clients make forward-looking infrastructure investments with critical planning.

FinanceWe help clients understand & access creative ways to financetheir infrastructure investments.

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Changing Behavior through Strategic Storytelling

Melinda Briana Epler @mbrianaepler | @changecatalysts