I don’t know if it is just that time of year, but I have been thinking a lot about the emotional connections that organizations need to make for meaningful change moving forward. As I try to read daily, my eye has been going more towards visual blogs (like the Flickr blog) and blogs that share little stories.
Often, for inspiration, I will look at the “Awesome Things” blog and loved this post on “Pinky Swears“:
These days the world is full of buzzing phones, double-booking, and changing plans. Texts sit unanswered, parties shrink and shift, and sometimes nobody knows who’s coming or going.
That’s where pinky swears come in.
When someone offers a pinky, they’re showing that they’re actually interested in following through. Accept that pinky and you enter into an unbreakable promise to get there too.
Who hasn’t done a pinky swear at some point? This is a simple story that people connect with and is probably why this book has been so successful. The stories move people and connect with them on a level where they are attached emotionally. One minute you can be laughing uncontrollably, and in the next, crying profusely. Emotions move people.
Then I fell upon this blog post, sharing little stories of kindness and love. There were several stories that were extremely powerful but this one of extreme unselfishness by a sibling stuck out:
Today, I operated on a little girl. She needed O- blood. We didn’t have any, but her twin brother has O- blood. I explained to him that it was a matter of life and death. He sat quietly for a moment, and then said goodbye to his parents. I didn’t think anything of it until after we took his blood and he asked, “So when will I die?” He thought he was giving his life for hers. Thankfully, they’ll both be fine.
#awesome
We have to continue to take advantage of these short, powerful stories in the work that we do.
Here is another great collection of stories and visuals that Google has created to share the 2011 school year:
#powerful
As I wait for my brother to fill me in on his little girl as she spent the night in the hospital, he shared this little picture with me to show how she is okay, although she is struggling with the IV in her arm. It is one of those pictures that can make you both smile and tear up at the same time.
#aww
We have to remember that when we share these small visuals and stories, we can really connect and move those we serve.
People don’t want to be pushed, they want to be inspired.
