'Goodall didn’t just talk about conservation in theory but through personal stories, she brought the issues alive by inviting her audience to understand her values of humility, gratitude, grit, determination, and resourcefulness.'
When news broke that famed primatologist Jane Goodall had passed away at the age of 91, Vanessa and I were teaching this Executive Education class at Harvard on advanced persuasion and storytelling skills.
My slide deck kicked off with a quote from Goodall when she was asked for the secret of persuasion.
Goodall said (text inside image),
Goodall argued that, to raise awareness and money for her conservation efforts, she couldn’t rely on financial metrics alone if she wanted to move people to action. Persuasion, she said, starts with making an emotional connection with those you’re trying to convince.
Instead of bombarding people with data, technical climate reports, statistics, and metrics, Goodall realized that the best way to change attitudes is through the deliberate and purposeful use of storytelling.
“Even if they don’t appear to agree with you at the time, I know for a fact that they may go away and think about it and think about it,” Goodall said. “And you might have scored a much bigger point than you thought.”
If you want to reach hearts and change minds, follow Goodall’s storytelling advice.
1. Share personal stories.
Goodall suggested that, before a meeting, try to find out a little about the other person and share personal stories to break down barriers that might exist between the two of you.
Goodall would often share stories of her childhood, especially growing up in England during World War II.
“Food was rationed, clothes were rationed. Petrol was rationed. Everything was rationed. And we got, I think it was one square of chocolate a week,” Goodall said on her podcast. “We valued every single thing that we had.”
Goodall didn’t just talk about conservation in theory. Through personal stories, she brought the issues alive by inviting her audience to understand her values of humility, gratitude, grit, determination, and resourcefulness.
She often injected humor into her stories. Goodall said she spent much of her childhood outside, climbing trees, finding a perch, and reading books like Tarzan, which sparked her daydreams of living in a forest among the apes. Goodall joked that she developed a little crush on Tarzan and went to Africa because, “silly man, he married the wrong Jane.”
Once Goodall had the audience laughing, she opened their hearts, making them more receptive to her message.
2. Keep the story focus small and relatable.
Goodall had plenty of statistics, numbers, and metrics to support her argument that we need to do more to save the planet. She also knew that humans have a difficult time grasping data, but they relate to stories.
And not just any story. Goodall knew that people connect to stories of small, relatable things, rather than big, broad, abstract concepts.
Goodall’s storytelling skills first came to the public’s attention when she wrote a 38-page essay for National Geographic in 1963. It became a worldwide sensation with the provocative title “My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees.” Readers were captivated by the stories of a 29-year-old woman living alone in the African forest.
Readers were also immersed in Goodall’s storytelling. Instead of dry reports, numbers, and measurements, Goodall focused on the stories of individual chimpanzees, one of whom she had named. David, in particular, became a friend.
Goodall wrote,
“I began carrying a couple of bananas with me. He would come up and take them, sitting close beside me, to the astonishment of his companions who gazed wide-eyed at the behavior of their fellow ape! Even when I had no bananas David would come to sit beside me for a moment, with a soft ‘hoo!’ of greeting.”
Small, relatable moments open people’s minds and hearts, helping them understand broader and more complex issues.
3. Use symbols as storytelling aids.
When Jane Goodall died during a speaking tour in California, she was carrying a stuffed monkey. She brought it all on her speaking engagements, estimating the stuffed toy had traveled with her to 65 countries.
“Mr. H,” as she called it, was a gift from a friend, a Marine who lost his eyesight in a helicopter crash. Despite being legally blind, the marine fulfilled his dream of becoming a magician and even scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Goodall said she adopted the monkey as her mascot because it represents the “indomitable human spirit.” Sometimes, a simple symbol acts as a reminder that nothing is impossible.
The next time you’re faced with a communication challenge and your goal is to change someone’s mind, remember Goodall’s advice:
“You’ve got to be calm and tell stories to get people to change from within.”
Wishing you storytelling success!
Carmine Gallo
Bestselling author, keynote speaker, CEO Advisor, and Harvard Instructor
CarmineGallo.com
