Are You a Storyteller or a Storycatcher? (ask your driver!) - MentorLead

Are You a Storyteller or a Storycatcher? (ask your driver!)


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“You just made me feel so important! Thank you for being interested in my life!” Jacqueline, my Uber driver, announced as she dropped me off at DFW airport.

What did I do? Just asked her questions about her adventures as a Texan-from-Louisiana, an insatiable traveler, a wife, a mom, and an Uber driver. Sensing my genuine curiosity and desire to connect, she told me her story and I caught it. Now I use every Uber ride to practice my storycatching.

It turns a transactional ride into a transformational encounter. And I’ve discovered that being interested in other people’s stories forces me to:

  • listen purposefully
  • connect without an agenda
  • get over myself
  • be empathic
  • learn about people, places, and things
  • and appreciate others’ experiences

And I love storytellers! They entertain, enlighten, teach, and reveal themselves through each story. But someone has to be there to catch their stories…. So why should we be the storycatcher?

  • We can discover people on a deeper level – how/why they make decisions.
  • We might uncover more about issues and situations.
  • We demonstrate our concern for and commitment to others.
  • We strengthen our patience, empathy, and compassion.
  • We are more interesting individuals when we are interested in others.

But being an effective storycatcher requires authentic curiosity, evoking questions, and deliberate listening.

Start with simple, 1-inch questions:

  • How was your weekend?
  • Where are you from?
  • How long have you been doing this job?


Then draw out the story with follow-up, yardstick questions
:

  • What was that experience like?
  • What was a highlight from your weekend/vacation/situation?
  • What did you learn? Anything surprise you?

Catching stories builds empathy and trust, allowing us to step into another’s journey and connect as human beings.


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