Marriott International's Ed Fuller loves to tell stories. One of his favorites is set at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in 1985, where he was general manager. Just a month after it opened, catering sales were $300,000 below budget. "My career is lost," Fuller recalls thinking after a senior executive called and said, "I can't believe it. Bill Marriott is beside himself." The executive said he was flying to Boston and asked Fuller to dinner after "we deal with the problem."

　　萬豪國際（Marriott International）的富毅榮（Ed Fuller）熱衷於講故事。他最津津樂道的故事之一，發生在1985年的波士頓萬豪考潑利廣場酒店（Marriott Copley Place），那時他在酒店任總經理。就在酒店開業一個月後，餐飲銷售額比預算低了30萬美元。當時，一位高級主管給他打電話說：“太難以置信了，比爾 馬利奧特（萬豪董事長兼首席執行官——譯注）正大發雷霆。”那位高管還說他正在飛往波士頓的途中，希望在“我們處理完問題”之後與富毅榮共進晚餐。富毅榮回憶道，當時他想：“我的職業生涯完蛋了。”

　　The "issue," it turned out, was not what Fuller had feared. A Marriott family member had ordered clam chowder; it arrived cold, and the manager hadn't handled it well. That -- not the stumbles of a new boss -- was what Marriott (MAR) cared about. "If [the family] is treated badly, we assume the customer is treated worse," said Fuller, now head of international lodging for Marriott International and author of a book of workplace stories, You Can't Lead With Your Feet on Your Desk, due out next year.

　　後來富毅榮發現，自己過慮了，那位高管所說的“問題”是，馬利奧特家族的一位成員點了碗蛤蜊濃湯，端上來的時候湯已經涼了，而經理沒有很好地處理這個問題。也就是說，萬豪集團在意的是上面這種問題，而不是新上任的管理者出點什麼小錯。富毅榮說：“我們可以推想，如果連馬利奧特家族的人都招待不好，對其他客人的招待只會更差。” 富毅榮現任萬豪集團旗下國際酒店負責人，著有一本關於職場的書，名為《不腳踏實地就無法領先》（You Can't Lead With Your Feet on Your Desk），這本書將於明年出版發行。

　　Fuller uses that story -- and others -- to teach new managers about Marriott's priorities: serving the customer well, and serving its chowder hot. He also uses storytelling to teach about career advancement, such as the tale of how he and another senior exec started as a security guard and waiter. "They want to see actual examples," Fuller says, noting that 60% of Marriott's hotel managers started as hourly workers. "Storytelling has made me more effective in doing my job."

　　富毅榮用一系列的故事，向新的管理人員介紹萬豪集團看重的事情：為客戶提供出色的服務，確保端上來的蛤蜊濃湯是熱騰騰的。他也通過講故事來傳授職場升遷的心得，比如他和另一位高管是如何從保安和服務生做起的。富毅榮說：“人們喜歡聽到現實生活中的例子。”他注意到，60%的萬豪酒店經理是從按小時計費的低級崗位做起的。他還表示：“通過講故事，我的工作效率更高了。

　　That sentiment is shared by executives at companies such as Microsoft (MSFT) and Pepsi (PEP), who use storytelling "to create a metaphor or an emotional boost," said Annette Simmons, a corporate storytelling trainer and an author of two books on the topic. Irada Sadykhova, Microsoft's director of learning strategies, uses stories to open a meeting, to press for a new strategy, or to motivate a team. "It's about imparting some sort of a truth," says Sadykhova, who grew up on fables in Russia. And famous movie exec Peter Guber, who has written a book called Tell to Win, due in March, says stories are the best way to achieve your goals. "They're not monologues," he says. "You've gotta touch people."

　　微軟（Microsoft）和百事（Pepsi）等公司的管理人員對富毅榮的這些見解表示認同。安妮特 西蒙斯是一位“企業講故事培訓師”（corporate storytelling trainer），她介紹道，上述公司的高管通過講故事來“打比方或勵志”。西蒙斯著有兩本以講故事為主題的書籍。微軟公司學習策略主管依拉達 撒迪科霍娃以故事來作為會議的開場白，或者用來推進新策略的實施或激勵團隊。從小聽著俄羅斯寓言長大的撒迪科霍娃說：“這相當於在傳授某種真理。”著名的影視管理人彼得 古柏則表示，故事是實現目標的最佳手段，“講故事不同於自言自語，你必須打動聽眾。”彼得撰寫的《講述鑄就成功》（Tell to Win）一書將於明年3月出版。” 

　　Storytelling lessons from company front lines

　　來自企業第一線的講故事心得

　　Stories can also aid hiring, says John Berisford, head of human resources at Pepsi Beverages. "I often ask one question, whether I'm interviewing a senior-level executive or a campus person: Tell me your story," said Berisford, who learned storytelling from his grandmother in West Virginia. "It's the best way to get to know the entire human being."

　　百事飲料公司（Pepsi Beverages）人力資源主管約翰 貝裏斯福德表示，講故事同樣有助於招聘員工。他說：“無論是在面試高級管理人員或是畢業生時，我都經常提這樣一個問題：講講你的故事。這是全面了解一個人的最佳方法。”貝裏斯福德從居住在美國西弗吉尼亞的祖母那兒學會了如何講故事。

　　To instantly grasp the impact of a good yarn, think of bestselling books such as Fish! and Who Moved My Cheese? The ones that work are instantly memorable and forge emotional connections, says Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., co-owner of the Quintessential Careers website. But that doesn't mean storytelling is right for every situation. It can backfire if the teller is trying to build enthusiasm yet doesn't feel it, says Simmons. Choosing the right story for your audience is crucial, as is editing it to be clear and concise. It also helps to be accurate; at a time when authenticity is scarce, no one wants to hear a tall tale.

　　凱瑟琳 漢森博士是求職網站Quintessential Careers的聯合擁有人，她表示，一個好故事的影響究竟有多大，想想《魚》（Fish!）和《誰動了我的奶酪？》（Who Moved My Cheese?）這些暢銷書就知道了。那些行之有效的故事往往讓人瞬間難忘，構建起情感紐帶。然而，這並不意味著講故事適用於任何情況。西蒙斯說，如果講述者自己沒有感受到激情，卻要試圖創造激情，可能會適得其反。你不但要讓故事清晰簡短，還要為特定的觀眾群選擇恰當的故事。準確表述同樣也很重要，在這個呼喚真實的年代，沒人喜歡聽虛構的故事。

　　Selling your story...

　　Katharine Hansen, author of Tell Me About Yourself, on "career-propelling stories."

　　Start with "just one story" that reveals your essence.

　　Show how you used your talents when tested.

　　Tell of a turning point in your career and what you learned.

　　Select stories that reinforce your personal brand and show your passion and personality.

　　Tell how you developed or sharpened a key characteristic -- and the results achieved.

　　Show how you handle major change and lead others through it.

　　Find hero stories where you saved the day.

　　推銷你的故事

　　凱瑟琳 漢森，著有《講述你自己的故事》（Tell Me About Yourself）一書。關於“推動職業發展的故事”，她是這麼說的：

　　用“我講一個小故事”開頭，揭示你要表達的主旨。

　　講述你在關鍵時刻是如何發揮自己才能的。

　　講述你職業生涯一個轉捩點，以及你學到了什麼。

　　選擇能彰顯你個人品牌的故事，並且表現出你的激情和個性。

　　講講你是如何培養並提高自己某一重要特點的，以及由此取得的成績。

　　講述你是如何應對重大變化，並帶領他人適應這一變化的。

　　講述你力挽狂瀾的“英雄事跡”

　　...and what to avoid

　　Don't talk for too long or ramble. Two minutes is the absolute max.

　　Don't tell stories that aren't relevant to a targeted job.

　　Don't lie or exaggerate.

　　Don't omit sensory details and a bit of color.

　　Don't forget to wrap up the story with a one sentence moral, key message, or lesson learned.

　　應當避免的事項

　　不要講太長時間或信口漫談，時長最多不超過2分鐘。

　　不要講一些與目標職位無關的故事。

　　不要說謊或誇大其詞。

　　不要忽略感官細節，注意生動性。

　　不要忘了在故事結尾用一句話來總結故事，這句話可以是箴言、關鍵資訊或學到的教訓。

　　（可可英語）