A Storytelling Coach More details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/
The WW2 Story of Germany's Failed Rocket Program (3-2-1 by Story Rules #57)
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Welcome to the fifty-seventh edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'. A newsletter recommending good examples of storytelling across:
Before we begin, a small announcement: Yesterday I launched a self-paced e-course for HR professionals on Data Storytelling. In case you are interested, or know of anyone who might be, you can find out more here. And now, let's dive in. 𝕏 3 Tweets of the week"The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed." - William Gibson ('sus' in the tweet means suspicious, I presume) Ouch, that hurts. That's an attention-grabbing first line! 📄 2 Articles of the weeka. 'The West’s disregard for global norms is endangering the world' by Nitin Pai Nitin Pai (who's been on the Story Rules Podcast) is one of my favourite writers on geopolitics. In this hard-hitting article, he laments the tendency of the powerful rich nations to prioritise their own short-term well-being over long-term global gain. Nitin relies on a quote from a classic text on geopolitics to set the context:
In Richard Crawley’s classic 1874 translation of Thucydides’s History of the Peloponnesian War, the words are punchier. “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” Or in the words of your Haryana-wale tauji, "Jiski lathi, uski bhains" (Literally: He who wields the stick, owns the buffalo). Nitin argues that this is increasingly happening in world affairs currently: We are seeing this in world affairs today as a rules-based international order crumbles under the blows inflicted by the United States, China and Russia. ... The WTO is dead because the United States asphyxiated it. The UN has become a bit player because the West too has stopped caring for its niceties. Russia and China cannot escape their share of the blame, but neither country claimed to be promoting a rules-based international system. This is especially true in climate: The biggest question is the one concerning climate change. A lot of developing countries around the world are already making painful compromises and expensive investments in the hope that the West will keep its end of the bargain. Nitin ends on a bleak note: Global economic policies cannot be disconnected from global environmental policies. It is absurd to argue that it is ethical to be selfish in international trade while demanding others be selfless in environmental protection. Unfortunately, I do not see politics in Western countries throwing up leaders who can rejuvenate internationalism. b. 'Embracing motherhood in the world of sport: Learnings of a young mother' by Aditi Mutatkar Aditi is an inspiring leader. After a super-successful pro badminton career (a five-time national champion, her highest world rank was 27th and she won a Silver medal in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games in the mixed team event), she now promotes sports at the grassroots level through Simply Sport Foundation. In this article, Aditi opens up to the challenges to managing a career (that involves a fair bit of travel) while being a mother to a young child. The piece has a ton of useful advice for moms - and dads! I liked Aditi's three priorities rule: I love to read, listen to music, write, paint, travel, watch art, pursue art, and so much more. In the last four years, I have hardly done any of this. I do only three things: raise a kid, do my work, and be present for my family and friends. At this point, I can only do this. I never complain about not being able to follow my other passions. I try to look at these things from a long-term perspective. I know Agastya will slowly become independent and may not need me as much as he does now. But till then, I may not be able to devote as much time to my hobbies as I want to. My time will come, but it is just not now. This is so wise by Aditi. I totally struggle with this. I'm constantly ruing that I have "hazaaron khwahishein aisi, ki har khwaish pe dum nikle" (I have thousands of desires and each one of them are dear to me), and not enough time to devote to them, partly because of parenting duties. Listening to Aditi, I must learn to prioritise and keep saying - Apna time aayega (my time will come). Aditi also advises moms to hear out everyone, but do what is right for them:
Every circumstance is different. Every mother is different. Every kid is different. Every profession is different. As a woman, and especially as a mother, you will be thrown a lot of advice. Listen to it all and then do what works for you. Good advice for parenthood, good advice for life. 🎧 1 long-form listen of the weeka. 'The Story of Germany's V2 Rocket' - Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford (3-part series) This series of 3-episodes is a fascinating cautionary tale about how big projects often overpromise and underdeliver. It tells the World War 2 story of the secret V2 rocket program that Germany sunk enormous resources into, hoping to gain a decisive advantage in the war. Instead, the project came a cropper. Unfortunately, the episodes don't have a transcript. So you'll have to just take my word for this one - and give it a listen! That's all from this week's edition. Ravi PS: Got this email as a forward? Get your own copy here. Access this email on a browser or share this email on Whatsapp, LinkedIn, or Twitter. You can access the archive of previous newsletter posts here. You are getting this email as a part of the Story Rules Newsletter. To get your own copy, sign up here. |
Ravishankar Iyer
A Storytelling Coach More details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/
A very Happy, healthy and prosperous Diwali to you! So, I'm on a week-long holiday in sunny Kerala and especially loved the backwaters of Kumarakom and the fascinating multicultural ethos of Fort Kochi. An area called Kuttanad is one of the many interesting places I learnt about during the vacation. It's located just south of the Vembanad lake (India's longest lake). It is among just two sites globally where farming happens below sea level (around about 4 to 10 feet below). More on the...
As I hoped last week, I did get in some book-writing time this week. The chapter I'm writing? Humour in storytelling! That's right - I'm writing about fun (yet safe) ways to use humour in workplace communication. Can't wait to share all of it, along with the other chapters, by sometime late next year. (I know - it's such a long way away!). Meanwhile, here's a great quote I'm keeping in mind even as I write the chapter: "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. They both die in the process."...
Phew - it's been a busy week with 4 training days out of five and I'm a bit exhausted! (In a rare state of affairs, I'm writing this newsletter at 8.30 pm on Friday night!) Having said that, I did manage to catch a movie during the week (Thalaiva's Vettaiyan; would NOT recommend for Jailer fans). Hopefully, next week will be easier and I can get in some book-writing time. And now, on to the newsletter. Welcome to the eighty-sixth edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'. A newsletter recommending...