People Place Story - How to Communicate with Impact

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In this episode of People Play Story, we delve into the art of storytelling and effective communication, inspired by Martin Kloss' book, "People Play Story." As a professional story coach and speaker trainer, Martin explores the power of narratives in motivating and inspiring others, particularly in a business context.

We begin by challenging the traditional competitive mindset often found in workplaces, questioning whether the "us versus them" mentality is truly the most effective way to inspire teams. Martin introduces the idea of building narratives around cooperation rather than competition, highlighting how this shift can lead to more positive and supportive environments.

Drawing from his book, Martin discusses how deeply ingrained competitive language is in our culture, linking it to the nature of capitalism and the win-lose mentality. He argues that life and business are far more nuanced, and that cooperation can fulfill our innate human desires for security and belonging.

Through practical advice, Martin suggests simple changes in language, such as using "we" instead of "I," and employing analogies that emphasize community and harmony. He shares examples from his children's soccer club, where a focus on teamwork over winning has created a more encouraging atmosphere.

As we wrap up, Martin encourages listeners to consider cooperative narratives in their own challenges, whether at work or in personal pursuits, and to embrace the power of collaboration and shared purpose. This episode offers a fresh perspective on communication, advocating for a more human approach to motivating others.

[00:00:08] Martin Kloss:

Hi, and welcome to People Play Story, a podcast about storytelling   and how to communicate with impact.   My name is Martin Kloss, and I'm a professional story coach and speaker trainer.   I recently wrote a book. It's called People Play Story,   but it's only available in German for now. So to help me reach a wider audience and spread the word about the power of stories,   I created this podcast.   Full disclosure, what you're about to hear is generated by an AI,   courtesy of Google's notebook LM.   And each episode is based on a different chapter of my book.   I hope you enjoy it and that I can give you something to think about today. Have fun.  



[00:00:53] Unknown:

Okay. So picture this. You're about to give a big presentation at work. Right? And you really wanna, like, fire up your team, get them pumped. Do you go full on   sports pep talk mode? You know, all   crushing the competition, and victory is the only option.   Or,   is there, like, a different way to approach it?   Could you inspire that go getter energy, but differently? I like where you're going with this. Yeah. Because that's exactly what we're diving into today. We're looking at Martin Klaus' book, People Place Story.   There's this one chapter that really grabbed my attention all about building narratives around cooperation, not just competition, but, like, actually working together. Interesting. Right. So get ready because we're on a mission here. We're gonna uncover how to communicate in a way that truly motivates people without resorting to that whole us versus them mentality. Mhmm. What's fascinating is Klaus points out how much we rely on this, we must win language,   especially in the business world. It's everywhere. Which is true.  



[00:01:52] Unknown:

Like, is that the only story we have? Well, what's really interesting is that he actually links this directly to the very nature of capitalism. There's, like, this deeply ingrained idea.   Someone always has to win.   And because of that, we end up with this really limited binary win lose mentality. It's true. It's like it's the only option. Exactly. But here's the thing, and I think we all know this deep down.   Very few things in life actually work that way. Definitely not. Close even says it's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.  

[00:02:22] Unknown:

Life and the business world too are so much more nuanced than that. So true. And you get stuck in this constant pressure to be on, to be better than everyone else, and, honestly, it's exhausting.  

[00:02:33] Unknown:

Exactly. And that's where, he argues,   the idea of cooperation   becomes really appealing. Think about it. As humans, we crave security. We crave belonging,  

[00:02:43] Unknown:

and competition, just by its very design, kinda undermines those things, doesn't it? It creates this, like, environment of constant pressure and stress. Exactly. And this reminds me of that part of the book where Kloss talks about his kids' soccer club. They completely shifted the focus. So it's not about winning or losing anymore. It's about putting in your best effort working together as a team. Like that. Right. And get this.   He says it's created a much more positive and supportive environment for everyone,   which I don't know about you, but for me, it really makes you think. Like, what kind of environments have you actually thrived in? And has that winning is everything mentality ever actually   helped, or has it hurt your performance?  



[00:03:22] Unknown:

That's such an important question to ask ourselves because it gets at this fundamental shift that Kloss is advocating for, moving away from that dog eat dog world towards something way more collaborative. Yeah. For sure. And the best part is he actually gives some really practical advice   on how to build these narratives of cooperation.   And you might be surprised, it starts with something as simple as the language we use. It's like instead of always saying   I, try swapping it out for we. You know, really emphasizing those shared goals, that collective effort. Right. Like, we're in this together. Exactly. Yeah. And it's about celebrating the progress we make, even those personal bests,   not just   always chasing that external validation of did we win? Did we beat everyone else? He even talks about using different analogies. Right? Like, instead of always picturing,  

[00:04:08] Unknown:

like, a battlefield   Yes. Maybe think of a family. Exactly. Or a community. Yes. Or even, like, an orchestra   working in harmony.  

[00:04:16] Unknown:

Big examples. It just changes the whole feeling. It really does. And this is where it gets really interesting. So instead of that language of   we're gonna crush the competition,   Klas suggests phrases like, how can we serve our community through this? Mhmm. Or let's achieve something amazing together.  

[00:04:32] Unknown:

Right. It's subtle, but I feel like the impact is huge. Because think about it. When people feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves,  

[00:04:39] Unknown:

when they feel valued and heard, they're just naturally more likely to contribute. Like, they actually wanna go the extra mile. Totally. It's not about being the lone wolf. Yeah. You know? It's about finding strength in that collective action. It taps into this innate human desire  

[00:04:54] Unknown:

for connection, for belonging, and that's way more powerful. Yeah. For sure. And isn't that what it's all about, building something together, something lasting? I think Kloss is really onto something with this whole cooperation thing.   So as we wrap up our deep dive here into People Play Story by Martin Kloss, it feels like I don't know about you, but I feel like we've stumbled onto a whole new way of thinking about how we communicate.  

[00:05:18] Unknown:

Instead of, like, always defaulting to that super competitive gotta win mindset, maybe there's a more effective way, more human way to motivate and inspire people. Totally. And I think what I find so compelling about Klas' approach is that he doesn't just, like, point out the problem. Right? He doesn't just say, oh, this whole focus on winning is messed up. He actually gives us a framework for shifting the narrative. Yeah. He gives us the tools. Yes. And it's not some, like, impossible  

[00:05:45] Unknown:

way out there idea.   He gets into the details, gives really concrete examples and practical advice that I feel like anyone could use, whether you're, like, leading a team at work or coaching a little league team or even just trying to motivate yourself to get stuff done. Totally. What really resonates with me is this underlying message about, like, our shared humanity. Yeah. At the end of the day, I think we all  

[00:06:07] Unknown:

crave connection. We wanna belong, and we're searching for that sense of purpose. And cooperation, the way Kloss lays it out, It just taps into those basic human needs in a way that competition never could. For sure. It's almost like he's saying, what if instead of trying to tear each other down, we actually tried to lift each other up? I mean, what could be more powerful than that? Right. So here's a final thought for everyone listening to chew on.   Next time you find yourself facing some kind of challenge, you know, it could be a big project at work or creative pursuit, heck, even just getting through a tough day, whatever it is, ask yourself,   what's a cooperative narrative I can build around this? What kind of language? What images can help me tap into that spirit of collaboration   and shared purpose.  

Honestly, that small shift in thinking, it might just make all the difference. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive. Until next time.  

[00:07:03] Martin Kloss:

Hi, everyone. It's me again. Just a quick note before I let you go.   I hope you found today's episode entertaining,   engaging, and maybe even inspiring.   If you did, please spread the word. And if you didn't, please keep it to yourself.   And if you wanna know more, have any questions,   or wanna work with me, please get in touch with me on martinklaus.com   or on LinkedIn.   Now have a great day. Go out and do something fun.