Your Story Matters - Southeast Ruby

Transcript

1. Your Story Matters. Tom Ridge @tjridge I’m Tom Ridge, I’m a remote engineer working for Culture Amp, the Employee Feedback Platform whom have Kindly sponsored me to be here today
2. I believe in you. This people geek t-shirt from work, seems very appropriate today
 I think each and every one of you, has all the ingredients required to give great, amazing, talks. Your unique backgrounds, experiences and perspective, can combine to craft great stories.
3. You have a story to tell. Talk about how I used to be a meet up organiser. And I’d often speak to people about giving a talk. 
 
 And I’d get responses that sound like
4. If you find yourself saying…
5. “ I don't know what to talk about.
6. “ Someone's already given a talk on my subject.
7. “ I don't have enough experience to give a talk.
8. Image Credit: 20th Century Fox We're going to tackle all of these, but first we need to understand why story telling is important if you understand why story telling is important, we can identify how it helps us craft great talks
9. Your story, and your experiences make all the difference. your unique history, your perspectives and path to here are what make you, you, and what gives your talks a flavour that only you can provide. 
 Our community, can only be richer from having you take part, but even if you're not at all interested in giving a talks. hopefully you'll learn something about the value story telling and how it can help you in the workplace through building empathy in your discussions
10. Our history is shared through story-telling. We are the sum of our collective experiences. Handed down from generation to generation, stories in all mediums, be it Aesop’s fables, the boy who cried wolf or the latest instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have served as entertainment, as knowledge transfer, as warnings and a way to preserve our history, possibly, less so the Avengers. It is through storytelling that we are enabled to understand and connect with the world around us. It helps us feel like we are a part of something. It is an important, memorable and valuable social tool. It also enables us to shape our culture
11. Stories enable us to forge new ideas to challenge the status quo. stories are an effective way to get your point across, it creates a situation where your target audience is better enabled to empathise with you as you relate your own experiences. 
 Consider the next time you want to challenge an assumption or established idea, how much more powerful your statements can be, by relating your experiences. This can help force us to question our idyllic view of how code, or our industry should be. Your call to action could be the driver of that change you want to see in the world.
12. Stories enable us to forge new ideas to challenge the status quo. As Erin touched on on Monday, you are your communities future, consider how you want that community to look
13. Stories help us aspire to something greater. It doesn’t matter who they are, or where they come from, stories of our heroes resonate with us. We can cheer with them, identify with them, and by having heroes like us, it makes that connection that much stronger.
 Your story, might help inspire us to be better humans, or write better code. Studies have shown that the simple act of a narrative, can deliver a powerful, empathetic response.
 
 https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/10/03/paul-zak-kirby-ferguson-storytelling/? utm_source=zapier.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zapier
14. Image Credit: Disney Ask who’s seen this movie
 Describe ratatouille scene
15. Image Credit: Disney
16. Stories transport the audience Stories enable us to emotionally resonate with its characters, we begin to feel what they feel and recall our own experiences. Narratologists call this “transportation”, and it enables parts of our brain to simulate the emotions of our characters. In an industry where our presence is largely in front of a keyboard, the ability to empathise with others and understand things from their point of view is vital. Telling me a story from your perspective, helps me better empathise with you, and I think we can all agree, the one thing we could use right now, is more, not less, empathy.
17. It's something we already do anyway. “Personal stories and gossip make up 65% of our conversations.” http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-secrets-of-storytelling
 We’ve already, spent time during this conference, getting to know each other, sharing anecdotes, sharing stories and tales of woe and making each other laugh, smile and comiserate. It’s what we do naturally.
18. It's something we already do anyway. You are already equipped to tell me a story. I spend a good chunk of my time, relating to my wife and my mum, anecdotes and stories about my twin girls. It helps them feel included, and a part of the picture, even when my mum is interstate. That ability for them to get an insight into what’s going on, helps them see things through my lens, similarly:
19. Your story can help us see your view of the world. you have a unique perspective and lens that has been built up over time. You might come from a different career path, background or any other avenue that makes your path to here different from someone else, but parts of that path will be similar or the same as some of the audience, and talks that you can immediately identify with because someone has struggled, or succeeded and they happen to share a similarity with you are huuuuge.
 even if we can't relate to that path. We can build our understanding anew of the problem, or the path to here made by someone else. In today’s climate, we could all use a little more empathy, don’t you think?
20. Your story can help us see your view of the world. That ability, to transport your audience, makes your talks more compelling, and more likely to encourage change, it also happens to make them more entertaining, and all it requires of you, is to share a bit of yourself
21. Turns out, good stories make for good talks. All of a sudden a talk is elevated from something I listen to, to something I can relate to, or be captivated by. It locks in to something we can miss, that talks are entertainment. When we start talking about experiences, rather than things, we’re far more likely to engage our audience. telling and being told a story activates parts of our brains and enables us to take on information more readily. http:// www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=all
22. Turns out, good stories make for good talks. Telling and being told a story activates parts of our brains and enables us to take on information more readily. http:// www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=all 
 some of my absolute favourite talks have had elements of story telling,Sandi Metz, Katrina Owen, Saron Yitbarek all craft compelling, engaging talks. You can too, so if you were the type of person that said:
23. “ I don't know what to talk about.
24. Recognise that your journey is made of multiple steps. You don’t need to have built some amazing company, or accomplished some spectacular hack to have a contribution of value to this community. It doesn’t even need to be technical. 
 Talk about how the idea of this talk came about
 Similarly:
25. Recognise that your journey is made of multiple steps. We’ve heard stories about the construction of the Eiffel Tower, of getting the game of thrones theme song sung as meows, as well as what loveable code looks like and these have been amazing, compelling talks. 
 Take time to reflect and recognise moments where you overcame even the smallest of hurdles, because they will become great talk topics. What was it about yourself that made those events easier/harder to deal with? What would you tell others so they could succeed, or how could they make changes for next time? If you were the type of person who’d say this:
26. “ Someone’s already given a talk on my subject.
27. Like that's somehow stopped Hollywood. fair enough, you might not want to give two of the same subject in a night, or within a couple of weeks, but so many stories rehash a common theme or ground, and as we’ll see soon, structure. It’s your unique background makes that story yours and a story that is still interesting and worth listening to; not only that, but your ideas on that subject might be different and just as valid or interesting. Talk about brisruby - should have done a technical talk, Kristine Howard, the Campsite Rule leaving the Tech Industry Better than we found it.
28. Like that's somehow stopped Hollywood. Talk about brisruby - should have done a technical talk, Kristine Howard, the Campsite Rule leaving the Tech Industry Better than we found it.
 
 If you were the type of person that said
29. “ I don’t have enough experience to give a talk.
30. The best time to give a talk, is when you’re learning. Entry level talk topics, in my experience are some of most requested. When we’ve held meetups in the past that were solely entry level focussed, attendance has always been high.
31. The best time to give a talk, is when you’re learning. if you're new to programming, you're experiencing this all for yourself the first time. Telling us how you've experienced it means those of us who've been here for longer can better appreciate what its like now. Even if we’ve heard the topic before, some of the best talks I’ve watched have been on the driest of subjects, or subjects i knew very well, because the speaker injected themselves and their experiences into the talk.
32. The best time to give a talk, is when you’re learning. Entry level talks tend to be more broadly interesting and accessible to the majority of attendees, and often delivered with an enthusiasm that makes the talk compelling, and engaging.
33. So where to now? It’s one thing, to convince you that you have everything you need to give me a great story, but how do we arm you to take that story and give an amazing talk? 
 Well, let’s talk structure
34. Take your audience on a journey.
35. A Hero’s Journey
36. Sound familiar? Well, it may not sound familiar, but you’re certainly familiar with it. Joseph Campbell brought this idea of a mono myth to the fore way back in 1949.
 Essentially, he posits, that all mythic narratives, all stories, are variations of the same story structure. 
 
 Now I realise the irony of what Im about to suggest, but you can very much apply your own individual stories to this structure. Rather than go to the full 17 steps here we’re gonna break it down to just 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey https://www.presentationblogger.com/heros-journey-approach-to-storytelling/ https://www.ethos3.com/2016/04/why-you-need-a-heros-journey-for-your-next-presentation/
37. Sound familiar? Despite it being a singular, story structure, you can still apply your own personality, style and delivery to make this story your own. So rather than go to the full 17 steps as originally outlined by Joseph, we’re gonna break it down to just 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey https://www.presentationblogger.com/heros-journey-approach-to-storytelling/ https://www.ethos3.com/2016/04/why-you-need-a-heros-journey-for-your-next-presentation/
38. Departure
 (Supernatural Aid) Our hero, you, receives a call to adventure, maybe you’re a little reluctant at first, maybe with the help of a mentor, or a design pattern you accept the quest and seek to rise to the challenge laid out before you, but it’s not so easy:
39. Initiation
 (The Road of Trials) You face tests, meet allies, try to overcome your own fears, doubt and challenges. Can I do this? Can I save master from the red build?
40. Return
 (The Master of Two Worlds) You’ve overcome your challenges, and locked down your knowledge. You’re a different person than when you began this journey, maybe with newfound confidence, maybe you’re just wiser than before. Maybe you’ve completed the journey and decided that JavaScript, is more your style. These ingredients, can be laid on top of personal events, of production outages, of simply completing a card:
41. It’s brilliant for talks. More than 50% of hollywood movies and a majority of the most viewed TED talks take this structure to an extent.
 It’s not hard to imagine your talks narrative in the same light. And you don’t need all the elements, but so many of your stories will be about how you overcame a personal challenge and came back changed, I re-examined my first conference talk, and found it fit the structure pretty well: https://www.ethos3.com/2016/04/why-you-need-a-heros-journey-for-your-next-presentation/
 
 Tell the story of Ramya’s CFP and how much I wanted to see that talk.
42. Departure I wanted to make our tests more explicit and use less RSpec magic. Initiation Tests became way too verbose. Harder to sell boss on new approach. Return Verbosity highlighted tight coupling. Explicit tests easier to read and made refactoring easier! Talk about Ramya’s CFP if there’s time
 But structure is only half the battle, how can we help you with delivery, or outlining?
43. Great resources to craft a CFP or talk. There’s some fantastic resources out there:
 speaking.io - Zach Holman’s site is a great mini resource I go to often http://www.sarahmei.com/blog/2014/04/07/what-your-conference-proposal-is-missing/ - Sarah Mei https://medium.com/@fox/how-to-write-a-successful-conference-proposal-4461509d3e32 - How to write a successful proposal by Fox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9JXH7JPjR4 - Ben Orenstein’s talk on talks
44. Still want some help getting your story out there? Well, I took the liberty of speaking to some people whom might be able to help
45. Nash.rb Austin.rb Austin on Rails NYC.rb LA Ruby Rails Dallas Ruby Santa Barbara on Rails Columbus Ruby Brigade Ruby::AZ DC Ruby The Tampa Ruby Brigade Ruby in Hollywood Philly.rb OKC Ruby STL Ruby Ann Arbor Ruby Brigade Cleveland Ruby Brigade Kansas City Ruby Boston Ruby Indy Ruby Ruby.mn Iowa Ruby
 Atlanta Ruby Fog City Ruby Louisville Ruby Meetup Upstate Ruby Boulder Ruby I’ll tweet a list on GitHub after the conf, but these are just the local Ruby and Rails meet ups that replied. If you’re attending other meetups, or maybe your meet up isn’t listed here reach out to them anyway.
 Of all the requests I sent, I got exactly 1 no, because that particular meet up was rebranding and changing over the summer.
46. Nash.rb Austin.rb Austin on Rails NYC.rb LA Ruby Rails Dallas Ruby Santa Barbara on Rails Columbus Ruby Brigade Ruby::AZ DC Ruby The Tampa Ruby Brigade Ruby in Hollywood Philly.rb OKC Ruby STL Ruby Ann Arbor Ruby Brigade Cleveland Ruby Brigade Kansas City Ruby Boston Ruby Indy Ruby Ruby.mn Iowa Ruby
 Atlanta Ruby Fog City Ruby Louisville Ruby Meetup Upstate Ruby Boulder Ruby Your meetup organisers would love to hear from you. And I personally would love to hear how you go
 Some of these meet ups even have nights to help you work on that CFP or conference talk idea. How cool is that?
47. remote ruby And of course there’s remote ruby if you’re not close to a meet up, they’d love to hear from you too
 We’ve talked about the hero’s journey, but what about journey’s you don’t want others to have to take?
48. Don't be afraid to tell a story that doesn't always have a happy ending.
49. Lauren posted this almost two years ago now. And with her permission i've plugged it in here. I'm not going to post the replies, but i think this neatly encapsulates the value of stories that don't always deal with successes.
50. sometimes we have shit days, or shit experiences and we need to know that our heroes have dealt with that too and still found the will to keep moving, it’s these experiences, that help us forgive ourselves, for our own mistakes, and recognise that we are human after all, because: https://twitter.com/Zajakot/status/806792841242415105
51. Stories dealing with failure, give us hope. hope that we can deal with what life has to throw at us on our darkest days, or what we're going through right now, might not be that bad in the scheme of things. Glorious failure can be hilarious and compelling too, it doesn’t all have to be bad. Talk about courage to be vulnerable and it being what I want to see from you. 
 but above all else:
52. Above all else, inject your own experiences. it's you the audience have come to hear. Your personality and opinions should drive the talk. I've never met someone who couldn't tell me a story of some description, in fact, just about every single person I’ve met this conference, has told me some story about themselves.
 
 I’ve given variations of this talk a few times now, and I kept getting the same feedback:
53. Above all else, inject your own experiences. inject more of myself. I began to question why I was so reluctant to do so, and the truth was, that I didn’t see nearly as much value in who I was, as I did everyone else. 
 

54. Above all else, inject your own experiences. You know how I said the best stories inspire us to be greater than we are? I’ve come to realise that I’ve spent so long chasing being this better version of me, that I’ve forgotten to celebrate the me that I am now. Don’t make my mistake, be proud of how you are right now, be proud of your accomplishments right now.
 

55. Above all else, inject your own experiences. You, can tell a story that celebrates how amazing of a person you are, you don’t need to wait for some imaginary level of good enough, you already are.
 

56. Your turn. Here I am with a call for you to adventure
 you might have been reluctant to go at first, but now, hopefully you’re ready to cross that first threshold and give those amazing talks you’re so capable of, because
57. Your story matters.