CONNECT WITH THE POWER OF STORY AND USE IT WELL
COACHING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO UNCOVER, CRAFT, AND TELL THEIR MOST IMPORTANT STORIES
BOB KANEGIS
STORY COACH
"Bob Kanegis knows how to ask questions. His questions pull your story from you, from deeper places than you thought might exist. He Listens. I mean Listens! He hears both your words, and what inhabits the silence between your words.
There is always backstory -- and sometimes, THAT is the story. Work with him. You will be discovering your self and your story."
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Veronica Golos, author of GIRL
Welcome
I'm Bob Kanegis and I've got Story Fever. The symptoms cause me to experience and interpret much of life through the lens of narrative and story. Thankfully, It's a condition that is highly transmissable. That in a nutshell is the foundation and purpose of my Story Strong coaching practice.
I help my clients connect to the power of story and use it well.
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Curiosity has been the most consistent through line of my life. Curiosity about people, places, and those big questions about the meaning of it all. It's why I paid a wily first grade classmate five hard earned dollars for an almost mummified roadkill raccoon, and why you'll find me in the library reading the latest research on language and culture one minute, and deep in a conversation with a stranger in the supermarket the next.
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In my footloose days I often hitchhiked between Alaska,California and the East Coast. Bank presidents and bank robbers opened their doors for me. The experience of those many hundred rides taught me a lesson that still guides me every day of my life.
Everyone has a story, and needs to be heard!
An old story tells of The Wondersmith,
The Maker Of Worlds.
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He picks up an anvil and hammer
that falls out of the sky and says…
“The Tools Have Come to the One Who Can Use Them!”
The tools of Story are available to you.
Yes! YOU can learn to use them well!
How can I be so sure?
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Because you are human and born with a
Brain Wired and a Heart Tuned To Stories.
Stories are at the heart of how we
make sense of the world, to ourselves and each other.
Why are stories such powerful tools?
Stories provide meaning and context. They cut through complexity so people will get an idea in a flash.
What does it mean to be story strong?
You are keenly observant. You are a powerful listener. You begin to recognize and seek out stories everywhere.
You are skillful at recognizing patterns and connections that
link your experiences.
You are practiced and capable of finding meaning in those patterns and connections.
You choose your words wisely, always aware of their power to build up or tear down.
You can quickly call upon a core repertoire of personal and traditional stories that work well for you.
You fit your stories to your purpose for telling them. You tell the right story at the right place at the right time.
You present the stories you choose to tell authentically and skillfully.
You harness the power of imagination to boost your creativity and widen the scope of what's possible for you.
When you can think and communicate using the perspectives and skills of story, you connect with one of the most effective ways to reveal and express your deepest values, goals and creativity.
You gain clarity for yourself, and communicate authentically, powerfully, and respectfully in your personal and professional life.
​This is the foundation of the Story Strong Coaching method. Here are some of the settings and situations where you/and or your organization will benefit .
The Story of Me and
The Story of We at Work
People at every level of an organization have two central stories.
The Story of Me and the Story of We. Understanding how these stories are connected is crucial to everyone's success.
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I offer Individuals and teams story based coaching and experiences that break down silos and isolation, build trust, enhance a sense of shared purpose, foster collaboration, increase accountability and create a workplace culture that is Story Strong.
"Influence comes from paying attention to those you wish to influence, their stories, the stories you are telling yourself about them, the stories they tell themselves about you and the story not yet told that speaks to you both of future collaboration and mutual respect."
Annette Simmons-The Story Factor
Crucial Conversations
When the stakes are high...
Whether it's being on either end of a performance review, broaching a difficult subject with a colleague or team member, having a a frank and necessary discussion with family, or perhaps dealing with a difficult neighbor; situations like these call for reflection and careful preparation.
I coach you to think deeply, get clear about your intentions, consider the impact of your language, then tune and deliver your thoughts in a way that will best insure that you will be heard and understood.
"The difference between the right word and exactly the right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."
Mark Twain
Bread for the Journey
Crossroads and the Path Forward
"I am who I am because of who we all are together."
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When life serves up challenges, change, curveballs and choices, you don't have to go it alone. Your own core story and the wisdom of the ages, passed down through traditional stories, hold priceless clues for the next stage of your journey. Together dive deep into stories that will offer you clarity, energy, and determined resolve to take next steps and truly become the author and not just the observer of your own life.
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"Henceforth, I ask not for good fortune.
I myself, am good fortune!"
Walt Whitman
Compelling Presentations
Attention is the is among the scarcest and most valuable of human resources. How many times have you almost fallen asleep reading a report or watching a presentation? Imagine your impact when your speech and writing actually serve to wake up your readers or audience . When your presentation is Story Strong, you provide structure, context and meaning. You will reach heads and hearts and move others to action.
When I tell you a story, you may listen for awhile and then fall asleep. But if you listen to my story and you hear your story in it, you will wake up!
From A Faint Idea to Fullfilment
Story Sensibility Support for Creatives
You're working on something amazing! Whether you've just begun, are stuck and peering through the weeds, or doing some late stage polishing, I bring my story sensibilities and skills to support your project.
At times I am simply a great listener and sounding board. At other times, I may offer a fresh perspective or make a connection that suggests an overlooked possibility for your creation.
"Imagination is the beginning of creation.
You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will."
George Bernard Shaw
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