DLE WORKSHOP PERCOLATES UNIQUE WAYS TO CAPTIVATE OTHERS WITH YOUR STORY

By Gabrielle Chisolm, Communications Intern, a junior majoring in English at the University of Maryland

Clearly the topic of the January 24th DLE Culture Chat–Tell Me More: Captivate Others with Your Story–resonated with DLE community members. The program attracted a worldwide audience, with participants joining from the UK, the U.S., Indonesia, and Germany.

Guest Speaker Hari Kumar, founder and CEO of Convivo, shared new and innovative ways to captivate others and increase professional success through storytelling.

In the interactive virtual program,Hari showcased why storytelling is important in professional settings and how it can be utilized to connect with others in varying positions. Using examples of popular stories like Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Hari shared how curiosity, interest, and attention are crucial in storytelling. “If you want to get somebody’s attention, you’ve got to get them interested—and the best way to get somebody interested is to make them curious.”

Attendees had the opportunity to network in breakout rooms while sharing how they can apply these five critical elements for storytelling cited by Hari:

1. Motivating tension
2. Main characters
3. Plot twists
4. Supporting characters
5. Scenes

Learn how to customize your stories and gain the attention of a client, interviewer, or colleague by watching this Culture Chat program on the DLE YouTube Channel here.