Marshall Ganz and the Story of Self

Marshall Ganz is a professor at Harvard University. Granted, he may not be a household name. Nevertheless he is a scholar not without influence. A fan of Mozart and Harry Potter, he is also a strong advocate of people using their own stories - their own biographies - as a way of connecting with others and motivating others to "take the world from where it is to where you want it to be." This particular quote from Ganz resonated with me because it defines, in many ways, the essence of what it is professional communicators attempt to do. Working closely with clients, they pinpoint where it is that person or that organization is, identify where it is they want to go, and then devise strategies that will help their client successfully transition from the present to the future.

While the strategies are different depending upon the client and their specific destination, but the challenge remains the same. Even though Ganz does not have "public relations" any where in his title or on his resume, he serves as a great example of what it is these communicators do. His most famous protege is our current president, Barrack Obama. Years before Obama became a candidate, Ganz heard this young man share his own history with others. He immediately recognized Obama's ability to tell "the story of self" was what gave him the ability to inspire and motivate others. By sharing his own journey, Ganz saw that Obama enabled others to see similar histories within themselves. By doing this, Obama motivated thousands of men and women to align themselves with him because they believed his quest and their quest were the same. Ganz recognized that people developed a sense of ownership in Obama in that they viewed his success as mirroring their own.

The story of self is a powerful communication strategy, but only if it is done in a way in which others can relate. Thus, people striving to motivate others via their own stories must weave their tales in ways that acknowledge the struggles and challenges of others. Few of us buy a product or support a cause unless we can link to it our own dreams, ambitions, needs and interests. The same holds true in bonding with another person - even if it is someone that we do not personally know. Ganz could see that people gravitated toward Obama because they felt a kinship with him. In fact, Obama's future success, in many ways, will be defined by how well he maintains the connection people feel with him. The same holds true for all of us as we strive to communicate with others. Thus, in many ways, our best tool is ourselves.