Tony Quinlan

Tell me a story. What did your grandmother used to tell you? Your grandfather? What would you tell a grandchild? A boss? Now I start to see who you are. If I were to tell you some of mine, you'd see the real me.

Now - imagine we can do that on a global scale. Thousands of stories from all over - that's my dream.

Creating the first global cultural site for the oral stories that make us who we are, that define our identity and that show others what matters to us and why.

That's what I'm doing - watch me go.

Let me tell you another.

I like people - I like to see them succeed and prosper, but I refuse - outright No! - to spend all of my time looking at the positives when there's so much to be learned from mistakes.

I learn better from my mistakes - and from yours - than any number of successes. So that's what I'm always asking about - in conferences, with clients, with people - what didn't you see coming? What happened when you thought it was all about to go KABLOOIE on you?

Because that's where the learning and the innovation comes from. Stress, mistakes and opportunities.

Another? OK.

I don't believe that a world of six-sigma, highly-defined plans and control will get us where we want to be. No amount of MBA teaching will ever come up with the perfect process to fix everything and everyone. Woe betide you if you fell into that trap!

The good news - the alternative looks scary, but plays easy.

Make that mindshift to a world where you not only don't know, but you can't know - and then you're left with things to do, not things to beat yourself up because you can't think hard enough about it.

So I ask the questions to make people think just that little bit different - it's why I get asked back to sit in on high-level conferences. Just ask the stupid questions from the perspective that no-one notices.

That's where the answers lie.

Mind you, I think that's all great stuff - but my kids?

Meh.

Ask them "What does your Dad do?" and do they reply "He's a Chief Storyteller" (I am - that's my job title)?

No.

"He sits in front of a computer all day."

Welcome to my world. At least it's an Apple computer.