“I just don’t know what else I can do, man. I’ve tried everything.”

Roger had my attention. The only emotion he'd shown me before now was *I’ve got this, I don’t need your help*. The development team he led just would not deliver fast enough. And, at first glance, it did look like he had tried everything in his power as their manager.

But before long, Roger's team became known for their quickness, all but erasing their old reputation.

Wait, what happened? Come hang with me for an hour, I'll tell you all about it.

Software is a game of insight. And stories are the best way we have to share our insights with each other. By sharing them, we elevate our work, our industry, and our lives as software professionals.

I've got stories to tell you about the teams I've worked with. You'll see yourself and your team in theirs. You'll ride the ups and downs with them from the safety of your chair. You'll walk away with the lessons they lived. And you'll probably realize how many stories you have to tell, too.

Feedback from attendees:

"Jon's approach to teaching is amazing."

"Interesting twist. Loved the stories to make a point."

"Good advice on how to handle difficult situations and use stories to help describe things. Especially liked the example on asking 'why'."

"I'm learning to pay attention to the details of my story, and trying to find ways to tell it so others can learn safely from my experience. Great timing on your encouraging talk. Thanks Jon!"

"Getting to know your team is important. Thanks for thinking about what stories I can share."

"Engaging!"

"Thanks for making me want to practice the habit of finding stories AND telling them."

"Your stories were funny and your messages were awesome."

"This was amazing. I can’t think of anything you could have done to make it better."

"Some (most) people do not like to be wrong, so instead you tell them a story through which they can come to the same conclusion as you but from their own mind instead of your words. Nice job today!"

"Great!! I really enjoyed the focus on mobbing and talking through things. While I don’t have a large view into how a lot of [our company's] teams work, i hope it helps shift my teams way of thinking 🤔"