Vodcast #021 - Storytelling Mindset by Jan Kot

Why do we need storytelling?

Facts tell us what happens; but stories help us understand why it happens.

Storytelling is a mindset - how we see, think and explain the world, as well as our place in the world. In short, stories are our lives.

Unfortunately, the modern education system took over the role of storytelling, replaced with a lot of technical and vocational skills.

In Jan’s opinion, she thought storytelling is essential in nurturing all people to become a more well-rounded individual. Failure to offer a voice through stories means there will not be any source of inspiration.

Chinese are told to lay low, be humble and not to draw attention to themselves. The deep-rooted mindset hinders Chinese from being more expressive and boosts workplace harmony. As a result, when compared to western counterparts, she thought Chinese have a lot to learn.

#StoryTelling #Leadership #Influence #ArtificialIntelligence #CrossCultural #Growth #JanKot #SoftSkill #WorkplaceCommunication #Culture #ChineseCulture

About the Speaker:

Jan Kot was born and raised in Shanghai, educated in Hong Kong and the US. With a bachelor degree in journalism and a master degree in creative writing, Jan has over the years taken a ring-side seat in witnessing and documenting China’s rise to a global power. During her earlier career, Jan worked as a reporter for a number of news and business publications in the region with a focus on China’s social and cultural transformation as the country in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. She was also one of the first Chinese writers to report on Chinese in Africa. In 2011, Jan became a founding member of Juwai.com, an international property portal for Chinese. In 2019, Jan founded The Tale Blazers in Shanghai, a consultancy agency that empowers brands and business to tell better stories. Jan is also the managing partner, China of TCP Growth, a Hong Kong-based consultancy focusing on cross-cultural training, consulting and partnerships. Jan speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese.