Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies and Symbols

One of the most important roles of ceremony is to affirm solidarity.

The most effective symbols emerge from an organization’s or group’s shared experience, such as when employees create a T-shirt to wear in solidarity with those who are working long hours to get a product out. Torchbearers should keep a close eye out for artifacts that could become symbols and use them to amplify ideas in speeches, stories, and cere

A ceremony that marks a transformation is more meaningful than a simple party because it expresses group sentiment as you experience change.

Motivate them by describing the possible future with wonderment and awe to show them that the reward will be worth their efforts. Then conclude the speech by explaining not only why your idea is possible but that it is the better choice to make.

develop group cohesion and strong interpersonal relations.

A symbol could be anything—an image, object, word, or place—that comes to represent something else. Most symbols take on meaning by being part of a significant moment that gives rise to a speech, story, or ceremony, and often all three.

Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul and the Starbucks website.

Our storytelling book, Resonate, spawned a TEDx talk that got more than a million views total.

Using moments to turn artifacts into meaningful symbols seems part of human nature;