Storytelling serves a variety of functions in our society. As children, we are taught morals through cautionary fairy tales (don’t accept candy from old women in the woods, make sure your grandmother isn’t secretly a wolf in disguise); as consumers, we are sold products through advertising campaigns that utilize storytelling and other methods to create a sense of desire (this cologne will make you better looking, you need this new car); as citizens, we are told stories about candidates that exhibit their competence and strength of character that provide compelling reasons to vote for them (they fought in a war, they are a family person).
Yet, despite these myriad examples, storytelling is often a hard sell in the world of business management, typically accompanied by eye-rolling and skepticism. What most managers fail to realize is that storytelling is a powerful leadership tool, whose skilled use can engage employees and create a more successful corporate culture. The big question is…how?
Functionally, storytelling serves as a way to disseminate information that bypasses the human tendency to resist being told what to do and instead drive straight to the emotional core of an individual. By engaging the listener’s imagination, whether through an amusing anecdote or thought provoking parable, storytelling connects the issue at hand with the emotions of the listener, effectively sidestepping the analytical portion of the mind.
Stephen Denning wrote an excellent article called “Telling Tales”, published in the Harvard Business Review, which talks about storytelling as a management tool. Denning identifies seven objectives and the type of story required to achieve them.
- Sparking Action
- Communicating Who You Are
- Transmitting Values
- Fostering Collaboration
- Taming the Grapevine
- Sharing Knowledge
- Leading People Into the Future
If you’re hoping to spark action, you must tell a story of how change was successfully implemented in the past but leave out unnecessary details, allowing space for the audience to think about the possibilities in their own circumstance and get excited about the opportunities.
If you’re hoping to foster collaboration you must tell a story about a situation the listener is familiar with, prompting them to share their own stories or insight in a way that builds off one another.
If you’re hoping to transmit values tell a hypothetical story wherein the values to be discussed are grappled with. This provides space for contemplation and consideration on behalf of the listener.
In all the examples provided by Denning the same principle is at work; the use of a story to transmit an idea, value or concept in a way that creates space for the listener to imagine the outcome and make the story theirs. This transference helps to create a communal vision of the direction required by the company and creates an environment where all the individuals are pulling in the same direction and feel like they are part of the story as it unfolds.
The next time you have to usher in change in your company, think about the way you deliver the message to your employees. By using the power of storytelling, you can connect your presentation to the very core of your employees, motivating them to be part of your story.
