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March 18th, 2008
The power of storytelling to engage
“Leadership essentially is a task of persuasion –
of winning hearts and minds.”
- Stephen Denning, The Leaders Guide to Storytelling
Telling stories is one of the most powerful techniques that leaders can use to win the hearts and minds of employees, because it:
- Is natural, easy, entertaining and energizing
- Can simplify complexity
- Can allow people to see things in a new light
- Is inherently non-adversarial and non-hierarchical
- Engages our feelings and breaks down defense mechanisms
- Affects the way people think, worry, wonder and dream
What other technique can we think of that meets all of those criteria?
If you aren’t currently telling a lot of stories and would like to try it or improve your current capability, here are some things to consider:
- Vary your voice – bring life to your stories through inflection and voices.
- Understand the audience – if you're talking to a Gen X audience, don’t use a reference to a TV show from the 50s.
- Own Your Story – Make sure the story you're telling is your story. It’s difficult to show passion and emotion when telling someone else’s story.
- Show Your Conviction – Believe in what you're saying and show it.
- Keep it Fresh – Don’t tell the same story over and over or it may get stale.
- Live the presentation – Bring the presentation to life with details. Paint a picture of the location where the story takes place or the people involved.
The following tips can also strengthen your story:
- Ensure that your story’s content:
- Is based on a single, well-defined plot
- Is simple and short
- Includes a challenge or problem to be solved
- Has an “aha” moment
- Ends with something resolved, changed or learned
- Ensure that your delivery:
- Is sincere
- Paints a picture with words
- Acknowledges how the audience is responding and adjusts accordingly
- Expands the link between the story and the business when necessary
With these tips, you're ready to go. Think of a message you need to send, a story that supports it and take the stage!
See you next month.
Chris Gay
Partner, Bridge Consulting
engagement@melcrum.com
Essential techniques for employee engagement Our latest practitioner’s guide tells you how to implement proven programs to build a committed workforce. It guides you through the 4 most important techniques for engaging employees and shows you how to successfully introduce your own initiatives. |
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About
Melcrum
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