About a year ago, a gentleman named John came to me for executive coaching. He described his organization’s culture as negative, disengaged, and cynical, and he wanted to change that. What struck me was how willing John was to own his part in creating this culture.
When we started prepping for a big company-wide meeting, John shared his slide deck – full of facts, figures, and stats. I had a feeling this might be part of the problem.
Sure, business communication should be logical, right? Not quite. If you want to inspire, engage, and influence others, you’ve got to tap into their emotions. That’s where storytelling comes in – it’s a powerful tool in leadership.
Why tell stories in business?
Good storytelling makes your message compelling, relevant, visual, and memorable.
Compelling:
Fun fact: People make decisions with their emotions and then justify them with logic.
So, if you want others to get on board with you, you could hit them over the head with a club and drag them along, (not recommended), talk them into a coma with data and logic, (also not recommended), or you could tap into their emotions and compel them to join you. Your choice.
Relevant:
Facts only matter when tied to a story. Think of Steve Jobs – he didn’t tell people the iPod had 30GB of storage; he said it could hold 7,500 songs. Suddenly, it was relevant to every music lover out there.
For your message to pack a powerful punch, don’t only give facts and data; provide information within a framework of context and perspective. That’s what gives it meaning and relevance for your team members.
Visual:
Stories paint pictures in people’s minds. Telling someone that Louisiana loses 25 square miles of wetlands every year isn’t as powerful as saying we lose a football-field-sized area every 30 minutes. When people can visualize what you’re talking about, they can process the information more easily.
Memorable:
If you want people to follow safety procedures, don’t just publish safety policies.
At your safety meeting, get your team to pull up family photos on their phones and remind them that working safely is about getting home to those they love. A story makes the message stick.
Isn’t business communication supposed to be factual?
I know it feels strange to tell stories at work, especially if you’re used to being all bidness. But if you want to influence others, (and what leader doesn’t?) adapting your approach is key. Storytelling can move people to action in ways that plain data never will.
Turning around a culture
John got this. His revised presentation used images of laughing children and families enjoying the company’s services. He highlighted team members, shared testimonials, and told both funny and heartfelt stories. It was a game-changer for his team and a huge step in transforming the culture.
Sadly, about five months into our six-month coaching agreement, John was diagnosed with a terminal illness. After sharing with me, he insisted that he wanted to continue our work together and renewed his contract. Even – and especially – in his final days, John was committed to creating a positive legacy. It was an honor and a privilege to work with John in this way. His wife texted me recently to let me know that John had passed peacefully, but his impact lives on.
So, remember, if you want to lead others effectively, start telling stories. They give your message meaning, and that’s something people won’t forget.
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Through facilitated leadership team retreats, customized training programs, coaching, and keynote presentations with a hint of Cajun flavor, Jennifer Ledet, CSP, provides leaders with tools to help them be more intentional and live and lead by choice, not by chance.
