Harnessing storytelling to go further at work
Storytelling is powerful - it transcends other forms of communication, captivating the audience, engaging them emotionally and harnessing the power of imagination. Stories have been around as long as humanity has, with storytelling older than writing, helping indigenous societies navigate the landscape for tens of thousands of years effectively.
“Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution -- more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to.” - Lisa Cron, Wired for Story
Stories transport us to places we haven’t previously imaged, can make us laugh and cry, can convey complex concepts in simple and clear ways, and challenge us to think differently, to change and grow, see perspectives we may not otherwise want to face in safe ways, inspire and influence.
How can storytelling help in communication at work?
We communicate every day at work - whether it is communicating about who we are and why we are a good fit for a position we are hoping to secure, communicating with colleagues, managers and direct reports about projects we are achieving together, communicating with clients or prospective clients about what we can offer them or what we have achieved for them, or communicating with ourselves about where we want to go or lessons learnt. More often than not, these communications are constructed to achieve a particular goal, with a focus to convey complex information towards a particular goal. Yet how often do we review the communications we craft to understand how deeply they convey the stories we want to tell in ways that are emotionally engaging, or take our readers on the journey we want them to go on thoroughly and collectively?
Scientific research indicates that when we experience a story, either by reading, listening or watching, the processing centres in the brain are activated in areas that are being stimulated - the language processing centres, the sensory cortex, the motor cortex - in essence, our brains ‘mirror’ the emotional journey that they are going through via the story. We actively imagine ourselves going through the situations as described in the story.
“A story is the only way to activate parts in the brain so that a listener turns the story into their own idea and experience.” Leo Widrich, citing Princeton neuroscientist Uri Hasson
For managers, coaches and mentors, the value of using storytelling is immense - stories can be used to transfer knowledge, learnings, wisdoms - to inspire and empower - much more effectively than simply conveying facts or information alone.
“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author
Reaching clients, potential clients and new audiences by reviewing not only the technical accuracy of our work, but the clarity of our messaging and the larger context that they sit in within the lens of storytelling offers a way to go further than we otherwise could. Using storytelling as a key component of the design process helps to more effectively understand the user experience through engaging with your audience in an empathetic way, building rapport and leaving positive impressions.
Similarly, the stories that we tell ourselves become our worldview. Taking time to reflect and review upon these can help us identify limiting beliefs we have about our capabilities and future directions.
What makes a successful story?
Stories are so powerful because they allow us to access the reader’s values, accessing their minds and emotions deeply and profoundly. Through this, they can create attitude and behaviour changes, not just convey information.
In order to do this, you need to have a clear idea of who your audience is and what message you are aiming to convey to them - these can both be summed up in two short sentences, for planning purposes.
Functionally, Artistotle has put forward seven key elements to an effective story, which can be applied equally to fiction and non-fiction, play and work:
Plot - what is the message? What are you trying to achieve?
Character - what are the core elements that you are trying to get your audience to connect with, in terms of value, emotional journey and needs? These can be conveyed in a persona, to make it easier.
Theme - What are the key learnings that come from obstacles that are overcome? Try to sum these up in single words to help guide you.
Diction - What sort of language is most appropriate for your characters and for your audience? What will bring authenticity while creating connection? How much language should be used, and how formal or informal, casual or technical does it need to be?
Melody - just as in music, storytelling has a design structure that takes the reader by the hand and leads them on a journey. How does the structure, pace and cadence of your story engage with and move your reader’s emotions?
Décor - Don’t forget the setting, the context, of your story. Leveraging this is often the key to bringing your messaging to life in memorable ways, adding layers to the reader’s experience of your narrative, be it fiction or non-fiction.
Spectacle - what is the best way to make your storytelling memorable? Is it conjuring a mental image? Is it the way that challenges are overcome? Is it the evocation of feelings?
While traditionally thought about as applying only to creative writing and fiction, these principles are equally applicable to technical and academic writing.
To think of it another way, there are three key aspects to turning information into a story:
Challenge
Decision
Result
Framing what you are saying in this way, you are turning it into a narrative, opening up the opportunity to insert many aspects that are not traditionally used when conveying information in a professional setting - an introduction of the broader context that the work is being done in in a creative way, an engagement with the reader’s emotions and value system, an exploration of character and how it changes in response to events.
So how do I do it?
Storytelling may not be as hard as you think. It might take a bit of imagination, but first, be clear about your audience and message. Then, think about the key emotional journey you would like to convey to create change - for example, if you are communicating your science, think about the message you would convey to someone who knows nothing about your subject matter, grounded not only in what the scientific principles and objective are, but the impact. Think about the values of your readers, and the emotional journey that you can take your audience on to have the most impact. Be conscious of the language you will use - not just the language that is most comfortable to you, but what will best express your message to your audience. And plan the journey of your narrative, the pathway and route you will take them on, and the setting this sits in. Start small, with something that may not matter too much, and then practice - storytelling as habit is a mindset, a habit.