7 steps to ensure storytelling inspires your organisation to achieve its potential
As we’ve established in previous articles, and as is apparent within market-leading organisations around the world, leaders cannot simply order their people to be innovative, or motivated, or to love their jobs. Instead, the new leadership imperative is to embody an influencing style to engage employees. In this context, organisations are learning how creating a narrative that resonates inspires, sets the vision, defines corporate culture, and encourages progress toward collective goals.
To unlock this potential, leaders must develop narrative skills. It’s not a competency that is included in the standard management degree.
In this article, you’ll learn how organisations and leaders can engage and influence their people by using storytelling.
Why does storytelling work as a leadership technique?
People respond to telling stories, provided it is executed effectively. Creating engaging narratives is an essential aid to overcome every leadership challenge. For example:
- It’s essential when influence is needed to engage people in transformational change
- It helps to overcome sensitive situations, resolve conflicts, and manage diversity
- It’s a powerful technique when giving feedback and providing coaching
- It encourages creativity and innovation
What makes a good narrative?
A narrative doesn’t just happen. It must be considered, shaped and refined before it can be used effectively. A story must be relevant to the intended audience, and:
- Be easy to understand – aiding memorability
- Include humour, discomfort, or happiness – elements that create emotion
- Be genuine and truthful – believed by the teller, and real for the listener
Creating tension within the rising action of a narrative arc is crucial for enhancing excitement and engagement.
Effective narratives will answer the questions of why, what, and how. Why are we here? What is our potential? How can we reach that potential?
The Power of Strategic Narrative
A strategic narrative has the power to transform a brand, organisation, or individual by creating a compelling story that resonates deeply with its audience. By crafting a narrative that is authentic, engaging, and relevant, a brand can establish a strong emotional connection with its customers, employees, and stakeholders. This emotional connection is crucial as it fosters loyalty and advocacy, making people feel a part of something bigger.
A well-crafted strategic narrative can also help to differentiate a brand from its competitors. In a crowded marketplace, a unique and compelling story can set a brand apart, creating a sense of purpose and direction that drives business results. A strategic narrative can create a sense of urgency and momentum, motivating people to take action and work towards a common goal. By telling a story that is both inspiring and authentic, a brand can build a sense of belonging and community, which is essential for long-term success.
Structuring a Narrative
Structuring a narrative is a critical component of creating a compelling story. A well-structured narrative typically includes a beginning, middle, and end, and is often driven by a central conflict or challenge. This structure helps to create a coherent and engaging story that keeps the audience interested from start to finish.
The narrative structure should include a clear inciting incident that sets the story in motion, followed by rising action that builds tension and leads to the climax. The climax is the turning point of the story, where the central conflict reaches its peak. Finally, the resolution ties up the loose ends and provides a satisfying conclusion.
A good narrative structure should also include a clear character arc, which shows how the main character changes and grows over the course of the story. This can be achieved through character development, which involves creating a rich and nuanced character that audiences can relate to and root for. By focusing on the character arc and development, you can create a story that is not only compelling but also emotionally resonant.
Developing narrative skills to navigate storytelling roadblocks
There are two major roadblocks that stand in the way of leadership narratives. The first is having no stories to tell, and the second is not having the ability to tell them effectively. Utilising a narrative framework can help leaders structure their storytelling process effectively.
The following seven steps will help leaders to develop the narrative skills they require to tell effective stories and inspire their people to greatness.
1. Gather stories
Listen for stories, observe situations, and pay attention to everything around you. Write down those events that can be used to teach.
2. Set the story with context
Before telling your story, consider why the listener needs to hear it. What lesson do you want to impart, and how will it achieve that aim?
3. Use the power of analogies
Explain the story or components of it by comparing to the current situation to clarify how it relates.
4. Make a story resonate by creating an emotional connection
People make decisions based mostly on emotion, only rationalizing that decision later. Stories appeal to listeners when they appeal to their emotional side.
5. Make your story specific and brief
Don’t wander off the beaten track, adding subplots, inventing characters, etc. Keep it specific and to the point, and no longer than three or four minutes. This makes it more interesting and easier to remember.
6. Trigger continued interest with surprise
A surprise or two along the way makes a story more memorable.
7. Create a participative narrative
Use storytelling to encourage the building of experience. Is there a way in which you can shape your story into a coaching event, encouraging participation and learning by experience?
Creating a Narrative Strategy
Creating a narrative strategy involves developing a clear and compelling story that aligns with a brand’s goals and objectives. This process starts with identifying the key elements of the narrative, including the main character, central conflict, and narrative structure. By defining these elements, you can create a cohesive and engaging story that resonates with your audience.
A narrative strategy should also take into account the audience and the channels through which the story will be told. Understanding the audience’s needs, desires, and pain points is crucial for crafting a story that resonates with them. This involves conducting research and gathering insights to ensure that the narrative is relevant and engaging.
A good narrative strategy should also be flexible and adaptable, allowing for adjustments and changes as the story evolves. This involves being open to feedback and willing to make changes to the narrative as needed. By creating a narrative strategy that is authentic, engaging, and relevant, a brand can create a compelling story that drives business results and establishes a strong emotional connection with its audience.
Lead your organisation by leading its narrative
Some of the most successful companies in the world are actively coaching their leaders to inspire through storytelling. Microsoft have sent executives on to lectures about storytelling. Kimberly-Clark has a storytelling process which they impart to their leaders in a two-day seminar. 3M insist that presentations and business plans are made with ‘strategic narratives’. Increasingly, organisations are using external expertise to tutor executives and leaders in the art of storytelling.
Understanding the status quo of the organisation is crucial for setting the groundwork for an effective narrative.
A good story will resonate with your people, and become retold time and again. Eventually, these stories define corporate culture, beliefs, and values. The wrong stories, or the right stories narrated poorly, could damage an organisation. Contact Primeast today and take the first step to ensuring that the stories you want to be told – those that engage your people and inspire them to reach their full potential – are the ones that are told.
