Tracey Swanepoel | Partner | THINKspiration | mail me |
There is no other place in an organisation where storytelling has more relevance and impact than in the boardroom.
People in corporate environments are often put off by the idea of storytelling as the first thing that comes to mind are fairy tales. But storytelling is a very powerful mechanism that can be used to help employees at every tier of an organisation understand the corporate strategy, the vision and their role in achieving a company’s objectives. It is also a way for leaders to be powerful communicators who can deliver a message that resonates with employees.
We have for the past 10 years, through our Strategy to Story methodology, been helping leaders make their corporate strategy tangible for employees. Through the creation of a visual strategy map – a graphic, story like representation of the entire business – our team make visible how it all fits together – the strategy, the objectives, the company’s history, the current reality, the future, the values, the culture, and the role everybody plays in contributing to the big picture.
It’s a methodology that visualises strategy as a captivating story that really opens the way to authentic communication within a company and assists with significantly increasing employee engagement. One of the key tasks of a leader is to give people hope by creating a compelling picture of the future. This is achieved through storytelling. It’s absolutely thrilling to experience the moment an employee sees the bigger picture, understands the strategy and comprehends their role in it – their whole disposition changes and a light switches on in their eyes.
The lack of understanding of corporate strategy is a global problem. According to research done by MITSloan Management Review in 2017, only 28% of executives and middle managers responsible for executing strategy could list their company’s strategic priorities. Other research shows that when information is imparted through storytelling, we are 22 times more likely to remember it (Bruner, 1990). Using story as a methodology should, therefore, be a no-brainer for companies.
Corporate speak
One of the biggest barriers to communication and understanding in companies is corporate speak. It’s one of the primary reasons employees, including executives, don’t understand the company strategy and objectives.
Corporate speak uses language that sounds professional but says very little. It is difficult to understand and is devoid of emotion, so people can’t connect to it. How often do we hear the terms operational efficiencies, competitive advantage, collaboration – all very abstract and meaningless when it comes to implementation. Stories, on the other hand, naturally connect to people’s emotions, which helps them remember as they are engaged.
But what if a leader thinks he or she is a terrible storyteller? And how does one get board members to tell stories? Sharing stories is the natural way humans communicate. We don’t pull out a PowerPoint presentation at dinner parties. We share stories and anecdotes. Why should this be any different in the boardroom?
Telling stories should not be seen as a time-consuming, creative endeavour. It’s about what happened yesterday in the business. It’s a small anecdote that someone can share with the group. And stories are contagious. When one person shares a story, others share stories too and before you know it, people are communicating in ways that build trust and shared experiences, which creates cohesion and a sense of belonging. This impacts engagement and fuels the desire to play one’s part in achieving the company’s objectives.
Anecdotes
An example of how anecdotes can be used to great effect is, instead of saying our company values include honesty and integrity, tell a story about something that happened in the company that demonstrates honesty and integrity.
For example. I visited one of my clients recently to do a presentation. On signing in at security, unbeknownst to me, I dropped my wallet. When I’d finished the presentation and was leaving, the security guard came up to me and handed me the wallet, with everything inside. That quick story demonstrates the company’s values in action, which is a far more effective approach than merely listing values on a plaque on the wall.
Where to start
Board members can start off just by thinking about where the stories are in their business and sharing those. And for those in need of a little help to get started, we run one-day workshops on storytelling. Participants learn how to identify stories and the recipe for a great story. They also learn how to tell strategic stories, ones that influence and change people’s mind.
You can’t change people’s minds with facts, only with story. And if you want to change the corporate culture, you need to change the stories that are told.
