4 TIPS - WHY SHOULD LEADERS TELL STORIES?

Dear HR, Training & L&D Department,

Based on our previous 3 articles before,  we wish to end with our last article titled:

4 TIPS - WHY SHOULD LEADERS TELL STORIES?

1. Managing Conflicts

Sometimes the direct way is not the appropriate way in dealing with conflicts, stories help support and indirectly say what needs to be said.  Storytelling is an important methodology to handle and resolving struggles and address problems.

2.  Interpret the past and shape the future of thoughts

A story can bring together groups and teams.  Ideally, leaders and their teams co create their own story and create the future of where they want to go as a blueprint to their success.

3. Used to start a Meeting/ Presentation

Before zooming into the exact data/ meat of the outcome, start with a ‘sweet spot’ of telling yours or another person’s story which relates back to your next message.

4. Transforming Culture through Stories

Transforming company culture through storytelling. Storytelling can be a useful tool for leaders trying to cope with rapid change, Try printing out past stories into a booklet and have comics inserted into this as a fun and engaging way of reading.

For those that missed my previous articles, here is the definition of Telling Stories.

• So what exactly makes an effective story? A story is a vehicle that puts facts into an emotional context. The information in a story doesn’t just sit there as it would in a list or data dump. Instead, it’s built to create suspense and engage your listener in its call to action.

• According to Wikipedia, “Stories tend to be based on experiential learning, but learning from an experience is not automatic. Often a person needs to attempt to tell the story of that experience before realizing its value. In this case, it is not only the listener who learns, but the teller who also becomes aware of his or her own unique experiences and background.

• 7 Elements to turn a Good Story into a Great Story

1.     Start with the context.

2.    Use metaphors and analogies.

3.    Appeal to emotion.

4.    Keep it tangible and concrete.

5.    Include a surprise.

6.    Use a narrative style appropriate for business. Be concise and to the point. Business narratives should be 3-5 minutes long.

7.    Move beyond telling your audience a story to creating a scene or event for them to participate in.