“Once upon a time,” “back in the day,” “legend has it,” – hearing one of these openers transports you into a story. Stories invite people to suspend their disbelief and imagine what could be possible. When applied to telling the story of business change, our audience drops their existing beliefs, listens with an open mind, and considers the possibilities. This type of ‘pulling’ strategy is more impactful than coercive ‘pushing’ strategies because the final decision to support a business change sits with the audience.
Stories are not magic (unless you are Walt Disney), but rather how our brains are hard-wired to process and store information. Stories are one of the most effective forms of communication because they appeal to all types of learners: through spoken word, you paint mental pictures and forge emotional connections.
Storytelling is as old as time, but we are often hesitant to utilize stories to lead change as business leaders out of fear of being judged for revealing too much emotion or delivering the story poorly.
Yet stories are what humanize and bring life to our data points, target metrics, and corporate initiatives.
As leaders, we can overcome our fears by practicing our delivery and following a simple method. All stories have a definite beginning, middle, and end, but not all stories are created equal. Effective change storytelling highlights the desired behavior, action, and positive results from a change initiative.
Want to inspire your audience towards action and acceptance of change? Consider leveraging the following tips.
Know your audience:
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Frame your story with messages and concepts that will resonate with your audience
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Know their interests, motivations, values, fears, and worries
Contextualize the story and explain:
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Why this business change is necessary
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Why now is the right time for the business change
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How this change ties to the bigger picture or strategy
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Any background context for the business change
Humanize the story:
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Turn data points into relatable concepts
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Example: new technology saved budget, but it also saved employees time
Reiterate Action:
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Give your audience clear direction and explain how the overarching change impacts their day-to-day responsibilities (plus how you will support them in learning new skills)
Be Humble!
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True humility shows the capacity for growth and learning.
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BONUS – you build trust simply by acknowledging that you do not have all the answers.
Following these simple steps will build confidence and have a greater impact on your audience.
