Most experienced leaders instinctively know a good story is a better leadership tool than a policy memo or PowerPoint presentation. But they still rely on those less-effective communications methods far too often. As a communicator, you are responsible for the messages your leaders spread. Putting stories front and center in their minds will markedly improve their and your organization’s standing. However, there are three main arguments leaders give in their inability to utilize stories. Here they are, plus some solutions to try:
Argument #1: When the need arises, I just don’t have a good story to tell. If the perfect story happens to pop into their head, leaders are quick to use it. But that happens too seldom; and that’s not okay. No serious business leader would rely on serendipity for their knowledge of marketing, or strategy, or accounting. If they find themselves short on those skills, they’d take a course, get coaching from an expert or read a book on the topic.
Storytelling should be no different. Don’t wait till you need a good story to look for one. Start building your personal database of leadership stories now. Here are some places to look:
• Get a book on leadership stories and read it. There are many of them. In my book, Lead With a Story (AMACOM; August 2012), I interviewed over 75 CEOs and executives at dozens of companies around the world to collect 100 stories to use in the 21 most common challenges leaders face. No matter what kind of story you’re looking for, chances are it’s already been written. Find it.
• Probe your past. What’s the toughest problem you ever solved? The most creative thing you’ve ever done? The best working relationship you ever had? For great story content, recall your greatest successes, challenges and failures.
• Pay attention to what’s happening around you. Great stories happen every day. So how do you spot real-life, real-time stories worth telling? Here’s a simple test. Ask yourself: “Did someone learn an unexpected lesson or learn it in an unexpected way?” If so, that’s your first clue that a great story might be in the making.
• Collect stories from people you know. Listen to the stories people tell and take mental notes. Then, get proactive! As you walk around the office, ask, “Got any good stories?” Hold a contest for the best stories about whatever topic serves your needs best at the time. Hold storytelling sessions. Conduct formal interviews. Ask inspiring questions.
Argument #2: I have trouble remembering stories when I need them. Then simply keep better track of them, in a couple of different ways:
• Database your stories. These days, companies save just about every important piece of information in a database, except for its richest source of wisdom—its stories. Those typically exist only in the brains of its employees, where they’re subject to the vagaries of human memory and the inevitability of attrition. Write them down and save them in a word processing document or digital file. Index them so they can be easily searched by topic or character.
• Create a company storybook. Print your stories in book form. Many companies— Armstrong International, P&G, General Electric, and Medtronic among them—do this and then distribute them to their employees.
Argument #3: I’m not sure when and where to tell my stories. The short answer to this is you can tell stories anytime, anywhere:
• Tell stories where and when leadership normally happens. That can be anywhere from formal meetings and speeches to one-on-one conversations, in e-mails, in memos or in the lunchroom. Wherever and whenever you would normally tell someone what to do, give advice or teach a lesson, a story can be inserted without worry.
• Tell stories where and when stories are already told at your company. Companies typically use storytelling in training sessions, on the company Web site, in corporate newsletters, in the annual report and at client meetings, team meetings and social events.
• Create your own storytelling venues. Post stories on bulletin boards around the office. Stuff stories in paychecks. Record stories on CDs. Introduce storytelling events to encourage employees to share stories live. Start an in-house storytelling club.
Bottom line: It’s hard to think of a place where you shouldn’t be telling stories. But you need to have stories in order to tell them. So start collecting now.
CONTACT:
This article is written by Paul Smith, director of market research at Procter & Gamble. He can be reached via Twitter @LeadWithAStory.