Corporate Storytelling
By Sean Buvala
By now, you have probably heard a great deal of “buzz” or excitement over the idea of using corporate storytelling to build your bottom line. Can you use storytelling effectively in your business? The answer is “yes” if you are willing to commit the time needed to gather good stories that will be used in a variety of ways. You might choose to use your stories in digital video, the written word in newsletters and blogs or in the very rewarding medium of oral storytelling.
Here are four things you need to know about this potent person-to-person tool.
1. The Boss Must Be Committed to Storytelling
If you are going to begin corporate storytelling, your CEO or President must be on board with your project. Organizational storytelling is a large time commitment and some employees may not initially cooperate with your new direction. Having “the boss” both agreeing to the plan and demonstrating storytelling for his or her own company communications is critical.
2. Be Ready for Slow Yet Steady Progress
Storytelling is not a quick-fix gimmick. I am sure that you are familiar with the Aesop fable of “The Crow and the Pitcher.” Here is a very short version:
Once there was a very thirsty crow. As he flew about looking for water, he would land here and there to see if he could find any source of water to quench his thirst. He eventually landed next to a pitcher that was about half-full of water. The shape of the pitcher prevented the bird from being able to drink the water deep inside the container. To make the water rise closer to the top, the crow began to drop small rocks into the pitcher. With each rock, the water in the pitcher began to rise. Finally, after adding enough rocks and stones, the water was then high enough in the pitcher so that the crow could drink.
Aesop suggests that one moral of the story is that small, steady changes help us get what we need.
Many business professionals just like you have come to understand that storytelling in business is an effective way to spread a message or product. It takes time for this tool to begin showing results. Similar to the crow in the story, keep dropping story stones into the communications of your business. You will see results if you are patient.
3. Focus on One Department at a Time
Take the time to focus on just a few of your staff learning storytelling. Let them develop good stories and skills. They will become the ambassadors to the rest of the employees. You can then expand your program out to a few more employees and continue to repeat the process.
4. Find the Organic Stories in Your Company
What are the rules regarding how to create a story? While there are not many formal regulations, understanding that good stories flow naturally from customer relations and employee experience is important. Poll your employees and customers to discover what they like best about your company as well as the things they would like to change. Seek out anecdotes about the history of your company. Find out the origins of your slogans and taglines. Develop these anecdotes and mini-stories into full stories that will help you connect better with your customers.
Finally, take the time to learn how to tell a story. Develop a focused outline first, keeping the best parts of the story and fearlessly cutting out the parts that slow the story down.
To help you turn short anecdotes into effective stories, pick up my book, “Measures of Story: How to Create a Story from Floats and Anecdotes.” You can find out more about these storytelling techniques at http://www.howtocreateastory.com
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The author, Sean Buvala, has been coaching storytelling since 1986. Working in both the USA and Canada, he is an award-winning storyteller and performer. He has written several books and training manuals. If you would like to create a workshop or other training event, please see his website at http://www.seantells.com
