Storytelling Builds Culture

The organizational power of storytelling is underutilized in many workplaces. Most organizations do great at telling their employees what to think and do. But most forget to help their staff feel. And stories are a critical way to connect with emotions. Stories connect to the heart which in turn will supercharge the motivation of your staff. Also, if you’re looking for coaching on this topic beyond this article then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. I would love to help you determine the obstacles you're facing and if I’m the best person to help you overcome them.

Why Stories Build Culture

1. Stories Connect To The Heart

‍ Too often our events and meetings are head and hand centric. They focus on what to think and what to do. They help you process information and take action steps. But it’s hard to move from the head to the hands without incorporating the heart. Information isn’t enough for most people to get off their butts and do something. Most people need an emotional motivator. And stories are a great way at delivering this emotional motivation. Too often my events, my church services, lack an emotional spark because they lack stories. Too often my services only connect with people on a rational level. But reason isn’t enough to change how people behave. People may understand what you want them to do but if they aren’t emotionally engaged they just won’t do it. Telling more stories, and better stories, helps people take action.

2. People Remember Stories

Whenever someone recalls a talk I’ve given, be it a sermon or seminar, they always remember the stories. They usually don’t remember my big idea and they never remember my main points. Now maybe that’s because I’m a terrible communicator, or maybe, and hopefully, it’s because we are hard wired to remember stories. Our ability to remember a crafted story delivered well is remarkable. I’ve had people recall stories I’ve shared a decade ago. Do these people naturally remember the title of my talks? No. Do they naturally remember my sticky statements? No. But they remember my stories. And when they remember my stories, it links them back to my title and sticky statements. The story is an emotional key that unlocks the door to content. So leverage stories when you want people to retain information.

3. Stories Celebrate Someone

Most stories have a protagonist. A hero you want to root for. Organizations can tell stories in which their staff is the main character. Where their staff is the hero. It can sound as simple as this, “yesterday Carl demonstrated great teamwork when she offered to help on a project. Without me even asking.” This builds up the staff member and reinforces organizational values, because we know what gets rewarded gets repeated. Organizations can do one better and tell stories in which the client is the hero. Stories that remind everyone the “why they do” behind “what they do”. In my church context, the client is ultimately God. We take five minutes every week during our all staff gathering to brag on Him and tell stories of what He is doing in our community. We usually go beyond these five minutes. And I have to tell you, this storytelling experience is a highlight of my week. 

4. Stories Create Meaning

People use stories to make sense of things. This applies to employees and their job. Everyone has a story in their head about what their work means to them. This story might be as pragmatic as “I’m here to put bread on the table” or it might be as inspirational as “I’m here to make a dent in the universe”. This story is the result of thousands of interactions and it becomes the lens through which we interpret our workplace. Leaders with a shared strategic story can engage their staff in the journey the organization is on. They can craft a unified narrative that helps everyone row in the same direction. Every employee has a story in their head. Speak into that story and create the meaning you desire.

5. Stories Win Culture‍

I have the phrase “The best stories win culture” on my dry erase board. It is a daily reminder to continue honing my storytelling craft to get the attention of my culture and win it over to my perspective. Stories are vital elements to include in any presentation because of their persuasive power. And notice how I said stories, not story. I like to use the 1:10 ratio here. Include one story for every ten minutes of presenting. So if your talk is forty minutes long, well, you can do the math. 

How To Use Stories To Build Your Culture

1. Script It Out

f it’s a monologue, letter, or interview, script it out. Regardless of the format, you need to script it out because that will be a lot more polished then just winging it. Scripting it out allows you to bring in a number of storytelling techniques like foreshadowing, summarizing and developing a narrative arc. Scripting it out also allows you to develop and refine any literary devices you have like allusion, metaphor and symbolism. The last benefit of scripting is brevity. You are able to communicate a point faster with a script through an economy of words. After you’ve scripted it out you’ve got to test it out. So grab your copy and practice in front of an audience. This will ensure what looks good on paper sounds good during the moment.

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2. Practice It Out

Just because you have a great script doesn’t mean you’re gonna have a great story. Practicing and refining the art of presenting will help ensure you get the most mileage out of the story. This is especially true when it comes to interviews since you can only control one half of the story, the questions. Practicing will increase the odds that the story you want will be the story you get. The one caveat I would add is in regards to stories with a weighty emotional moment. Be careful not to over practice these. If you do, you risk using up all the emotions before the actual presentation. Practicing also helps you develop the right cadence, inflection and delivery that best compliments the story. So script it out and practice it out.

3. Different Ways To Tell A Story

There are three different ways to tell a story. You tell your own story, you tell someone else’s story, and someone else tells their story. All are powerful but have different pros and cons, so understanding how and when to use which method is important. Telling your own story has a strong sense of intimacy. But sharing too many personal stories can start making the presentation feel self-centered. Telling someone else’s story is great because it can bring in a wider range of life experiences you don’t have. Telling someone else’s story is wise when the person is not a strong public speaker. Also telling someone else’s story works well when it is complimentary. This allows you to brag about someone else instead of them bragging about themselves. When someone else tells their story the advantage is intimacy and the disadvantage is increased effort. It takes time to coach someone to deliver their story well. 

4. Change Up The Format

Hearing directly from the source is always the most powerful storytelling format. But sometimes this isn’t an option because the person isn’t comfortable or confident sharing by themselves. If this is the case, then change up the storytelling format. Two great options for the inexperienced are interviews and letters. Interviews allow someone else to frame the conversation and keep it moving along. Interviews also provide a safety net in case the person freezes. Another possible format for those lacking experience is the written letter. This allows the person to share their words but allows someone else to deliver them. When you have a storyteller that doesn’t feel comfortable flying solo, then pair them with an interviewer or letter reader. 

5. Keep It Short

When asked how long a story should be I always answer with, as short as possible. So be ruthless and cut out fluff and non-essential content. You want the story to be as long as it needs to be, and no more. Remember the old adage, leave them wanting more. Practically speaking, this means you might have a minute story that is too long or a three minute story that is too short. A good way to test length is share the story with someone that doesn’t know it, and see if they start to check out. If they do, then cut the story when they become disinterested. Keeping it short is an easy principle to parrot, but hard to live out. And that’s because every artist loves their art. It is like a beloved child, that no one has the right to criticize. A way to combat this is by reminding yourself that stories should be crafted for the audience, not the storyteller.

6. Video Is A Dynamic Way To Tell Stories ‍

Video storytelling is dynamic because it incorporates the holy trinity of communications - words, images and music. The words explain what is going on inside the head of a character. They are usually straightforward and get to the heart of the matter in an efficient manner. Images evoke the imagination and play a supportive role to the words. They can be used to support or contrast the words. They can be concrete or abstract. They allow for a wide range of metaphoric applications. Music is the emotional undergirding to our lives. Individual notes can convey particular emotions. Now string those notes together and you take people on an emotional rollercoaster. Video is also dynamic because it is editable and shareable. Editing allows you to cut out fluff, compress the narrative and select the best take. Sharing allows you to reach an audience outside the range of your voice. So when the budget allows, tell stories through video.

7. Stage Or Floor

Most live presenters tell their stories from a stage, but sometimes it works better when the story is shared from the floor, from the audience's level and perspective. Politicians love to do this when they invoke a personal story to appear more relatable. Another time to share from the floor is when the story isn’t yours. You will see this technique used a lot in religious services. Instead of the clergy sharing from on high about how a parishioner's life has been transformed, they’ll ask that person to stand up where they are and share with the community. Sharing from the floor communicates a level of attainability. Since the story is literally closer to me, I feel its implications and outcomes are closer, that they are within my grasp.

8. Stand Or Sit ‍

There is a real art behind the body language of a good story. And one of the major ways we communicate this is by standing or sitting. Here are some general principles that I’ve learned about the posture of a good story. Sit when the story is long, low energy or negative. If you do sit, make sure you have the right seat. If you are by yourself a backless stool is a good choice because it allows you to easily stand if needed. Also the lack of backing will keep you perched on the edge which will give the story a visual sense of suspense. If you are sharing a longer story with someone else, then consider using plush chairs. It will appear that you are taking care of your guests with comfortable seating. Stand when the story is the opposite, when it is short, high energy or positive. Also consider changing up your posture if the story dramatically changes direction. If it goes from negative to positive then start sitting and end standing. And flip this posture if the emotional arc of the story is reversed. 

9. Plan Your Blocking ‍

Think through how you want to move to match the movement of the story. IOWs when the story changes direction, you physically change direction by pivoting or taking a couple of steps. Lean or step forward when you want to increase energy and intensity. And move back when you want to decrease it. Also remember that since the majority of languages read from left to right, the majority of cultures physically view progress as moving from left to right. So if you want to talk about the troops taking ground on the battlefield, move from left to right. And if you want to demonstrate the troops retreating, move from right to left. Now here is the trick. You have to reverse these movements since left and right are reversed from the perspective of your audience. 

So those were my reasons why you should use stories to build culture in your organization and some best practices on how to do it. Let me know what best practices I missed. I would love to hear from you and learn from you. And if you want additional help in this area then visit benstapley.com/coach to schedule a free consultation. I would love to help you win. Have an awesome day.