Master storyteller, Mark Schenk of Anecdote, demonstrated the power of stories to improve communication in business, build connections and get an organisation aligned behind its strategy.
Storytelling is the best way to be understood and remembered, says Schenk, who delivered an engaging presentation at the AIP National Conference in Melbourne last week on how we can put stories to work to establish rapport and connection in business relationships.
The stories he is referring to are not made-up tales, they’re actual events or experiences relayed in order to establish a connection between two people and enhance understanding.
The best way to influence people is to establish rapport and connection, and stories based on personal experience bridge the gap.
But in business we are not good at telling stories.
Schenk made the point that the overwhelming majority of what we communicate is highly abstract – we are a product of our education, we have been taught to talk impressively, use elevated register in our language, and this type of abstract communication sets up barriers and undermines understanding.
“There is no correlation between being impressive and being understood or remembered,” he said.
A well delivered story, told in plain language and with emotion, can help business leaders inspire and influence their employees and customers.
“Emotion has a huge impact on our understanding and our decision-making,” Schenk explains.
Ninety-five per cent of people in organisations don’t understand the business strategy because of the way the ‘story’ behind it is relayed, according to Schenk.
“Strategies don’t stick because we don’t tell people why,” he said.
He provided some clear steps for how to create what he called a clarity story pattern to explain a business strategy: [Step one] In the past we did things like this, [Step 2] then something happened, [Step 3] so now we need to do this, and [Step 4] to achieve this we’re going to…
By telling the strategy story in this way, you create an emotional connection between the teller and listeners, and you’ll have better buy-in from employees.
Storytelling is not a superpower possessed by the gifted few, it’s a powerful tool that is accessible to all of us, and with practice, we can unleash it and put it to work effectively in our business.
