Putting a good story to smart use
Storytelling is as old as time itself. This is not without reason because a good story takes us along, moves us, and teaches us important lessons. And it influences us; we also want to be involved and do our part. How to put a story to good use? Read on quickly!
There is often much more when you tell a story than just mere facts. There are roughly two ways to look at a house. It is a structure with a door where people can live and protects them from wind, rain, and unwanted visitors. But a house is also a home, a holding place and an emotional space where people make their own stories and memories, where there is a different story behind every front door.
These stories excite and make you curious, and they take you into the world of somebody else. And the power of a good story can be used on several levels to get a message across because convincing is achieved with a story and not just with arguments and facts. But how does that actually work? How can you use stories to bring about change within your team or organization?
A good story holds your attention and gets you emotionally involved. It takes you out of the here and now and transports you to another world. The 'transport mechanism' is an essential element that ensures that you are carried along in the story. The better the story, the higher the degree of transportation and the more impact your message will have. A good story is memorable, and people retain a certain feeling from it. The right combination of information and emotion inspires, appeals to the imagination, and gives a glimpse of the future!
There are more ways to tell stories than there are stories to tell. But the nuance of a good story is human nuances and paradoxes. How do we deal with setbacks, the kind of growth we go through, and what do we live through? You can smartly apply these principles to your organization as well. By telling an honest story, you engage people. And that connection works if you are going to set a new course together or want to bring the vision to life. Because every organization is a network of people, each with their own story, who recognize themselves in the stories of others. And the story of the organization belongs to everyone!
Having typed that, picking up and writing a story well is not necessarily easy. Especially when you're in the middle of that story, care to take some time to think about how we can use your story intelligently? Or to think about how your core values, vision, and strategy can be translated into an inspiring story? Let me know, and together we'll see what happens behind your front door!
