Storytelling: What it is, Why it Matters, What You Can Do

Storytelling, a core career and life strength, is the art and science of influencing others through skillful communication and personal brand; not just telling great stories, but being a great story.

 

And everyone loves a great story.

 

I’m a Nashville-based writer, talent strategist, and certified executive coach. On this website, I share insights and actionable practices concerning mindfulness, learning agility, and storytelling: lifelong strengths that will help you love your career and enhance your quality of life.

Most of us are facing similar pain points: nonstop change, accelerating economic and technological disruption, and the collective “noise” that grows louder each day. The impact, for so many of us, has been confusion, distraction, and stress. Mindfulness, learning agility, and storytelling can make the difference between being overwhelmed by all of these dynamics…or leveraging them for success and well-being.

Why Storytelling?

 

Stories are part of what makes us human, and we’ve been telling and re-telling stories as long as we’ve had language. They have the ability to hook us in, connect with us emotionally, and inspire us.

 

Furthermore, stories are “sticky,” remaining in our minds and easy to share socially. And the best stories create links with our lives; pictures, emotions and voices in our heads. We feel the storyteller is speaking to us in particular.

• Creating and delivering a good opening “hook” that grabs people’s fleeting attention right away
• Providing just enough context to set up the key messages you want people to walk away with
• Showing vs. telling, using “sticky” word imagery, details, and intonation to draw people into the story
• Sharing how you took a risk and what you learned
• Creating anticipation or suspense early in the story
• Providing a few (just a few) tips that people can use right away
• Using humor, body language, and audience engagement wisely and sensitively

For some examples of storytelling in action, check out this series of posts called “Storytelling Night.”

 

As implied in my definition of storytelling, I truly believe this strength goes beyond “telling stories,” through common formats (oral, presentations, visual, written, TED Talk, etc.), to include the reality of each of us being stories…being, even more specifically, brands that tell a story.

 

“Brand” is a long-established marketing term referring to what a company, product, or service is “known for.” This knowing can be cognitive, emotional, and even subconscious, as this article implies. Since each of us is known for something, whether we like it or not, we are “storytelling brands.”

 

What’s your storytelling brand, and what do you want it to be?

 

 

Our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world is distracted, and this situation worsens every minute as more information and choices become available. The executives, managers, and peers we’re presenting to in conference rooms are distracted, glancing at their phones every few minutes and daydreaming, because they’re stressed and overwhelmed.

 

The best storytellers will gain two gifts that are both precious and fleeting: other people’s attention and permission to tell the stories in the first place. Never take these two gifts for granted, and give thoughtful consideration to how you will earn and re-earn them.

 

Looking for more insights and tips? Start with this post. And, as time permits, check out my books, and join our learning community to receive free, exclusive content via email each month with timely guidance on applying mindfulness, learning agility, and storytelling.