The negotiation skills of my youngest child are excellent. He has a knack for getting me and his mother to read him a book, no matter how late in the evening it might be. He hasn’t realized yet that his father is also a shrewd negotiator. From time to time, when I have the patience to match wits with him, I will offer to make up a story instead of reading one. He rarely objects.
I’ll carefully create context and conceit involving a main character described very similarly to my eager listener, which never fails to draw him into my story arc. I’ll create a moment of peril or conflict by which the main character may be placed in grave danger or challenged to make a difficult decision. At the end of the story, the main character becomes a hero, and the world is made right - come on, I want the kid to sleep well, folx. Usually, after I’ve given the customary “the end,” he will respond with “That was awesome!” When a human under 7 tells you you’ve done something extraordinary, what else do you need?
Something happens when we tell stories. Our listeners get to see how we think about what we’re passionate about, and as we get comfortable framing our stories, they see themselves in what we’re talking about. Ancient history has persevered across cultures and continents because of the power of storytelling. That same power becomes available in our organizations and teams as we tell stories.
When I think about launching a new project or service line, I often think about what’s behind our efforts - that knowledge becomes fodder for storytelling. Who will be served by what we’re up to? How will the community, the customer base, and the world be better because of what we’re about to do together? Thinking through these answers can serve as the building blocks for good storytelling.
My challenge to you in today’s Friday Focus post is to think more about the stories behind the P&Ls, the agendas, and the KPIs. Use this storytelling with your teams and colleagues to help see themselves as heroes embued with superpowers in the story. The end of your storytelling is just the beginning as your listeners jump in and co-author the story from their vantage point. We ask questions and invite opposing viewpoints while holding what we’ve brought to the story lightly. It’s a beautiful benefit to co-owning project scoping and other significant tasks.
One of the ways I support clients in shaping good storytelling is by modeling this skill in my keynote presentations. I enjoy working with clients to clarify what they’re up to and how language can aid their teams and organizations in coalescing around strategic plans, major organizational shifts, and industry-focused events where inspiration and energy are storytelling's goals. I’d love to work with you.
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