How to embrace the power of storytelling

Remember story time? We do too! Good news: You may have closed the chapter on childhood, but there are still plenty more pages to turn.

Storytelling (Including gossip!) is a powerful tool, used by every culture, in every era. Stories are how we learn, share, entertain and connect. Our brains process them similarly to real-life experiences – it’s like we’re there.

And yet. In a professional context, we default to facts, figures and dense, rational arguments. Yawn. We’re not saying information isn’t important; it’s vital – but people aren’t wired to remember a wall of numbers. Storytelling is how effective communicators turn the ‘boring bits’ into a compelling case.

Small attention spans, small stories

In a world where the average attention span is 8.25 seconds (down from 12 seconds in 2000), the ability to captivate and engage is more important than ever. So, how can you harness the craft of storytelling? Practice! Whether you’re in a one-on-one meeting, giving a presentation, or having a casual conversation, here’s five ways to ensure story time with you is as memorable as those days back on the school mat: 

1. Start with your story

In a recent member-exclusive interview, Dr Alia Bojilova explained how she talked her way out of a hostage situation in Syria. Her point: finding common ground is the first step to finding a path out of conflict. Had she simply shared the lesson, it might have been memorable. But after her story?!? Lesson (and respect for her expertise), locked in.

When was the last time someone inspired you? It was likely their story that struck a nerve. We all have unique experiences (big and small) that shape who we are and why we’re here. You don’t have to be an open book or a hostage survivor – this is about identifying the relevant, authentic, vulnerable, funny, surprising stories that illustrate your point better than plain facts could:

• Hone your professional elevator pitch.
• Polish a few stories that demonstrate your superpowers. Pull them out during job interviews, performance reviews (#payrise!) and when putting your hand up for strategic work.
• Connect people in your network by sharing a personal story that epitomises who they are (our recent fave: ‘She turned up to a ball in Crocs and I realised she was my people’).  

2. Use stories to inspire

Your organisation likely has a vision – a long-term aspirational statement. The most compelling visions paint a picture that employees, customers and partners can all ‘see’. It’s what inspires them to come together behind a unified purpose, like Microsoft achieved back in the day with their vision: A computer on every desk and in every home.

There it is again: storytelling.

• Want to get buy-in for your project or initiative? Tell the story of what the world will look like after you succeed.
• Updating senior execs? Inject a story that highlights a lesson or takeaway – don’t underestimate how far removed they can get from the ‘front lines’. Remind them!
• Using a slide deck? Cut the complex slides (especially those that simply repeat your points!) instead, use funny, odd or memorable pictures to create visual storytelling that helps your points stick.

3. Use stories to lead by example

During a COVID lockdown, Powrsuit expert Rhiannon McKinnon was mortified to find herself being decorated during a company-wide update. Her children didn’t care that she was presenting; they were too delighted to be turning mum into a tower of toys. Turns out, her team didn’t either – they breathed a sigh of relief watching their CEO model the very real work/life juggle.

Bet you’re imagining that right now – that’s the power of storytelling. And it’s a story Rhiannon now shares as part of her CEO 101 course to showcase the importance of leading by example. You can use storytelling to do the same:

• Share a story of a time you failed to normalise healthy risk-taking.
• Ally? Parent out loud through stories of sick kids and daily juggles.
• Embrace storytelling to find common ground and shared experiences with your team.

4. Use stories to convince

We know 30% of Powrsuit members make tangible career progress within 6 months. We also know your brain skimmed over that sentence. So we swap stats with anecdotes about members who have successfully turned small actions into big change. Like the Powrsuiter who transformed how she was perceived at work, starting with a simple elevator pitch. That percentage we shared (and you glossed over) just became a meaningful, tangible benefit. 

We’ve all been in meetings that devolve into a battle of opinions *wince*. The best influencers draw on evidence and data to form their opinion, but use a different tool – storytelling – to convey it. 

• Does an anecdote about a customer outcome summarise the stats? Tell their story. 
• See history’s mistakes repeating themselves? Share the story of what you experienced last time. 

5. Use stories to connect

Empathetic leaders go beyond work and support the humans around them. Getting to know your team mates as humans builds trust which is a critical component of creating high performing cultures.

• Start meetings with an icebreaker that inspires storytelling (we love questions like ‘What was your first job and why?’ or ‘Where were you born?’)
• Weave a good, open question into every one-on-one conversation – you can do it naturally with the flow of conversation. Some simple ideas “What led you into this role/industry?’, ‘What lights you up outside of work?’

The moral of the story?

You don’t have to be a master communicator or comedian to utilise storytelling to inspire, influence and bring people together behind your vision, update or point. You just need to supplement the facts with a story.

The End.