6 Steps Toward Better Organizational Storytelling
It’s easy to talk about storytelling in business. Storytelling is a popular buzzword in marketing circles. Stories are entertaining and connect with us on a human level. We know stories when we see (or hear) them, but it’s not quite as easy to integrate them into your organization.
There are six phases in the life cycle of a story — six unique steps that nearly all business narratives follow. When we learn to identify and lean into these steps, we can better leverage the stories’ power. They can help to grow our business, if only we know the right way to use them.
1. Listen For Stories
You can’t tell stories unless you listen for stories first. That’s because the best organizational stories aren’t about your business — they’re about the people you serve. Your audience is the real hero of your story. Telling the stories of your people invites others just like them to join you.
Every organization has stories because every organization has people. You need to slow down enough to catch their anecdotes and backgrounds. Not everything will be worth sharing within your business, but you’ll no doubt find enough to keep you busy.
