Think of the last story that gripped you.
Maybe you couldn’t put a book down and . . . *whoops* you realize it’s 3 a.m.
Or maybe you feel personally offended when Netflix asks “Are you still watching?” Because, yes, you are still watching.
When you’re into a captivating story, it’s hard to step away. You have to know what happens next.
Storytelling is incredibly powerful.
But it’s not just about being entertaining.
It’s a skill that can help you get buy-in at your next leadership meeting, engage employees at your next town hall, or ace your big presentation.
Storytelling, when done well, can help you accomplish one of the core missions of internal communications: getting your organization on the same page.
But getting employees’ attention and getting them to care is tougher than ever—they’re overwhelmed and distracted by a million other things in an always-on digital workplace.
Stories can help cut through this digital noise and bring your organization together.
This is something that W. Kamau Bell knows well.
As a comedian, author, and the host and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning CNN docuseries United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, he is a masterful storyteller who moves hearts and minds with his work.
And on May 25, W. Kamau will join us at VOICES by Staffbase—the latest and greatest internal comms conference in New York City—to talk about the role storytelling plays as organizations actively transform the way they reach their workforce.
If you want to learn more about how you can use storytelling to shape your organization for the better, we hope to see you there. (Use the discount code VOICES-AWC-50 to get 50% off your ticket today!)
No matter where your people work, stories are powerful ways to connect with each other, build trust, and, ultimately, navigate change in your organization.
Here’s how:
Use stories to create connections in your organization
Stories create connections through familiar narratives.
One narrative concept that you might have heard of is called the “hero’s journey.”
It’s a common story arc that focuses on a main character’s quest, the challenge they must overcome, and how they’re changed by that challenge.
When storytellers use this arc effectively, the audience feels like they are emotionally connected to the main character (the hero). They are invested in the story because they need to find out how this hero’s quest ends—and they might even build a sense of community with others equally invested in the story.
In the same way, the goal of storytelling in internal communications is not only to create a captivating narrative—but to create connections between people and their organization.
Think of your organization as the main character
What is your organization’s story? What challenges must you overcome as a team?
Questions like these will help you uncover your workplace’s unique narrative. And, in turn, you’ll also help humanize your organization.
You can even take this one step further and think about your employees as the main characters.
You’ve got dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of characters just waiting to tell their own stories.
What are their current obstacles? And what would help set them up for success?
Whatever the case, there has to be a good, captivating story out there.
But good stories aren’t just captivating.
They are an essential tool for building trust.
Use stories to build trust with employees
Life isn’t perfect.
And your storytelling shouldn’t shy away from that.
The challenges or obstacles that your team is facing—or that maybe lie ahead—actually make your organization’s story great.
And they also make this story authentic.
There’s a reason why people devour books, films, and TV shows based on true stories. It’s because they showcase the very real struggles that make us human.
As a communicator, you can lean into authentic storytelling to build trust in your organization. Make sure that you balance a range of emotions and perspectives. Share stories of success, failure, and lessons learned.
For instance, tell a story about what’s not working in your organization, how you listened to your employees, and how you think you’ve fixed the issue.
To set the groundwork for compassionate comms that will resonate with your employees and build trust, think back to the hero’s journey and ask yourself:
What challenges have you already faced as an organization?
What did your team learn in that process, and how can you improve your internal comms moving forward?
On a more personal level, what might employees be struggling with? Where are they on their own hero’s journey? How can you let them know that you are there to support them and that they’re not alone?
Stories are powerful communication tools
As a communicator, you are a natural storyteller—whether you recognize that or not.
You have the power to connect people, create communities based on trust, and change hearts and minds with your words. Ultimately, you can use storytelling to shape your organization for the better.
Let’s continue the conversation—join us in New York City for VOICES to learn from masterful storytellers like W. Kamau Bell.
Can’t wait to see you there.
About the Author
Emily Stanislaus is passionate about all things storytelling and communications. From her work as a communicator in both non-profit and tech, she knows how vital internal comms is to any organization. When Emily isn’t crafting content for Staffbase as Content Marketing Manager, you can find her writing fiction, obsessing over cats, or quoting The Office.
