4 Basic Guidelines to Ace Business Storytelling

We have discussed in the previous blog post that business storytelling is one of the very powerful corporate communication tools especially that it guarantees employee engagement and alignment with the business’ mission and vision.

Present your strategic planning work in the memorable language of stories not in corporate language. Videlicet, write your ‘story’ using a simple language that employees can easily remember and relate to instead of thinking of difficult concepts. Using a simpler language ensures that workers will be talking about your plan frequently and even during their regular conversations.

Invite employees to contribute stories to your planning efforts while they are still being crafted. They will be more willing and encouraged to support or work on a plan/idea that they have had a hand in creating it. Therefore, make them part of your decisions and strategic plans, let them think with you and suggest ideas while your strategy is still ‘under construction’. This will also build their morale especially when they feel part of the decision-making process and of the future vision of “their” company.

Give your employees the means to share and showcase stories consistent with your strategic vision and brand positioning. That is because “employees’ stories can breathe continual life into the concepts that come out of your strategic planning efforts”. It will, additionally, “save them from becoming “corporate rhetoric” that live only on paper or the file folders of a select few organizational leaders.” When employees share their stories, you’ll get rid of the ‘ownership of your idea’. Accordingly, you will make the plan more engaging and relevant, and allow each worker to connect personally to the story.

Develop story champions within your organization. Also, encourage your top leaders to become storytellers in chief. One of the best ways to ensure that workers are acting according to a plan is to encourage them to share their stories and their vision. After that, allow them to work accordingly, then share this story with all its successes and failures when asked.

Source

Baker, B. (2014). Use Storytelling to Engage and Align Employees Around Your Strategic Plans. Industrial and Commercial Training,

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NMK – Business Coaching and Communication