In a rapidly changing business landscape, learning and development professionals must actively ensure that their organizations can adapt and evolve. One of the most effective ways to do this is through business storytelling.
Business storytelling is a powerful tool that can help leaders communicate their vision, values, and goals in an engaging and inspiring way. It can also help employees to make sense of change, understand complex concepts, retain information, and understand how their roles fit into the wider organization.
This is the right time for Learning & Development professionals to embrace business storytelling.
What Is Business Storytelling?
Business storytelling refers to using the story structure for internal and external communication, collaboration, and marketing. Storytelling can persuade peers, sell to clients, develop new marketing narratives, and even reposition the company amongst the competition.
The science of storytelling can be a powerful tool in the hands of business people, as it empowers them to transcend the confines and tropes typical of business speak and to start breaking boundaries with a powerful narrative to support their message.
Storytelling can give your company and its leaders’ many advantages:
- Building a strong emotional connection with any audience.
- Making messages more memorable.
- Fostering a culture of improvement and change.
- Supporting better cross-divisional collaboration.
- Encouraging positive customer experiences.
- Driving customer loyalty.
- Differentiating your business from the competition.
Why Should Every Leader Demand Business Storytelling Training?
Investing in business storytelling means that each leader in your organization can engage, motivate and persuade anyone.
Storytelling supports leaders in focusing on the why and how rather than simply on the what. An organization that leverages business storytelling fosters listening, understanding, and change. These values are at the core of a culture of openness and innovation.
Any leader that strives to reach these goals should demand comprehensive business storytelling training for them and their peers.
How is Business Storytelling Going To Help Leaders Develop Their Skills And Achieve Their Personal Development Yearly Goals?
Listening & Empathy
We ask our leaders to be great communicators, better listeners, and even to become coaches. Yet few organizations are ready to implement a practical, workable methodology for communication.
Business storytelling is a way to construct narratives around our audiences. Thus, it will naturally increase your leaders’ listening and empathy skills. Leaders who are good listeners can show empathy and understanding, which can help build trust and rapport.
Clarity & Conciseness
Being clear and concise is not just a sign of good communication skills. If your message is clear and concise, there is less room for misunderstanding.
The habit of back-to-back meetings is a sign of a culture based on insecurity, mistrust, and unclear goals. Being clear and concise helps leaders get their point across quickly and effectively, saving time and keeping everyone involved. It is also the basis for a great company culture that fosters respect for everyone’s time.
Business storytelling, at the core, is a set of methodologies that allow us to structure precise communication, tailored, and goes straight to the point.
Motivation & Persuasion
Motivation and persuasion are powerful skills for effective leaders. Leaders can more easily achieve their goals when they can motivate and persuade others. Leaders skilled in motivation and persuasion can inspire others to take action and achieve success.
Business storytelling dissects and analyzes the core ingredients of what engages us and moves us to action. A leader who leverages business storytelling has the edge when communicating inside and outside the organization.
Reducing Complexity
Great leaders should always strive to communicate with simplicity. This will allow them to better connect with their stakeholders and ensure they understand their message. Additionally, it will help build trust between the leader and their peers and create a more positive and cohesive environment.
Business storytelling teaches us how to get to the essence of our message, rendering it simply understandable to our audiences.
Where Can business Storytelling Make A Difference In Your Organization?
Foster A Culture Of Improvement And Change
Organizations strive to be adaptive, sensitive to new input, and ready for change. Yet the communication norms of most organizations foster immobility and stifle innovation, promoting resistance to change.
Great communicators help their audience change opinions, learn new facts and observe new perspectives. Once the culture of business storytelling is thriving in your organization, it will start immediately, bringing a culture of open feedback, open-mindedness, and change.
Once empowered with business storytelling, the organization and its employees and customers can reach any goals.
Foster Collaboration Between Divisions
There are many advantages to having an organization that collaborates well between divisions. For one, it can increase efficiency and productivity as departments can share resources and ideas more effectively. Additionally, it can foster a greater sense of teamwork and camaraderie among employees as they feel supported by their colleagues in other departments. Finally, it can also help to create a more positive corporate culture overall, as employees feel valued and appreciated for their contributions.
Clear, involving, and effective communication is the glue missing to gel together divisions with different agendas, missions, and values. Business storytelling can bring that much-needed leap in communication skills to your leaders.
Re-energize tired customers
Engaged customers are more likely to be loyal and continue doing business with the company. They are also more likely to give positive reviews and referrals. Additionally, engaged customers are more likely to try the company’s new products and services. Finally, energized, active customers can provide valuable feedback to help the company improve its products and services.
Tired communication practices can lead customers to stop progressing and get stuck in the business-as-usual. The new communication abilities of your leaders will help them re-energize these customers.
Embracing the company values
When all individuals embrace company values, they develop a strong sense of community within the company. Employees feel like they are part of something larger and are more likely to be engaged in their work. Additionally, shared values can help to improve collaboration between teams. When everyone is on the same page, it makes it easier to work together towards common goals. Finally, it can lead to better decision-making since all employees consider the same values.
Values can only be experienced, not explained. This is why business storytelling is the ideal vehicle to deliver authentic, lived experiences throughout the company to consistently influence teams into adopting the same values.
What’s It Like To Have A Business Storytelling Approach In Learning And Development?
Before we move to action, we need to feel intrigued and engaged.
Our peers are not interested in what we have to propose, for instance, a shiny new training on business storytelling. Our peers want to know why it matters to them, how it will help them, and where it comes from.
In order to put business storytelling center stage, we have to invite our teams behind the scenes. Fortunately, that’s exactly what a business storytelling masterclass does.
A business storytelling masterclass is a short, interactive keynote that switches on curiosity, interest, and intrigue around this new communication paradigm.
There is much to do to bring outstanding communication to organizations worldwide. If you’re looking for a fresh perspective, it’s time to connect. Book a 45-minute communication audit.