The meeting was over already. Actually, it had just begun but the feeling in the room was as cold as a morgue. Not to mention the actual temperature also. My eyes darted around the room at my colleagues and our eyes would occasionally lock. We’d give each other the pursed lip look that one is obligated to deliver at the start of a two-hour meeting full of graphs, notes, and charts that don’t mean much of any substance without someone directly explaining them. Telepathically we were all communicating with each other already… “two hours of my life that I’ll never get back.”
There, that smile right there that you just gave… it is because you’ve been in that same situation before. We leave a meeting saying, “well, that could’ve been an email” or immediately go recycle the well-manicured packet we were given by the one who called us all to attention. On the other side of the coin, how many times have you been frustrated before because the message you delivered didn’t land or resonate the way in which you planned? We’ve given great news that should be celebrated or warned of what the potential downfalls may be for the newest initiative. It seems to fall on deaf ears and no one seems to remember.
The answer lies in the question – what’s your story? Storytelling is more than just a fun way to spin a situation. We are programmed as humans to relate to stories in a way that allow us to retain and put action into motion. Jean Piaget was the Director of the International Bureau of Education from 1929 – 1967 and is attributed with developing the Cognitive Development theory which describes the four stages in which children think, explore, and essentially learn to figure out things around them. This is important because all of us develop similarly and learn how to relate the world around us in stages. While you can study these stages on your own, the important thing to note is that as adults, we continue to live within the Formal Operational Stage where we take abstract concepts and apply our own reasoning to the process through assimilation and accommodation.
As adult learners, storytelling allows us to take information in through the process of assimilation, but to accommodate it to our pre-existing structures and essentially trigger an ‘a-ha’ moment quickly. This allows the learner to be capable of production and creativity rather than just repeating mindlessly without truly understanding why. As trainers, we know the value of teaching the ‘why’ behind what we do. This is another form of assimilation and accommodation in action.
The stories we tell have already been told over and over. It’s rare that you hear a new twist to a plot that you haven’t heard before. However, there is still power in the stories that we tell. By harnessing the power of a story, you’re able to create a moment different than just what the data on a screen says. Building a story is simple, it’s just about finding the right way to communicate what you need to. Here are a couple different story building options for you to begin with and you can continue to develop your suite of stories exclusive to yourself.
Rules, Cheats, & Rebels:
Grab your audience’s attention by telling us a rule first, then show someone breaking it. Now you’ve got our attention: will they be punished or vindicated?
What do Eve, Pandora, & Peter Rabbit all have in common? They were all given rules and broke them. We all live by rules, so we each pay very close attention to stories about anyone who breaks them.
1. Who is the rule breaker in your story? It could be you, the trainee, the customer, or anyone of note.
2. Set out all the possible rules the hero of your story could break and remember that not all rules of life are written down.
3. Play the story out in two directions:
How to use the examples: These principles can be tied into many of the items we have to teach or train as we onboard new hires. Use the Rebel example to show someone going above and beyond to make a Guest’s experience better. Use the Cheat example to show how cash handling procedures must be properly followed.
Drive Stories:
Why do you work? For the money, yes. But what really drives you? These stories build a better team culture.
If you want innovation, you need inner motivation. Change comes by way of hard work for an uncertain reward. Find ways to tell stories that show a different way of working: with autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
How to use real-world examples: Find a movie or TV show that relates to something you’re working towards in your organization. Personally, I used episodes of the TV show “The Bear” and built a structured training out to show how to turn around a difficult culture in the restaurant. We touched on different examples that included the thrill of mastery, the people we work with, and the purpose that drives our daily desire to show up and improve. Still to this day, our GMs bring up this training as a way they were able to understand a tactical approach to turning the ship around. By using stories, you can create an accessible roadmap for your teams.
There are many ways to use storytelling to drive a plan forward, to create accessibility, or to even pitch a problem before it turns into an “I told you so.” Before you put together your next slideshow with countless charts or graphs, ask yourself “what’s my story here?” Then, start to tell the story in a different way that will leave a lasting impression.
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