Last updated on October 9th, 2020 at 11:41 am
Author: Monika Tandon
Storyteller & Story coach - Founder of Katha Pachisi – the story bank & co-founder of ASTA.
Guest Blog
“You cannot over invest in communication skills”
– Indra Nooyi
As per the 2020 Workplace Learning Trends report, Storytelling has been identified as one of the Top 10 skill sets required for professionals to be “future-ready”.
The way we communicate has evolved enormously because of the digital world we are living in and with the advent of social media. Within seconds the information is relayed across the globe, and the flip side of the advancements in the digital world is that the attention span of people has plummeted. If you want to take your communication skills to the next level then you need to invest in learning the futuristic skill – Storytelling.
What is storytelling in business?
Storytelling in business focuses on the human side of work, fundamentally it means telling stories instead of simply stating facts or data. Stories can explain your point clearly, making it relatable and also helps in educating & engaging the audience. Storytelling is often the best way for leaders, managers to communicate with people they are leading and is a crucial tool for management and leadership.
What is a story in business context?
A story is a fact that is woven around with emotion, which motivates you to take action.
Fact + Emotion + Action = Story
If you want your audience to take any action on the point you made in your story then first think about the “reaction” and the “emotion”, how do you plan to make your story more relatable, involving and relevant for the audience while keeping the defined objectives and purpose in mind, So, let’s see how we can build up a story in the business context:
- Describe a problem – Context
- Explain the breakthrough – Action
- Tell how it feels to have the problem resolved – Result
Act 1 of your story introduces the context along with the problem statement. Connect with the audience and share how that problem statement is relevant for them.
Act 2 explains the conflict, elaborates on the problem statement – this is the most important element of the story. It explains the obstacle that needs to be overcome.
Act 3 is the solution provided to the problem. This solution should have the learning that answers a “why” to link back to the reason, that is in alignment with the purpose of business storytelling.
Once you build up a story as per the above act structure, let’s learn how to use this structure in your business storytelling:
- What is your topic?
- What is the problem statement or conflict?
- What is the struggle or obstacle surrounding that challenge?
- What is the solution?
- What are the learning and a clear call to action?
Why to use a story in day to day business communication
because stories inspire. Slides don’t
So next time, try building up a story in your business communication and see how easily you are able to make your point memorable, more relatable and interesting for the audience and drive them to call to action.
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Disclaimer: This is a Guest Blog. Any views or opinions represented in the blog are personal & belong solely to the blog owner & do not represent those of people, institutions, or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company or individual