“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”
George Bernard Shaw
I attended an amazing strategic process once.
I was asked to participate in developing a strategic direction for an organization called the Men’s Health Initiative. It is the brain child of a brilliant physician named Dr. Larry Goldberg. Dr. Larry believes that if we, as a society, are able to get men to pay more attention to their health in the years before men reach 50, then we will be able to give men 10 more years of good health.
Although, this blog is not about the Men’s Health Initiative. It is about ‘Story Telling.’
I have been thinking about this for a while now. Stories are what engage us. We have been listening to and responding to stories since we were small children. Stories captivate us all. When I speak on stage to various audiences around the world, it is the stories I tell that engage my audience and move them to action.
The facilitator for our strategy session, Bill Baker from BB and Co, took us through a day long adventure of story telling which, at the end of the day resulted in the story being written for the Men’s Health Initiative.
As a leader, stories are important to the engagement of your team. They allow your team to see what you see and where the business or organization is going. Stories connect the what (vision) to the why (purpose). They connect the values of the organization with the values of the team. They paint a picture.
As a leader, what story do you have to tell? What is the story for your organization? What stories will your customers tell their friends and family? What stories will your employees tell their friends and family? Your businesses success and, profitability, depend on the stories that get told. Take the time to develop a story that captivates and engages.
Make sure your story is not only about what but also why. It should also be full of action verbs that describe your values. Add pictures to your stories, that visual element will really help you see the story come together, and remind you to incorporate it into your workplace.
