If you want your ideas to spread, you need a compelling story
“It’s not the best idea that gets implemented, it’s the one with the best story”.
Well, that’s entirely annoying, isn’t it?
For the first twenty-five years of my life, all evidence pointed to the above quote being wrong. Parents, teachers, exams, colleges and graduate employers all seemed to be motivated by facts and data, scores and scripts.
But the game changed when I moved from needing approval from the ‘system’ to having to persuade and influence other people. In this new, frightening, world, people didn’t seem to care as much about the technical merits of an idea, or what the facts suggested. They seemed to care a lot about meaning, and how something impacted them, and how they might use it for their own benefit.
This didn’t seem fair to me. But it turns out the world is entirely ‘unfair’. And it’s a wonderful thing.
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As human beings we are driven by emotion, and a yearning to share and connect with others. And that’s why stories are critically important if we are looking to sell any idea. We need to give people something that they can use.
Any time we introduce something new, whether it’s to a team of people, an organisation or a market, a compelling story will make all the difference.
Yes, we can attempt to motivate and influence by fear, or enforcing compliance, or persisting through resistance. But instead of trying to break through a wall, a well-crafted story allows us to easily push an open door.
A story gives someone permission to react and behave in a certain way. It gives them something to share. It allows them to feel connected.
Seth Godin introduced us to the idea of an ideavirus. And he has taught us that it is the ideas that spread that win.
To prosper and spread, viruses need a medium. And a story is the perfect medium for any idea to spread.
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I had the good fortune of witnessing Helen Kuyper in action last year. Helen is an internationally-renowned storytelling expert from Holland (and who happens to have an Irish mother).
I invited her to come to Ireland to speak at one of our White Horse events. She spoke very impressively that night, and people immediately started to bug me to bring her back to work with them. So, we’ve made it happen.
We’ve set up a storytelling workshop to be delivered by Helen in Cork February 24th. This interactive workshop will be mostly attended by members of our Smarter Egg community, a range of high-calibre people from across the business spectrum.
You’re invited too. At least until we’re booked out, that is. Do what you can to free up the time and budget and make sure you are part of this.
Not only will you leave with a much improved storytelling capability, but you will have freshly crafted stories that you can set to work the following day. And, of course, a new set of allies to help you succeed.
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And here’s a special bonus for you. Helen Kuyper’s Top 7 reasons why storytelling is so important.
1. Stories inspire us to take action
It’s our emotions that inspire us to take action, even in a business setting. Facts are not the truth, meaning is! A well told story combines the power of emotion with relevant facts.
2. Stories can change people’s behaviour
The best way to change people’s behaviour is to give them a new experience. For your body it doesn’t matter if it is a real life experience or a well told story. Physically we respond the same. This is how a story works; it activates your imagination to simulate a real experience. A well told story can have as much impact as a real life experience.
3. Stories make your message stick
Our brain is not made for data and information; it’s made for stories. Stories are the glue to holding all that data in your brain. Not only can you get and hold someone’s attention with a well told story, it’s also much easier for your audience to remember. It is estimated that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone.
4. Stories turn strategy into action
Ben Horowitz said: ‘A company without a story is usually a company without a strategy’. A strategy without a story is useless to your business, because it doesn’t turn into concrete actions. If you want people to take action, they have to have ownership of it; they have to be part of the story. If we don’t feel part of the story, we don’t feel part of the business. So an effective strategy needs to be built collectively.
5. Culture is defined by story
Ever heard of the saying: ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast?’ Well that’s because stories can be more powerful than the truth. People don’t believe something just because it is true. In the end, your company’s culture is defined not by its strategy; it’s defined by its stories. The question is not, are we telling stories? The question is; is this the story we want to tell?
6. Stories help to find out what’s really going on
When you ask for facts, that’s what you get; facts. There is only so much facts can tell. Your company’s stories, both the stories about your company, as well as the stories told within, will tell you much more. If you want to find out what’s really going on, let people tell you their stories.
7. Stories can be easily shared
In a time when we want to share anything and everything from anywhere, being able to share something effectively is priceless. Whether it is your company’s strategy from within the organisation or communicating with the whole world via social media. First you need to determine your story, only then can you decide how to share it on each separate platform. So story first, then telling.
