Why Product Managers need to be better at storytelling

The first time I heard the word ‘Storytelling’ was when I was at a bookstore.

I was there to browse through books when I saw a poster on the wall that said “Storytelling session by Ruskin Bond”. I had read all of his books and although I was looking forward to meet him, I didn’t think there was anything special about him reading from his book. Nevertheless, I signed up for it.

When the session began and he started reading from his book, I was hooked. There was a certain charm in the way his voice rose and fell with the pitch. There was a different kind of magic in the way his characters spoke; much different from how I imagined them in my head. And when he stopped to take pauses, my heart skipped a beat. I wouldn’t deny admitting that when he finally ended the story, I was in awe with the story (and the author) all over again!

This experience changed my perspective. It made me realize that storytelling is an art. And storyteller? An artist!

Story as a form of engaging with people and creating compelling narratives goes back to the beginning of time. The reason why storytelling is a powerful tool is because it conveys even the most boring details in an interesting way. And anything which is conveyed in an interesting format catches the audience’s attention and a part of the…