The very intuitive answer for many of us would be no. Who has time to listen to stories when the job needs to be done? In fact, only a few years ago, I would have come to the same conclusion. So, let me explain what happened that changed my mind.
The other day my friend asked me, a former professional humanitarian worker and always a humanitarian in spirit, a question: how could she best help this refugee she has known for a while now? I quickly scanned through my mental list of aid organisations and their specialisations, realised that for this, no one has ever been able to do much, but anyhow mentioned a few names with a sense of obligation but also a sort of weariness and doubt. I was convinced that this person was sort of “ out” of all the criteria and categories that agencies usually have mandate for and are able to serve. And then it dawned on me. But you are a writer, Helen, why don’t you write a story about him! About his willpower, sheer determination and mental strength, moments of doubt, help of total strangers and the hope he always managed to keep. How all this has helped him on his journey from his totally war devastated homeland, physically, spiritually, emotionally to a place of safety in Central Europe, how his spirit and his story has stirred something so deep in you that it made you mobilize not only for his sake but for his decimated community too?
That was the moment I reminded myself, yet again, that the story has a power to move us deeply up to the point that we forget about everything else. The images that conjure up in our heads are unique and a good story has the potential to change lives and inspire for a lifetime. Just remember the last time you heard a powerful story and what it inspired you to do?
Mine is in fact a tragic one that was shared with me as an act of warning to adopt safe behaviour during my humanitarian assignments abroad. Many years ago when I was starting my international assignment a colleague shared a true story about the survival of one out of a group of aid workers as a result of one simple behaviour change. The moral of a sadly true story was that the only person who survived the attack was the only one that kept the door of the room locked. My learning was instant and ever since I was on an international assignment, I would always lock the doors of my room at night no matter where I was. No matter what you think about my adopted behavior, the power of this story was undoubtedly immense.
Storytelling has been with us since the dawn of our times and has been crucial in educating our toddlers or warning them from catastrophes. It’s in our nature to pass on the experiences and share knowledge. We recognise this even as adults, even if we don’t always want to admit it. Storytelling is an excellent and efficient way to influence and teach.
We can establish connections with your audience through storytelling. We create visual images in their minds that can have lasting impressions. We know that telling stories is vital even in communicating research. If we want a wider audience to know that the audience will remember better if the info is communicated as a story. Stories stick. If reading something may quickly fizzle out, the learning and realisation from a story will not.
Just remember how bored you were last time you heard a lengthy presentation especially if you were unsure how useful it would be for you? Fast forward 1 week, 1 month and 1 years, how much do you remember from it?
So, how can you use more storytelling in your daily life when one doesn’t have time to “ invent stories”? No need to invent. Just use your daily experiences that have inspired you. A little perk, if you are using a personal story, the truth telling here can be deeply liberating.
What is the next story you will share with your teams/colleagues/ boss?
What message are you communicating through your story?
Leave a Reply