Kathy Hansen has been running a series of interviews with business storytellers, and I'm excited to have my interview included on her blog, A Storied Career, this week.
She's been interviewing a stellar lineup of storytellers who've tackled the concept of story within and for businesses, and their lives, in a variety of ways. For example:
Terence Gargiulo - as part of his answer to a question about story scrapbooks:
"The most valuable information in an organization is unstructured data. This is data that lives in the minds and experiences of people. It is not easily captured or stored in central repositories. Furthermore in most organizations there are few if any incentives to share knowledge. As a result knowledge sits untapped. People do not speak with one another in ways that enable knowledge to flow. Stories activate informal peer to peer networks."
Gabrielle Dolan - when asked why storytelling is growing explosively:
"I think it comes down to two things. Firstly people are inundated with information, they are overloaded and we have known this for a long time. I think leaders are starting to realise that it is not just enough to provide information, the very good leaders will help people make sense of the information, and story can help them do that."
Svend-Erik Engh - when asked about the possibilities for companies through stories:
"When I hear a story from a company I get much more information than the usual information overkill." and "[A] story told with a lot of pride tells me more about that company than 20 pages introduction material I received, a video bragging about the virtues of the company, etc."
Jon Hansen - about the future trends of storytelling:
"The essential element is that it translates the complex into the everyday thereby widening the funnel of impact."
"In the end, effective storytelling is both the filter and translator through which a greater understanding of the complexities that define our world today can reach out to the broadest number of people. It is therefore the lynchpin of effective communication."
My interview is going up in installments all week. Storytelling is a crucial component for companies making the transition to customer-focused cultures. I'll leave you with a quote from Part 1 of my interview about why I love stories:
"I’m absolutely intrigued with the process of involving people in visualizing possibilities. After all, that’s what every company is selling. The more realistically a prospect can engage with a story — envisioning themselves playing a pivotal role — the more likely they are to reach out to that company to get the outcome they can 'see.'"
I encourage you to go read all the ways these insightful storytelling gurus are using stories in their work and their lives. It's inspiring—and you may just pick up a few tips about how to incorporate stories into your marketing content, your customer interactions and your companies.
Thanks, Kathy!
