Why storytelling matters in business

No one has ever sat around a campfire and shared a strategy. Stories, not strategies, are what win our ears and touch our hearts. Characters, plot lines, cliffhangers, drama: as humans, we engage when we are enthralled.

Organisations are made up of people, all of whom are different. The best stories celebrate that diversity, while also encouraging everyone onto the same broad page; united around a shared narrative, connected through a recognisable script, linked via a common language.

The right story, co-created in the right way, can deliver that all-important connection, empowering impact-led organisations to sync their resources and supercharge their success.

Keeping teams engaged

We are living in a volatile macro environment with constant pressures on strategic planning and a greater need for flexibility. How do leaders plan for the changing environments on the world stage and sustain a collaborative and engaged team that is connected with the aims of the business?

Engaged teams do better work, are more integrated and innovative, have lower attrition and higher loyalty, and deliver up to 50 per cent better performance than less engaged teams, according to studies from Gallup and Deloitte, among others. Storytelling can play an important role in building and maintaining a culture where employees are engaged, committed and united, as it helps foster harmony through greater empathy and trust, as well as an increased commitment to shared goals. Stories enable the alignment of people around a vision and create a clear connection between the work of individuals and the bigger picture. They tap into our emotions and imagination, triggering a profound cognitive response. Neuroimaging studies have shown that when we listen to a story, our brains engage multiple systems simultaneously, creating vivid mental images and boosting both focus and concentration.

Beyond one-time gains

Storytelling is a powerful tool for eliciting the attention of employees and sustaining their focus. Whatever the intention behind the story, increased attention and focus will lead to greater engagement, which in turn can boost productivity and results. The power of storytelling extends beyond one-time gains. It leads to effective communication of the unique value proposition, a sustainable increase in high-value deals, more streamlined decision-making and long-term efficiencies and savings.

Businesses and teams that use stories to develop an engaging and flexible narrative that achieves an emotional connection and allows changing strategic priorities to live within a business will thrive. Scripted and told correctly, stories are quickly internalised and effortlessly remembered, making employees and teams not just conformists, but true advocates of change.