Storytelling: Give them something to talk about
by Shannon Warren for the January 31, 2011 edition of The Journal Record
Even though it has been well over a decade ago, I can still remember The Story.
The head of my company was given an envelope containing proprietary information that could have been used to secretly undermine a competitor. Nobody had to know and nobody was around to stop him.
If you were not acquainted with this particular gentleman, his actions might have surprised you. He did not use the information. Instead, he promptly sealed the envelope and had someone return the document to the competitor.
When The Story came to light, the messages were clearly comprehended by all of us who worked for this man: Integrity is a priority here. Principles will not be sacrificed to make a buck. The Story became a part of the company’s heritage and was often repeated. It set a tone of honor that made us feel privileged to work there. That simple example conveyed a powerful message about the organization’s expectations, much more so than any policy manual ever devised.
Even in today’s era of email and Facebook, word-of-mouth narratives have their place. In an article, Around the Corporate Campfire, Evelyn Clark discusses how important stories are in conveying a company’s mission and values. She uses Costco’s example when the chain purchased thousands of Calvin Klein jeans at a bargain rate. An exceptional mark-up could have brought in some whopping profits. So, why didn’t they do it? Because, at that time, their mark-up limit was only 14¢ on any item. That story serves as a living testimonial to Costco’s priority of keeping faith with its customers. (If you’re wondering about the company’s success, I checked. Over the past couple of years, their NASDAQ performance seems to be outpacing that of Walmart’s.)
David Woods is CEO of Giant Partners, an internationally knownstrategic growth firm based in Edmond. He uses storytelling as a compelling means to promote the positive aspects of a company’s culture. Stories are far more memorable and, in that respect, can be more effective than a voluminous rule book.
He has a point. Think for a moment about these words: “Once upon a time…”Bet there’s a tsunami of tales in your head that may not have surfaced since childhood. That’s because storytelling gets the brain cells hopping. Woods refers to this as our “reticular activating system.” Simply put: our radar is up and running.
He suggests that sharing stories about employees who have demonstrated ethical heroism could do much to strengthen the fabric of an organization desiring to promote integrity at work. The way I look at it, people are bound to talk about company goings-on, so we might as well include some substance and allow for a positive impact. As singer songwriter Bonnie Raitt might put it, “Let’s give ‘em something to talk about.”