The Business of Storytelling
Good stories captivate us. They grab our attention and focus. They transport us to another place and time where our imagination is free to roam and play.
Everyone loves stories. We are mesmerized by good storytellers, and we love to tell our own stories. After all, we are the sum total of all of our stories, real and imagined.
I’ve written before on this blog about the power of stories to connect us with others and how telling or personal story makes our pitch more memorable. But how can business leaders effectively use storytelling? I had not given this much thought until I read Peter Guber’s article last week in Harvard Business Review.
Peter says:
A story is a vehicle that puts facts into an emotional context. The information in a story doesn’t just sit there as it would in a list or data dump. Instead, it’s built to create suspense and engages your listeners in its call to action….Research on memory conclusively shows that all the critical details, data, and analytics are more effectively emotionalized and metabolized by the listener when they’re embedded in a story – and they become significantly more actionable.
Stories have the power to move others to action. They are inspiring, motivating, and sometimes didactic. They provide what Peter calls “emotional transportation”.
Good stories, well told, turn people into apostles and advocates of your brand, services, mission or cause.
Think about your next staff meeting, sales presentation, or keynote. How can you use a story to provide the emotional transportation you need to move your audience to action?
10 Common Communication Mistakes
As kids, we played the game of telephone and thought it was funny to hear how the original message changed as it was passed along from one person to another. In business, no one laughs when communication fails, and projects and teams fall apart as a result. Direct and clear communication is the key to success.
Here are some of the common mistakes we make communicating internally with our colleagues and team as well as externally to clients.
1. We make assumptions.
This is a big mistake that we are all guilty of at times. We assume we know the way someone else thinks or feels, and therefore, we don’t bother to fully explain or to ask questions to find out their opinion. We end up jumping to conclusions that can result in miscommunication, hurt feelings, and distrust. I have witnessed this contribute to lost sales and relationships.
2. We don’t tailor our message to the recipient.
One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to communication. If you want your message to stick, it’s important understand what’s important to the individual you’re speaking with and tailor your message to that individual based on what you know about them. For instance, are they a direct no-nonsense type? Then make your message short and to the point. If they require justification and back up, be prepared with data and statistics to support your message.
3. We don’t give timely responses or feedback.
It’s difficult for many of us to give feedback and constructive criticism so we often procrastinate and think that if we wait, it won’t be as difficult. Often, our procrastination makes it much more challenging when we finally get the courage to address issues. The feedback can also lose its impact if it’s given too late.
4. We aren’t assertive.
We hesitate to use assertive communication either because we don’t understand its value or we don’t have the confidence to state our opinion or reaction to something. When we can clearly state how we feel or what we think about an issue, it avoids a lot of wasted time and emotional energy. With assertive communication, you are focused on your reaction only and not casting any judgment or blame with another party. This often diffuses any potential disagreements.
5. We rely on others to deliver our message.
Here we go back to the telephone game. It’s common to use other people to convey our message. We think this is the easier path and hope that the person we are directing the message to eventually receives it. Of course, just like the game, the message and intent are often misconstrued. Direct communication is the only way to ensure that your exact message is delivered to the correct person.
6. We avoid confrontation.
Confrontation isn’t necessarily a bad thing when handled properly. Because many of us have negative feelings about confrontation, we try to avoid it at all costs. This usually results in longer range problems that can sometimes blow up unnecessarily.
7. We don’t listen.
Listening is paramount for good communication. If we are talking just to hear ourselves talk, that’s a monologue not a conversation. Active listening requires a focused effort to hear what the other person is saying and perhaps what they are not saying.
8. We don’t show respect for others.
Nothing ends a conversation faster than a disparaging comment. Show respect by listening and acknowledging other people’s opinions, even if you don’t share those opinions. Respect is the foundation for open and direct communication.
9. We rely on email or tweets when face to face communication is appropriate.
There are some conversations that must be held face to face. Sending an email or tweet to someone in hopes that they will understand your message and intent is not productive and can often lead to misunderstanding.
10. We don’t think before we respond.
How many times have we said something we later regretted because it was an emotional response and we didn’t give ourselves the time to calm down? Quick emotional reactions are usually a mistake especially in the business environment. The purpose of the communication gets lost and what we end up remembering are the emotional consequences.
I’m inviting YOU to communicate with me. Let me know if you have any more you’d like to add to the list or what your thoughts and comments are about the post.
What Holds Middle Managers Back?
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to speak at Harvard Business School’s Dynamic Women in Business Conference. Our panel discussion was titled, Working in Heels: Women in the Workplace today, and the focus of the discussion was the internal barriers and external barriers that women hold women back from advancing their careers and assuming leadership positions.
Internal barriers such as our limiting beliefs about gender, success, our ability to balance family and work can contribute to our lack of advancement. Also mentioned was the hesitancy to promote ourselves, take credit for our accomplishments, and speak up.
External roadblocks are the cultural biases that still prevail in the workplace today against women in leadership positions. Men still occupy the top level positions and women don’t seem to be making the expecting progress of winning more board seats or c-suite placement.
I thought it was particularly interesting that this video interview from Harvard Business Review with Anne Morriss, also focused on what holds us back and offers some very different reasons that middle managers do not advance to leadership roles. Anne’s research was not gender specific. Here are the five major ways she found that managers hold themselves back.
1. Overemphasizing personal goals. Leadership is not about you, but providing the structure for others to be successful. The focus needs to move from yourself to other people.
2. Acting like a leader can get in the way of leading. We can get distracted by our public image.
3. We turn our competitors into our enemies. Making other people wrong disconnects us from reality and the ability to take in data and be open-minded.
4. We wait for permission. This is especially true of entrepreneurs.
5. Going it alone. We need a strong team around us who compliment our strengths.
Here is the link to the video interview:
What are your thoughts? Do you relate to any of these reasons?
I currently have two coaching packages to help middle managers advance their careers. These programs are designed to help female middle managers overcome their limiting beliefs and behaviors and strategically navigate the corporate environment.
The Executive Mentor Program is a year long one-on-one coaching program that develops your leadership and management skills with the specific goal of advancing your career.
The Private Coaching for Mid-Level Managers is a one-on-one coaching program to help you identify and overcome what holds you back from advancement, and create an action plan to move forward.
Thinking Outside the Box
I remember how wonderful I felt at first when I was hired to run a national company. I was thrilled with my new title and excited to take on the challenge of resurrecting a company that was doing poorly. I was up for the challenge.
The position meant a move to Chicago from the east coast and a departure from my comfort zone of colleagues, family, and friends. My management skills were on the line since the company had 210 on site employees and another couple of hundred employees working around the country. I needed to constantly assure them all that they could trust my leadership ability to move the company forward. Creating that credibility and trust was almost a full time job in itself. I needed to be visible at all times.
My office had glass walls and I felt like I was in a fish bowl most of the time. Of course, the glass walls were meant to enhance the “open door” policy and open management style, but what I remember most is never having that private time to reflect and be creative. I always needed to be “on” and for myself, at least, it’s critical to turn “off” the outside world for private time to reflect and think creatively to solve problems.
Now I have my own company and I can tap into my creative zone as often as I need to. I can block out periods of time that I don’t take calls or emails, even leave my office for a break from the routine of business to spark my creative juices. The major challenge is blocking out the time when your to do list is a mile long.
I believe that taking this break from your routine and nurturing your creativity is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your business. It is easy to completely fill your days with tasks. There is no end to the work load. There is always one more thing that needs to get done. When you are frantically doing, however, it’s almost impossible to look at your business objectively and brainstorm about new ideas, projects, or perhaps a new direction for your business. It’s so easy to get lost in the abyss of busy work.
In his book, Linchpin, Seth Godin challenges us all to think outside the box and differentiate ourselves; to break from business as usual. This is how we truly become indispensable at work. I am now outside that glass box and in my own creative zone to move my business and career forward.
My advice is to schedule this “free” time. I find, for example, that if I am driving a long distance, if I turn off the radio and my blackberry, I can find that creative zone. I suggest you add some free time as often as necessary to your ongoing to do list. As a result, your business and your career will benefit tremendously.
What about you? How do you make time to be creative and brainstorm so that you can move your career and business forward?
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