Raise Your Leadership through Effective Story (encore)

Leading a team through the last 18 months has been a challenge. But, one thing is steady, going back to the basics is always a sure fire way to remain consistent. And telling the right story, regardless of what’s happening around us, is the most effective way to connect with your team.

Here’s an encore of a article from last year that is still relevant today:

You have important things to get across! Here’s how to be more impactful with a story that connects.

Another week managing changed circumstances. Another program to speak into for listeners or viewers growing weary of limitation. You know story is critical as it creates an emotional bond with those in range of your voice. But, how you ask? How can I be confident of a story I want to use? How do I know it will connect with my team or my viewers? How do I know when they will lean in—not turn away—or worse yet, yawn?

Here’s a process that should be able to guide you to select stories that your team or listener or viewer will want to hear.

Here’s the first important key.

Make sure you are passionate about and interested in your story. If you’re telling a story you’re not interested in, it’ll show. You’ve seen it . . . someone reading a story from a script they’re not interested in. They sound flat. If the storyteller doesn’t sound emotionally engaged, you really can’t expect the listener to be. This is not something easily faked.

Now, the second crucial key to effectiveness.

Make sure your story is one your listener will be interested in and passionate about too. This is often what gets overlooked. We just automatically assume others are interested in what we’re interested in! They may be. They may not be.

Think about the college football movie Rudy. This is an underdog story about an undersized football player with an oversized desire to play college American football for Notre Dame. Rudy fights his way onto the team and ultimately . . . well, watch the movie sometime.

One man was quoted about the movie… “’Rudy’ inspired me to go back to university and finish. Graduating in July. Thanks, Rudy.”

If you’re an American, you’re more likely to love Rudy.

If you’re an American football fan, you’re even more likely to love Rudy.

If you’re a Notre Dame football fan, you’re even more likely to love Rudy.

The point here is that it’s crucial you are passionate about and interested in your story. And, it’s crucial your listener is also passionate about and interested in your story.

What to do? Here’s a simple process:

1. Imagine yourself in the head, heart and understanding of the listener. One of the amazing things that God has given all of us is the gift of pausing, praying, thinking. And, trying to put ourselves in the head, heart and soul of another person. If you don’t have peace about a story, pick a different one!
2. And, try to take the time to test your story idea on several people. Here’s a simple way to do that:
   1. Make a list of three to four people available you can speak with.
   2. Ask each to imagine themselves in the situation where you will be telling your story—the mindset of a manager or the mindset of a mom in her 40’s who might be hearing your story.
   3. Give them two or three story ideas and ask them to rate each one on a scale of one to five, low to high interest.
   4. Write down everyone’s responses and tabulate.
   5. Use only those stories that rate at a three or higher.

With a little planning, you can figure out if your listener is likely interested and passionate about the story you’re interested in.  And, especially in our conflicted times, you can communicate with increased clarity!