Stories

You must have had heard of several stories, fables and phrases in the corporate world when things do not go as you have had planned initially or when things worked out for others and not for you.

Some of the popular stories such as the one below are standing examples:

The Crow and the Pitcher: Don't Give Up When Things Look Bad

The Story: A crow is flying around on an abnormally hot summer day looking for water. He comes across a pitcher of water, but when he tries to stick his beak in he can't reach the water. He tries and tries, slowly getting more dehydrated. He's about to give up and accept his fate when he has an idea: he drops small pebbles in the pitcher until the water level rises to the point where he can reach it.

The Lesson: Where there's a will, there's a way. Persistence is the key to solving any problem you have because eventually—even if the situation seems dire—you WILL find a solution. Your idea might not be as bad as you think it is, and is just in need of some iteration. Whatever it is that you want to do, just keep plugging away. As Wayne Gretzky once said: you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Or even this one:

The Ants and the Grasshopper: The Importance of Thinking Ahead

The Story: A team of ants is working hard all summer to prepare for the harsh, cold winter. Meanwhile, a grasshopper spends the entire summer singing, goofing around, and wondering why the ants work so hard. When the winter comes, the grasshopper has nothing to eat and nearly starves to death (gruesome for a children's story, huh?). The ants save him and he understands why they worked so hard.

The Lesson: Just because you don't need something right now doesn't mean you should put it off. It's okay to take time to enjoy the fun things, but you may not always have the metaphorical ants to save if you. You don't want to wait until winter to buy a heater, wait until the day of to buy a plane ticket, write that essay the day that it's due, or start saving money too late in life. Think ahead, stop procrastinating, and always be prepared for what's ahead.

Stories have been around since humans have learned to communicate with one another.  They provide links to ancient traditions, myths, symbols and legends.  They connect us to a larger self and to the universal truths.  Stories are about collaboration and connections.  They transcend generations, engage us through emotions and connect us to others.  

Through stories, we share joys, sorrows, hardships and experiences.  We share meanings and purposes. They are the common platform through which people are able to communicate better, helping us overcome our defenses and differences. Stories help us to understand ourselves better.  They provide a commonality for us to connect with other people.  

Stories are how we think and make a meaning of life.  You may have heard of certain terms such as mental models, cognitive maps, scripts, metaphors, or narratives.  We use stories to explain how:

• things work
• we make and justify our decisions
• we persuade others
• we understand or perceive our's and everyone's place in this world
• identity creation of self
• define and teach social values and norms
• we are wired in our imagination 
• pathways to engage our right section of the brain
• broaden our mental horizons and see things differently
• help us in self discovery and to step out of our comfort zone

The usage of story telling has developed new meanings over the years.  Recently, it has gained more popularity in the corporate world. Plenty of our top leaders today use the art of story telling in change management.

Stories with morals have kicked in with providing a new and fresh insight in the way the world is adapting to change.

This has led one to wonder:  why stories have been adopted for change management?

Simple.  Simple facts do not inspire one to change, adapt or become flexible in the dynamic business world.  A straightforward analysis on things that matter does not encourage anyone to set a goal.  

Stories are facts in combination with emotions which helps a person to accept change more subtly and easily.  These days, stories are being used to get people to perform various tasks which helps them in being:

• team player
• create an emotional and intellectual balance
• improving communication styles
• empowering oneself to become a better leader
• drives growth by imbibing passion, inspiration and motivation to succeed
• pursue excellence

Stories need not be long but short with morals attached.  Psychologically, people have a tendency to relate with their's and others' mistakes and experiences more easily if they narrate it in a form of a story.

I believe that every person has a story to tell.  Every person has a story to live.  And, every person has a story that he / she uses as a guidance in this world. 

Perceptions can be changed through story telling.  Leaders develop a charismatic personality through story telling.  Writers earn their bread through story telling.  The list is endless.

Story telling can be used in a variety settings.  Be it as part of a speech, middle of a presentation, trying to emphasize over a point, selling your brand, behind every company's logo, selling your product or merely beside a bonfire on a cold night.

A person can just fall in love with their work, family and see a meaning towards leading a more satisfying life.

To conclude, story telling is an art.  If mastered the spell of telling a story, you have a better control over your career.  You also have a more profound personality which attracts others towards you, guaranteeing more success your way.

In case you want to master that Everest inside you, do get in touch with Entrenador Consultants on info@entrenador.in.  

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to everyone!

Article contributed by Entrenador Shruti Misra