How many stories did you tell today? How many did you hear? Chances are, more than a few. Most humans tell stories throughout the day, from what they did over the weekend to what happened in the meeting they attended today to what they ate at the restaurant last night.
We've been telling stories to each other since we invented language hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Long before the first cavemen told their stories through paintings on cave walls, we heard and learned from oral stories.
Stories work because they trigger brain responses. For example, when we hear an exciting or surprising story, our brain releases dopamine, increasing motivation, focus, and energy.
When we hear stories involving vulnerability or empathy, our brain releases oxytocin, which makes us feel kind and gives us a sense of belonging and trust.
Funny stories release the same endorphins that drive creativity, which is an excellent remedy for feelings of stress.
Like people, organizations also have stories. Every organization begins with a story.
Organizations have stories about successes, failures, employees, customers, and achievements. Even the daily rumors and gossip in the workplace are a type of story.
New types of stories are emerging in the latest and strange world of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These days, organizations are telling stories of how they are struggling, surviving, adapting, reinventing, and even thriving. When the COVID-19 pandemic ends, we will see many stories about growth, recovery, and creation.
What types of stories can your organization produce in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic:
Employee stories: How did your organization help employees learn to work differently? Did you offer support for some of the mental challenges employees are going through? How did you assist those caring for sick family members?
Community stories: Did your organization help with donations to various groups? Did managers donate their salaries to fight the COVID-19 pandemic?
Customer stories: Many organizations helped customers by lowering prices, waiving fees, offering free support, or deferring payments - talk about it.
Survival stories: Some organizations had to find new ways of working to survive. How did your teams work together to get through the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Change stories: What has changed how you "do business"? How did remote teams collaborate? How did you quickly adapt your work routine?
To start collecting your organization's stories, appoint someone to be responsible for collecting and categorizing them. Ask field managers to tell their team's stories or invite employees to share their victories and challenges. A storytelling workshop is an excellent start to teaching the importance of stories and how to tell and preserve them. Your organization's stories will build your brand's narrative and overall story for many years.
Comentarios