Telling Stories

Story is the new black. Everybody wants to tell stories. Every marketeer, every technologist, every HR person - everyone.

(However when the finance guy tells you stories, you know something wrong is happening - but leave that.)

Is there is a danger with stories. Like everything overdoing stories may not help. But my theory (trademark alert) is about two things. One, a story being used as part of an initiative at work - cannot just be a story - it must leave the listener with a 'how to'. Otherwise, it is just a story.

And the second danger with that is that if it is a story about person x in an organization by person y who the audience knows about - the audience, most likely, knows the story and the story behind the story and every member in the audience already has their perspective of your story.

So let us say, you shared the story of a great project that was led from the front by person x. And this is told by person y. But I already know what person x did in that project and have a viewpoint (not necessarily all good). Ditto about person y.

So, before the feel good and the connect about the story happens, the authenticity of the story is in doubt.

So, when you do tell a story, like all other stories, the story has to be authentic. But if the story is too close to me - I may have my own 'insider' or 'grapevine' version of the story.

And almost coincidentally as I was thinking about stories, this article popped up on my linked in page.

Say stories by all means, but let no one doubt the credibility of your stories...