Key Point: Commit to creating and telling one key story per day. The following is a quote from this Forbes article:
“A 10-year, 100,000-person study conducted throughout the U.S. and Canada by the O.C. Tanner Institute and HealthStream confirms that recognition and appreciation tops the list of things employees say they want most from their employers. According to the study, 79 percent of employees who quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason for leaving. And of the people who report the highest morale at work, 94.4 percent agree their managers are effective at recognizing them.”
Giving recognition tells a story about the great work people have done.
Storytelling, with a purpose, is key to being a good leader. When we hear how others overcame problems or situations, ideas begin to fill our heads, inspiration fills our hearts, and actions begin to create the stories that will be shared tomorrow.
The same article refers to a Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and playwright who studied the greatest story telling and created the Freytag Pyramid to guide our thinking regarding what makes a great story. See below:
Well-documented research confirms that effective storytelling can be a driver of employee performance. When a story has impact you can literally see the audience connect. They start to think, feel, and respond the same way as characters in the story. Consider the impact a true story could make on an employee when they hear the company’s Founding Story, Pivotal Story, Teamwork Story, or Great Work Story, told in Freytag’s format—situation, climax, and resolve.
A Founding Story connects team members to the purpose of the organization. A Pivotal Story is used to help employees understand what differentiates their organization from others. Teamwork Stories are just that; a capture of people working together to create something exceptional. And a Great Work Story is simply but powerfully saying thank you for very specific behavior.
Character Moves:
- Think of yourself as a story creator and teller. See every day as a blank page to create/tell those stories. Commit to personally creating and telling one every day and you will become a superb impact player! Think and act this way. It also makes you a value creator.
- Remember when you say, “thank you,” you become a storyteller. Please refer to my last blog regarding being a “pancake person”
- Have the Founding Story in your “back pocket” and refer to it for context regularity. Keep a “book” of impact stories. These are your stories that explain how differentiating greatness is achieved!
- Tell a story about how great someone is who works for you and you will differentiate yourself as a leader. See number two above.
Story Leadership in The Triangle,
Lorne
One Millennial View: Stories are my thing… As a journalist, I’ve had an appreciation and understanding of what a good “story” is, why it sells, and needs to be told. One of my professors in University used to say, “Everyone has a story,” regardless how mundane a timid person may fear it would appear on paper. It never does if it’s written right, and it takes a good leader to be able to construct a compelling “headline” for everyone. If your employee, or co-worker is worth his or her salt (and they likely are), everyone can appear on the front page.
– Garrett
Edited and published by Garrett Rubis