If you work in HR, you’re involved in many of the moments when people encounter an organisation’s story, from onboarding to team retrospectives.
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about workplace storytelling is that it travels in one direction, from the leader to the team. A leader sharing their “why” gives people a reason to support a change. When people experiencing a change contribute their stories, they can influence how the organisation understands and communicates it.
This can start with something as simple as asking people what the organisation’s mission means to them, rather than introducing a change through a slide deck of statistics.
Stories are already part of how organisations communicate what matters. Success stories recognise employee achievements, and customer anecdotes illustrate impact. Gillian Secrett, former CEO of the Møller Institute, used stories to celebrate client satisfaction and internal teamwork, reinforcing a culture of excellence and service. What an organisation chooses to celebrate tells people what it values.
How a story is received depends on what people are experiencing at the time. A story about innovation, for example, may not resonate with a team coming out of a tense budget meeting. Some leaders take stakeholders to project sites, giving them the opportunity to see the change and speak to the people affected by it.
I explore these ideas in my latest article for HRZone, including how HR can use storytelling to build engaged and cohesive teams. Read the full article Here.