On a recent Inner Strength Coffee Chat, Dianne Chase led a conversation with internal communication practitioners around the globe about using storytelling to connect during a crisis.

Although Coffee Chats are not recorded so that attendees have a safe space to drive connection and conversation, we wanted to share some highlights:

Tell a personal story

When you want people to remember the information, make sure you don’t just provide the information. A personal story is a powerful tool to make a human connection with employees and show that you care. It is about being authentic, empathetic and strategic. You are not telling a story just to tell a story; you are telling a story to create a lasting impression and build trust. These stories help employees visualize the information and understand why we are doing the things we do. 

Storytelling is a skill

Every conversation starts with a purpose. What is the message you want to convey? Who are you giving the information to? When you tell a story, you elevate the decision making towards your employees. When you support the facts with a story behind it, you are more likely to get people to understand. As internal communication practitioners, we ulitmately want our story to be retellable.

Lead in humanity

During a crisis, storytelling has more of an impact. Storytelling has the potential to demonstrate how leadership and organizations care. There is an opportunity to provide a personal connection to help employees understand the ‘new normal.’ It is time to be vulnerable and engage with our employees. Most importantly, there is potential to build relationships and loyalty.

Storytelling shapes the culture

We know that there is a lot of uncertainty during  our present circumstance. When we connect with our employees, it is important to look at the small, everyday actions that showcase who we are. What is our role to amplify those unheard stories to help us better understand our culture. The truth is that ‘word of mouth’ is a powerful form of storytelling. The stories we share help measure the impact and develop change, alignment and culture. 

Would you like more information on storytelling?  Join Dianne Chase at her upcoming GENIUS Business Storytelling workshop online  May 28th, 2020. You can purchase tickets here.

Looking to join the conversation? Right now, we have two Coffee Chats a week featuring special guests on a variety of topics. 

• For Wednesday 9AM ET Coffee Chats in May, register here.
• May 20: Martha Muzychka: Creativity in Business Development 
• May 27: Puja Misra: Building your Personal Brand

For Thursday Noon ET Coffee Chats in May, register here. 

• May 14: Rocky Walls: Web Video Myths
• May 21: Suzanne Forrester: New Habits a New Way
• May 28: Bonnie Caver: Accelerating your Brand during Recovery