By Claire Smith, Action Planning consultant
An old friend recently called me, out of the blue, with an interesting proposition: “I’m starting a global movement to change the fashion industry, for good,” she said. “Can you help?”
Intrigued, I asked a few questions and received a thorough explanation of the product. But it wasn’t long before words like ‘sustainability’ and ‘resourcing’ and ‘network’ made my brain switch off. I don’t get it, I admitted, can you put it another way?
Then, my friend told me a story… A story about a lockdown hobby that took off. A story of working with the little you have, and finding that it leads to more than you could dream of. A story of a wild adventure that’s just beginning. It had me hooked.
Now, it’s true that you should be able to explain your cause or product in a nutshell – but that’s just a case of sharpening the message. The point is, my friend’s story brought the whole thing to life. It was the story that drew me in and made me want to come on board. And as leaders, surely that’s one of your most vital tasks.
So, how do you develop your storytelling? Here are five things you can do:
- Trust your instincts. Storytelling is in our DNA, so you already know the best stories within your organisation. Pay attention to what sparks your curiosity. If it’s interesting to you, it will be to others.
- Start with your founding story. Voluntary organisations are built on passion and enterprise. But think of the charities you support… Do you know their founding story? Often, these tales are rarely told. Sharing the story of how your organisation started can be a springboard to talking about all your work.
- Learn the techniques. Put in the work to understand storytelling structure. Think about your narrative arc, the peaks and troughs, and how you can create emotion. Theory says every story ever told follows one of seven basic plots. Google it; see which fits for you.
- Listen and collect stories. Who’s hearing the stories that bring the work of your organisation to life? How can you collect them? What’s the need that someone spotted that caused a new project to be launched? Build that into the project narrative.
- Keep learning. Ask for feedback, refine your storytelling and go again. Like anything, storytelling is a skill that will sharpen with work and effort.
You might already be a natural storyteller, like my friend, or it might take time to master your storytelling technique. Either way, it’s a powerful tool that can move the hearts and minds of your supporters, staff and stakeholders. And if you want to know the story of the fashion movement that will change the world, go to relovedby.co.uk.
Action Planning can help you to identify and tell your stories. Call us on 0115 671 9551.