Why Tell Your Story?

I’ve got writer’s block, and I’m not even a writer…

For this month’s innovation lunch, our guest speaker was an influential figure in the youth space. I’ve seen him speak a few times and have always been impressed. I’ve even playfully jibed at him on social media for being one of many middle-aged men in suits who speak to young people as if they truly understand them. Surprisingly, they do.

No PowerPoint Needed

This particular innovation lunch was centered around the art of storytelling. Our speaker is a master storyteller who can captivate an audience with just his words. No props. No PowerPoint. Just a story.

Storytelling is a proven method for ensuring information is easily absorbed and remembered. It has been used throughout generations to convey culture and knowledge.

A story takes you on a journey, and a good one takes you on an emotional journey. It connects with you and paints a picture in your mind. A well-told story inspires you to do something different, perhaps to change something for good.

The Journey

Our speaker shared an experience of mentoring a young person. He was not much older than eighteen himself, and his mentee was around fourteen. The story involved a bad decision and the police, serving as a vivid scene in my mind. It touched me emotionally and, best of all, had a positive ending. It demonstrated that we all have the opportunity and power to change things.

It’s easier to remember and learn from a personal story than it is from a technical essay or article. Personal narratives engage you emotionally and speak to a more intuitive part of the brain, making them less overwhelming than a stack of raw data.

The Lesson

Through this story, I learned the following:

Keep a journal of everyday events and random happenings. You never know when they may come in handy to illustrate a point or help you learn.
A simple personal story is engaging. Speaking from personal experience adds authenticity.
Informal speaking, as you would to a friend, holds attention better.
Ensure your story has meaning and impact.

For a story to be effective, it must have meaning, be authentic, be relevant, and engender trust.

Find Your ‘Why’

Above all, ensure the story conveys your ‘why.’ Why are you telling it? Why does it make a difference? Why do you do what you do?

The purpose of a story should be to change, motivate, add value, challenge, or win someone over. I’m telling this story to improve how I convey my work and why I do it. By sharing this story, I hope to remember the lessons learned and improve my storytelling.

Aim to Inspire

To conclude, here are the key points I took away from this month’s innovation lunch:

Make sure it’s true.
Take your listeners on a journey and paint a picture in their mind.
Every story needs a protagonist.
Finish on a positive lesson or learning.
Aim to inspire.

I feel I’ve learned a lot from this innovation lunch. Above all, it has inspired me to overcome a year-long writer’s block and write this post. I hope you too have learned something or at least found some inspiration to do things better. Do you have a favorite storytelling tip you could share?