Its very interesting that HR Zone has highlighted the huge rewards that great storytelling offers. I believe there are 5 key roles that leaders and managers need to embrace in order to get the very best performance from people. One of those roles is the Storyteller – the ability of a leader or manager to bring alive key messages in a way that makes people sit up, take notice and take the story to heart. Increasingly, I’m being asked to work with organisations to bring their strategy alive through compelling stories rather than dry facts. It’s not enough to regurgitate a load of messages on powerpoint slides. People need to feel an emotional connection with the story and own it for themselves. Managers play a key role here. In these tough times of recession, there is an even greater need to keep employees engaged with the strategy. Leaders and managers who can tell a great story, as opposed to giving messages, are incredibly successful in igniting a shared sense of purpose and vision that everyone can relate to.
