Find Your Story

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Human beings relate to stories.  That’s a fact, and it dates back to the days of cavemen.  Before we had any formal means to communicate, stories were used to teach, pass down family heritage and motivate others to act.  Even ancient hieroglyphics told stories!

In business and in life, storytelling is a powerful tool to connect with people.  We each have our own unique life experience, our own unique stories. The key is to mine them, practice them, and use them to convey important messages, deepen relationships and hold an audience.  There’s nothing like a good story to break up the monotony of a traditional presentation that’s loaded with data.  It brings your interaction to a deeper human level, where others view as a real person, not just a presenter, an executive or whatever label they’ve given you.

We can also tell the stories of others.  The news is a great source of interesting stories of heroism, overcoming challenges, teamwork and other themes that can inspire and engage others.

So what’s your story?  Today, think about the experiences you’ve had that can become part of your communication arsenal!

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July 2012: What's in it for them?

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Whether you're in an informal or formal role as a business leader, thought leader or opinion leader, your job is to bring others along...to influence and inspire people to buy into, commit and act on a goal or mission.

Leaders often overlook the importance of making their messages relevant and meaningful to their audiences. Whether it's an employee, customer, peer, partner, investor, social media follower or other stakeholder, they're asking one central question: what's in it for me? When you frame your communication to address this essential question, you help people personally connect with your messages which increases the likelihood that they'll buy into, commit and act on them.

Before you communicate, ask yourself, "what does this audience really care about?" Different groups of people care about different things, and if you customize your messages to address their particular questions and concerns, your communication will rise to a new level of effectiveness. It takes a little more work to tailor your communication in this fashion, but it's well worth the extra effort.

May 2012: Make the complex simple.

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Effective leaders are master translators.  They know how to distill complex issues and strategies into simple terms that can be understood and acted upon by people at all levels inside and outside the organization. 

Too often, leaders fall into the trap of using jargon, acronyms, buzzwords or technical language that their audiences do not understand.  Sometimes this is a sign that the leader is out of touch; unaware that not everyone is as steeped in “insider language” as they are.  Other times, a leader will hide behind acronyms and jargon simply because they don’t understand the underlying concepts well enough to use plain language.  Finally, they may fear that by simplifying, they won’t sound smart or sophisticated enough. 

Remember that effective communication is not characterized by jargon and complexity.  It is measured by how quickly and accurately the audience understands, retains and is motivated by the message. 

Today, take a look at your communication with a fresh eye.  How can you make your messages easier to understand by those you’re trying to inform, influence and move to act?