In turbulent times, people turn to a safe haven for their investments – gold.
Turning to gold in your organisation is a great investment in getting your corporate stories told in a meaningful, authentic and inspirational way. The precious resource we have in mind is not the shiny yellow metal, but a person called Gold, Bill Gold.
The power of peer to peer communications
You’ll have Bill Golds in your organisation, real influencers who can impact on the extent to which your communications really cut through. If you close your eyes, you can visualise them, perhaps even hear their voices. These people need to become your new best friends; and you need to invest in them as your chief business storytellers.
“But surely the leadership team should be our chief storytellers?” we hear you cry. We agree, they should start the storytelling ball rolling. But put yourself in the shoes of the audience for a moment. You might well be saying something like: “Well, they would say that, wouldn’t they? They’re the bosses.” But what if someone on your level, and someone you really trust, says it could work? Then it’s worth taking notice.
Turning influencers into advocates
But what if the Bill Golds in your organisation are cynical or even negative? Well, it’s probably worse than that. They are cynical and negative – and hugely influential, with personal networks that stretch in all directions. All the more reason to get them on your side as early as possible. Imagine the positive impact they could make if you could turn them into advocates for your messages, especially if you invested in helping them become even better storytellers.
So how do you do that? Involve people like Bill in shaping, evolving and sense-checking your corporate stories to ensure they will land well with your audience.
Getting your stories told and acted on
We’ve written about how Hollywood can teach us about storytelling in business. If you’re itching to give it a try, just make sure you’re using your stories in an appropriate context.
If you want to get your stories told throughout the organisation in a meaningful, authentic and inspirational way – and of course get them acted on – it’s time to invest in your most potent storytellers.
We can help you shape and tell your corporate stories through our communication workshops, or through our eLearning packages.
