There are two books about how to design messages that stick in our minds and how they become viral. First is Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath, and second, Contagious by Jonah Berger. Coding our messages in the form of stories is a common factor in both of their formulas. Stories carry within them a large amount of information that is presented in an easy to digest format. It makes comprehension easy by going beyond charts and figures by building an emotional connection with the audience.
There are many articles and research papers written about the effectiveness of leadership and storytelling. They all conclude that a good leader is a great storyteller. Stories are more powerful than explicit instructions. They make the audience think and relate to the core concept. Stories inspire, motivate, and prop them to act in line with the characters in it.
So when you are rolling out a new initiative like OKRs or tackling a challenge, contextualize and tell stories. Just try this next time. When you stand to speak, start your speech by saying, let me tell you a story. Look how people bend forward to listen to you intently. In contrast, if you simply start your speech, the audience sits with their hands folded and legs crossed.
Metrics:
Find a story that fits the current situation of your organization.
Pick a story that captures your challenges, decisions, and actions.
Tell stories and draw a parallel between it and the situation.
Count the stories you tell.
Subodh
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