Once upon a time, in a land not far away, there was a woman who believed passionately in the power of internal communication. She wanted to make a difference to the world we live in and so she worked with charities and not-for-profits to help them change the world for the better. By communicating effectively with each other, each member of staff grew to understand their role and how their work contributed to saving lives or helping children or reducing poverty. The woman’s passion and enthusiasm for effective communication was contagious and soon everyone understood how to talk to each other and the world was a better place.
OK, so I might not get my fairy-tale ending just yet, but I do believe in the power of story-telling. As Ian Harris, Head of Content at internal communications consultancy, Gatehouse, says, “A great story is the most engaging way to teach or persuade people – without exception”. It’s a way of making your information memorable and engaging. We all remember the stories we heard as young children and there’s a reason for that – we connected with them and they meant something to us.
As a professional communicator I have a responsibility to make my communications as engaging as possible. There are techniques and methods you can learn to help with story-telling, whatever you are trying to communicate. It’s what all great adverts do, all successful newspapers, all the best magazines – and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t apply this to our internal communications too. Even when we’re communicating about regular, everyday business news, we can bring it to life by pulling out the powerful story that lies within. So what’s your story?
Now, time to get back to my quest for my fairy-tale ending….
Until next time
Sarah