There’s a famous (and possibly apocryphal) story about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs entering the cafeteria at his company’s headquarters and asking everyone assembled to name the most powerful person in the world.
His employees offered all sorts of answers (“The President!”), only for Jobs to shake his head and say, “No, the most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” From his perspective, storytellers set the vision and values for millions of people around the world, effectively instructing them in how to think about things.
That little story about Jobs is an important one, because it hints at why Apple has always leaned heavily into effective storytelling as a way of selling its products to the world. It’s also a lesson for tech professionals everywhere: in a world filled with near-incomprehensible data and jargon, you can use a compelling narrative to cut through the noise and get the buy-in you want from your colleagues and others.
With that in mind, here are some quick-and-easy storytelling tips:
Settle on a Storytelling Framework
Many successful stories follow an arc (if you want to get really technical, many of these stories follow the “hero’s journey” popularized by Joseph Campbell and utilized by numerous books and movies, including the original “Star Wars”). Here’s a typical one that you can use to describe a project or problem at work:
- The Status Quo: Your project or workplace is frozen by inefficiencies. The roadblocks are clear. But how can you move past them?
- The Call to Action: A clear and concise statement of the problem.
- A Proposed Solution: Your solution (whether an automation, a software update, or simply a revised workflow) can solve this problem.
- Overcoming Challenges and Roadblocks: Name the potential problems on the way to a solution and how you’ll overcome them.
- The Resolution: Clearly articulate the desired outcome - a more efficient process, increased revenue, or improved user experience.
- Call to Action: Your resolution will compel other stakeholders to get involved.
Tailoring the Narrative
Obviously, you’ll need to tailor your storytelling arc to your specific challenge. Here are some tips for storytelling within different mediums:
Oral Storytelling (Meetings, Pitches):
- Keep it concise: Aim for a clear, impactful message delivered within a defined timeframe.
- Speak in plain language: Translate complex concepts into easy-to-understand terms.
- Use visuals strategically: Charts, graphs, and even well-placed demos can break up the text and enhance understanding.
Email Communication:
- Subject line matters: It should be clear and concise.
- Get to the point quickly: Summarize the problem and your solution in the first paragraph.
- Bullet points and visuals enhance readability: Use them to break up text and highlight key takeaways.
- End with a call to action: Tell the reader what you want them to do next - schedule a meeting, provide feedback, etc.
Presentations (Who Doesn’t Love PowerPoint?):
- Design for impact: Invest time in creating visually engaging slides.
- Focus on the big picture: Don't overload slides with text; prioritize key points and data visualization.
- Practice your delivery: A well-rehearsed presentation exudes confidence and clarity.
Generalized Storytelling Tips
No matter what your medium or your tale, here are some generalized tips for crafting the most effective story possible:
- Focus on the "Why": Don't just explain what your project does; explain why it matters to the intended audience.
- Empathy is Key: Understand the audience's needs, challenges, and motivations.
- Data is Your Ally: Use data to quantify the impact of your solution and bolster your narrative.
- Practice Makes Perfect: Refine your story by sharing it with colleagues and getting feedback.
As Jobs said, the storyteller is an immensely powerful figure, capable of changing organizations. Weaving compelling narratives around your projects is the key to gaining buy-in and getting what you need.
