“Storytelling Techniques” – Negative stories have their limits

Negative stories in business have a purpose and also  have limitations.  We came across an example last week that demonstrates both these points perfectly.  Last week there was a leaked email doing the rounds from Nokia CEO Stephen Elop.

The email was a prelude to Nokia’s strategy announcement on Friday 11th February.  But Elop’s  initial email to employees is worth analysis from a negative story perspective. 

The email starts with a well know story about  the burning platform.

“There is a pertinent story about a man who was working on an oil platform in the North Sea. He woke up one night from a loud explosion, which suddenly set his entire oil platform on fire. In mere moments, he was surrounded by flames. Through the smoke and heat, he barely made his way out of the chaos to the platform’s edge. When he looked down over the edge, all he could see were the dark, cold, foreboding Atlantic waters.

As the fire approached him, the man had mere seconds to react. He could stand on the platform, and inevitably be consumed by the burning flames. Or, he could plunge 30 meters in to the freezing waters. The man was standing upon a “burning platform,” and he needed to make a choice.

He decided to jump. It was unexpected. In ordinary circumstances, the man would never consider plunging into icy waters. But these were not ordinary times – his platform was on fire. The man survived the fall and the waters. After he was rescued, he noted that a “burning platform” caused a radical change in his behaviour.

We too, are standing on a “burning platform,” and we must decide how we are going to change our behaviour.”

This is a true story and was the origin of the term ‘burning platform’.  Starting the email with this negative story serves a specific purpose.  It raises the awareness of a problem.  If your employees or your customers are not aware there is a problem then a negative story can shock them into the realisation that there is one.    That is the purpose of a negative story.  The limitations of a negative story however is that it will not necessarily change behaviour.  So when Elop concludes the story with  ‘We too, are standing on a “burning platform,” and we must decide how we are going to change our behaviour.’  While that may be the case, the negative burning platform story will not achieve the change of behaviour.

Why not? As conventional wisdom says that crisis is a powerful motivator for change.

John Kotter, Harvard Business School professor and award-winning author has hit on a crucial insight . “Behavior change happens mostly by speaking to people’s feelings,”  he says. “This is true even in organizations that are very focused on analysis and quantitative measurement, even among people who think of themselves as smart in an MBA sense. In highly successful change efforts, people find ways to help others see the problems or solutions in ways that influence emotions, not just thought.”

Sharing his own expereinces  Kotter,  states ‘We went out looking for stories of successful change because I concluded years ago that people need more positive examples than they need negative ones. People are seeing too much negative stuff, and they know it. They can all give you 53 negative stories. What people need are positive examples of what works’.

I then read the rest of the Nokia email to see if a positive story would appear …but it didn’t.  The crux of the email was stating dooming fact after dooming fact with a continual reference to the burning platform.  For example,

 ”I have learned that we are standing on a burning platform.  And, we have more than one explosion – we have multiple points of scorching heat that are fuelling a blazing fire around us. ” 

There is an attempt right at the end to motivate and inspire through positivity but it falls well short of achieving that….

“The burning platform, upon which the man found himself, caused the man to shift his behaviour, and take a bold and brave step into an uncertain future. He was able to tell his story.  Now, we have a great opportunity to do the same.”  Nokia did announce their new strategy a few days after this email and reading through everything available on the web I failed to see a positive story used to engage people in the new strategy.  Perhaps positive stories are being used internally.  

So just to recap, it is important to understand that negative stories serve a very specific purpose and that is to raise awareness of  a problem.  Their limitation is that they will not change behaviour, also demonstrated via  WorkSafes use of story .  To change behaviour you need to quickly move on from the negative story and start sharing positive stories …and lots of them.

Tell us what you think …please leave a comment below.

Authenticity in business storytelling

I’m a great fan of the Gruen transfer, a show we have here in Australia.  In one of the episodes they talked about marketing spin and  said in marketing spin you take one truth and spin everything around it.  I was immediately struck by how business storytelling is the complete opposite of that.  Because for your storytelling to be successful, everything about it needs to be authentic. 

So in this video let’s explore authenticity in organisational storytelling.  One of the first things to consider and this comes to us from Steve Denning, is your stories need to be both factually true as well as authentically true.

To illustrate this, Denning shares this example….’On the Titanic’s maiden voyage 700 people arrived in New York’.  This is factually true  but it leaves out the detail that the ship sank and 1500 people died.

So your story needs to be both factually true and authentically true.

The other thing to consider with authenticity in business, is that you as the storyteller need to believe in your story and its purpose – your intent needs to be authentic.

A few years ago we did some work with a leadership team that was outsourcing some of their work overseas and they were looking for stories to accompany  this.  When no stories emerged we asked them ‘can you honestly put your hand on your heart and say you believe this is the best thing for your company?’…..and they couldn’t.  So unless you believe in the purpose you are not going to have an authentic story.

The other point we want to draw from that example is not everything needs a story.  So use stories only if it is authentic to do so otherwise just go with the data….which is what that leadership team did.  They just went with the data about outsourcing their operations.

The last point to make about authenticity is congruence.  There needs to be a connection, there needs to be a congruence between your words and your actions.  When Cameron Clyne, (current CEO of National Australia Bank) became CEO, one of his early promises was to be open and approachable.  When Cameron Clyne was fairly new he attended one of the NAB’s internal events and took a seat down the back.  A lady who worked in IT approached him and said ‘Excuse me you are sitting in my seat’.   He immediately apologised and vacated her seat.  As soon as Cameron left some of the lady’s colleagues said ‘Do you know who that was?  The new CEO!’.  She said ’You are kidding, no way why would he sit up in the back?’.    That story became one of the stories that started circulating in the bank and it showed people the congruence between Cameron’s words and his actions.

So just to recap …authenticity in storytelling is everything.  All your stories need to be authentic and when we are talking about authenticity we are asking you to consider these things. 

Your stories need to be both factually true and authentically true.

You as a storyteller need to believe in the purpose of your story.

Use stories only if it is authentic to do so, otherwise just go with the data.

And finally for authentic storytelling you need congruence between your words and your actions.

We would love you to make a comment of when you have seen leaders who have been authentic or not with their storytelling.

CEO’s of the Future

We were recently sent an article Caring Ceo’s of the Future that featured in the August 2010 edition of Management NZ by Brenda Ward.  It explores how the role of leader is changing and what skills the future leaders of tomorrow need.  The article suggests that amoungst other aspects ”tomorrow’s leaders will… ask only ‘powerful ‘ questions, tell lots of stories and make decisions in split seconds”.

The article states that future leaders will be “reflective, ethical, transparent, authentic and trusted advisor to their team” and that “storytelling is a big part of the new leadership style”.

This article re confirms the trend we have seen  over the last few years -  the rise of business storytelling and the recognition by companies that it is a key leadership skill that needs to be taught and practiced.  We have seen many leaders use business storytelling to achieve real business results.  One such example was of a client of ours called Michael.  Michael managed 20 branches and for 2 years none of his branches ever met their quality sales leads targets.   Michael had tried everything  – logic, reasoning and even attaching their bonus to the targets…nothing worked.  What he did know for sure was that everyone hated that part of their job.

This is the story Michael told…

“When I was a kid I hated brussels sprouts.  When they were dished up for dinner I would push them to the side, knowing full well I would have to eat cold brussels sprouts at the end of my meal because my mother would never let me leave the table without eating all my vegetables.  One day I decided to eat the brussels sprouts straight away and then sat back and enjoyed the rest of my meal.  Do you think we can treat our sales targets like brussels sprouts?  We can’t leave the table until we have eaten them.  Do you think we could eat them fast and early at the start of the week and sit back and enjoy the rest of our week?”

The following week, Michael experienced the best improvement ever for the number of quality sales leads generated. The term “brussels sprouts” also became short-hand within the team for meeting their weekly targets!  They would say “How many brussels sprouts have you eaten? I have had three already!”

So business storytelling is definitely a leadership skill. The biggest mistake leaders make is thinking that the storytelling they do in their personal lives can be transported, as is, into business.  The most common feedback we receive from leaders is that they were unaware of the skill that is involved in storytelling….”this is a lot harder than I thought” is common feedback from our clients.

To read the full CEO’s of the Future article click here

…and to read about what leaders have to say about business storytelling check out our Interview With  section.

An interview with John Stewart

Gabrielle Dolan interviews John Stewart, Chairman of Legal and General, member of the Court of the Bank of England (London) and non executive Director of the Telstra Corporation.  John is also ex CEO of National Australia Bank Group, Barclays Bank and Woolwich.

Gabrielle Dolan: John you are a passionate sailor and sailing was a source for many of your stories, can you talk about that?

John Stewart: I believe not enough leaders understand the power of creating myths or common stories about you.  I am passionate about sailing and at first I resisted these stories but found them a powerful ally.  Too many leaders resist these types of stories when they should be actually feeding them.  There are many reasons why I would use them but one is very practical.  I would often be in a lift at work and would see how uncomfortable some people were.  They were thinking ‘Oh my God I am in the lift with the CEO.’  Once I started using those sailing stories, people would often ask me if I went sailing on the weekend.  I could then have a casual chat with that person…the stories provide a connection to me

GD: How much time do you think a leader should spend communicating with their employees?

JS: I recall that when I first became a CEO I thought that about 20 to 25 percent of my time should be taken up by communication.  I soon started to realise that it was at least 75% of my time and often much more than that.

GD: John you always tend to talk in a language that people understand and seem to avoid corporate jargon.  Do you think that is a lost art?

JS: You know it is very easy to make things complicated in business and I see too many leaders who tend do over-complicate things.  When it comes to communicating complex messages, using corporate jargon is simply lazy.  Communicating complex messages in a way people understand is really hard, using jargon is easy.  It is not until you truly understand something that you then can communicate it in a way everyone understands……and only the very good leaders do that…..When I have to communicate complex messages, I find using a story helps me do that, so I just keep doing it.

GD: When you first arrived in Australia to head up the NAB Group, did you notice any differences with the way Australians do business?

JS: Yes I did.  Australians have a different attitude to risk, their attitude to sport and their attitude around not taking yourself too seriously.  I remember the very first day I arrived in Australia I had to do a press conference. That night there was snippets of my press conference on the news and it was in every major news paper the following day.  The next morning I put on the radio as I expected there may be a bit of talkback about my appointment, considering it was CEO of one of Australia’s biggest companies……but nothing prepared me for what people talked about.  The first caller’s only comment was that ‘surely John Stewart wears a wig’.  The next caller was a woman who disagreed and suggested that he ‘had a fine head of hair’.  Another caller commented that it was ‘definitely a rug’.  I could only laugh at what I was hearing*.

So I think Australians don’t take themselves too seriously and they don’t like their leaders taking themselves too seriously either.  Starting with a self deprecating joke is always a good thing with an Australian audience.

GD: Finally John, throughout our work at the NAB people often refer to you and say ‘John Stewart is a natural storyteller’…are you?

JS: Hmmmm….my best ‘adlibbed’ stories have been practised for hours in front of the mirror.

*Just for the record John has a fine head of hair, which is all his own.

An interview with Andrew Thorburn…

Andrew Thorburn is CEO and Managing Director of Bank of New Zealand and shares his thoughts on leadership, storytelling and listening.

Gabrielle Dolan: Andrew you tend to use a lot of ‘normal language’ when talking, which is both rare and refreshing, do you think it is important?

Andrew Thorburn: I think leaders need to use normal language to connect with their people instead of coming out with all this jargon.  I think you gain respect that way.  We use normal language and story when we are talking with our family and friends and we need to bring that into the workforce.  We need to communicate in a way that is authentic and real.

GD: Why do you think most leaders don’t use normal language?

AT: I see leaders who have no problems challenging decisions and asking the hard questions and making the tough calls but they very rarely are prepared to break the boundaries with the emotional stuff.  Very few leaders are prepared to show vulnerability or humility or admit mistakes.  Stories are a very good way to show a level of vulnerability, they show that you are human.

GD: Do you often use stories to help reinforce your key messages?

AT: Yes because I know through stories that people will connect with my messages and if they connect with them they will remember them.

GD: Andrew you are giving me a look …a ‘that is pretty obvious though and surely everyone does it?’ look.  Can I tell you from what I see most leaders when preparing for closing remarks may take the time to think of their key messages and then simple restate them.    Something along the lines of ‘So the three things I want you to take away are…a, b and c.’.   Very few leaders take this to the next step and think about how they will make people connect with their messages.

AT: I suppose you are right.

GD: Do you see any dangers in leaders using storytelling?

AT: I think the only risk of organisational storytelling not working, is if leaders are not authentic.  I certainly believe people can be trained in the technique but they have to be authentic.  They have to be grounded.  They have to have humility and they have to be prepared to show emotion.  Otherwise it will just come across as scripted and an attempt to manipulate.

GD: What is one of your insights to getting all leaders across the business using storytelling?

AT: I believe that for storytelling to work across any organisation that senior people need to role model it.  Once they role model storytelling, it gives other leaders permission to use it.

An interview with Cindy Batchelor…

Cindy Batchelor is a Managing Director at the National Australia Bank, she shares her personal insights about presenting and the role of storytelling within presentations with Gabrielle Dolan

Gabrielle Dolan: Cindy you have a reputation for being a good presenter, do you have any tips?

Cindy Batchelor: I think the key is to think about what your key messages are and then think about how you are going to make them stick.  As leaders, when we communicate and present we have to be fully aware that people only have the capacity to take in so much…you can’t have ten key messages and expect people to remember them all

GD: And how do you see the role of storytelling when presenting?

CB:  I always think about how I am going to make my messages interesting, and then I think about how storytelling will help me achieve that.  Story is such a powerful tool because it helps people remember your message and often retell it.

When I think back to some of the training I have done and presentations I have sat through, it is the stories that I always remember.

GD: How many stories would you advise people to use?

CB: I don’t use a story for everything.  You don’t need a story for everything, but when presenting I now think a lot about what I want people to remember or take away from my presentation…..I use a story for those messages.

GD: You signed off on the investment to train the top 100 global leaders at nabCapital, what was your thought process?

CB: We give accountability and responsibility to our leaders and when we do that we need to build their skills, confidence and capability.  Our leaders were highly technical, highly effective and highly skilled but there was a gap in the way they engaged with employees.  We knew there was a gap so we had the responsibility to fix it, especially after we had asked them to be responsible and accountable for employee engagement.

In regards to the cost of leadership development, it is pretty simple; people just need to understand that this is an investment not a cost.

GD: Who do you think could benefit from storytelling training?

CB: I truly believe any person in any position can benefit from using storytelling.

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