The Power of Story – Episode 2
Storytelling in business isn’t just a fad. It’s a new commercial craft that’s become prevalent in reaction to the attempts to strip business down to a minimally viable husk. The following are just a few of the ideas presented in this second episode of This Human Business (available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Castos):
Effective stories are mysterious, with ends that are not immediately apparent, though they seem obvious once they have been revealed
It takes a human to tell a story, because, although digital systems are remarkable tools for measuring facts, but they’re downright terrible at developing fertile fiction.
Stories are not formed through conscious effort alone, and are listened to by human minds that respond at levels beyond their own awareness.
Storytelling is a subversive challenge to the ideology of Silicon Valley.
Any product, and any work, can become part of a great story, because no subject is boring to a sufficiently curious mind.
Stories are vehicles of meaning, reminding us that our labors are not random, but are about something.
Storytelling isn’t just a fad. It’s a fundamental human practice that’s always going on – whether we choose to acknowledge it or not.
Stories are conceptual engines that give direction to the emotional fires that burn within us.
In order to tell stories effectively, we need to understand who we really are, as well as being intimately acquainted with our audience.
Stories can easily backfire against our business objectives, unless we are familiar the cultural field out of which they have grown. This familiarity doesn’t come spontaneously. It requires intense culturally-focused research.
By helping us to think metaphorically, stories build ideas that transcend the merely functional benefits of a product, providing a business with a means to escape commodification.
Storytelling isn’t just about describing the present. It’s also a way to develop a vision for what we stand for, and what we would like the future to be.
Stories are models that show us how to get back on track when our businesses lose their way.
Learn more about the mysterious power of business storytelling by searching for “This Human Business” on iTunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud.