Can you remember a time when you were listening to someone speak and somehow they engaged you? Even now, you can remember most of what they said or at least the message they were trying to convey?
It’s more than likely the person told a story and made you feel something which is why you remember.
Recent neurological research on the way we process information through stories, has proven what effective leaders and communicators have known since the Stone Age: that storytelling is a powerful and effective way to infuse ideas into the hearts and minds of others for lasting impact.
We also know that when you hear a story, more zones of the brain are activated including your emotions and other senses.
Stories at work
Let’s face it, most messages we receive at work are usually only a collection of facts and figures which activate the language processing zone of your brain but not your emotions.
In the business world, storytelling has become an increasingly used communications tool. It can make complex data accessible, cultivate relationships with products and people, rally teams around a strategy and fuel compelling narratives that shape organizational culture.
If you can achieve these things at work through telling stories, then you will enhance your career.
In recruitment, interviews are generally competency-based using behavioural questions, as these help an employer understand how you have acted in previous real situations. Today’s successful interviews therefore rely on a job seeker's ability to answer questions with compelling stories - ones that speak to the heart as well as the mind.
Check out our next blog on how you can create your compelling story using the STAR Method.