How do you encourage storytelling and diversity in your team?

I always encourage people to "not die with their story untold" A proverb that I constantly throw around is that "Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter" This simple proverb is an insightful reminder into how each perspective is required to get the full picture. Each person's voice matters as they add their own unique perspectives based on personal lived experiences, sometimes you do not realise the privileges you have or lack until you here views different from yours

The most important aspect of storytelling, in my opinion, is experience. At its core, the idea of storytelling is to make complex subjects relatable. By using one’s own experiences, one can help others relate to a product, problem or a service. This is perhaps especially true for technology, where the end user related to the actual use-case, and impact on their lives, rather than the technical elements. It’s much better to tell someone a phone can be used as an internet router, rather than telling them how the chip(s) inside is making that happen.

I taught filmmaking in the deep south, and I would always ask students in my screenwriting course what they disliked most about Hollywood. Without fail, they objected to how southerners were depicted in industry, i.e., dim-witted, inbred, yokels with that notable twang in their voice. While I empathized with their viewpoint, I encouraged them in their own storytelling to remember those feelings of misrepresentation and to be cognizant of correcting such depictions as well as not perpetuating similar stereotypes against other populations. The vast majority understood the assignment and have been better storytellers ever since.

Creating a safe space to share stories in is one element that a lot of leaders gloss over and miss. It is essential and a foundational element. So if you don't have trust, respect, and have created a safe space for your team in your org, then asking people to share stories is not going to work - and you may get those who feel forced to do so, but that's not what we ever want, nor will you ever get the full vulnerability or thoroughness of that story. Also consider the privilege in asking such a thing. There are those that may never feel comfortable to share stories, and that needs to be okay.

BE CURIOUS! is written on a fading note affixed to my computer. No longer needed (or at least I like to think :-))--it was something relied upon during my early years of leadership. The time when even the most empathic among us can accidentally get focused on outcomes and not focused *enough* on the individuals executing the outcomes. As a marketer/Ethical Storyteller I rely on personal narratives in the work I do. I listen, ask, reflect, clarify: I treat the sharing of stories with me as the honor they are. I do the same with my Team. Beyond simply making time to hear them--Im fully present and engaged. I am fortunate to be part of a diverse global Team and strive daily to ensure each member feels valued for their unique path and story.

Encouraging the art of storytelling within your team is essential. Provide opportunity equally across your teams to allow storytelling to be practiced, shared and engaged with. Create that safe place to express.

There's a special feeling we get when we know, without any iota of doubt, that we're heard, understood, and appreciated. And this feeling can make us go all out to please whoever instigated it in the first place. That's exactly what happens when you listen to your team's story - it becomes a power tool to encourage storytelling and diversity

Absolutely, actively listening to your team's stories is crucial. For instance, during a team meeting, a colleague shared a personal experience of overcoming a significant professional obstacle. Instead of moving on quickly, I asked open-ended questions about their journey, allowing them to elaborate and share valuable insights. This showed them that their story mattered, encouraging others to share their unique perspectives and fostering a culture of open communication and understanding within the team.

Listening is the most important part of communication. Ensure there is a comfortable environment where your team can share anything and everything freely without the fear of being judged. Appreciate them honestly and highlight how including storytelling can help them evolve.

Anecdotes work like magic. Share anecdotes about stories that inspire you and the team. They also travel the fastest. Or invite them over if possible and get them to speak to your team.

Something all parents of kids with disabilities understand, is the joy of sharing and celebrating every single win. Milestones come in all shapes and sizes. They may not be the typical sitting, crawling, first word milestones but they are just as important and often even more exciting! I celebrate every win with my team. I take a minute to slow down and celebrate them. I celebrate the little things they do, make, achieve or overcome. Sharing our stories doesn't always have to always be about achieving or overcoming something big. The uniqueness of our stories is about those very little things we do, make, achieve or overcome every single day.

Embracing diversity means lifting up our unique experiences and all the stories that have brought us to this moment. None of us will ever be the exact person we are today - we are constantly evolving, learning and growing. By hearing others' stories, we contribute to our own growth while amplifying the voices of others. Our role as leaders is to create brave spaces and containers for the sharing of those stories to happen.

Absolutely, celebrating diverse stories is vital for fostering a rich, inclusive team culture. For instance, I came across a compelling TED talk by a speaker from a completely different cultural background, discussing innovative approaches to problem-solving. I shared this with my team, sparking a thoughtful discussion on how we could integrate some of these concepts into our projects. It demonstrated our commitment to diverse perspectives and encouraged everyone to bring in their unique insights, enriching our collective creativity and collaboration.

Imagine a world where every day is a carnival of stories, a parade of cultures, a feast of ideas. Seek out stories that challenge your worldview. Try something like this: organize "Story Swap" sessions where team members must present marketing strategies inspired by completely unrelated fields. For instance, someone might draw marketing insights from the art of beekeeping or the tactics of ancient war generals. This practice encourages team members to explore a variety of stories and perspectives, leading to fresh and innovative ideas.

Sharing stories and turning them into scenarios is always a cool move! You never know what your audience has been through, and it can add a lot to the conversation and problem-solving.

Stories are told as examples that has happened earlier. Sighting examples or setting the ball rolling are ways that showcases challenges and solutions. Best practices are followed to minimise problems. Creativity & innovation may happen once the knowledge and attitude adds a milestone to handle situation in better ways. When we tell a story, to make it more easy & understandable.. in the process ,peoples engagement and involvement is more. More the merrier...collective intelligence always adds more to the story to broaden your horizon...with clarity.

Absolutely, using storytelling for problem-solving is a powerful approach. For instance, when we faced a complex project deadline, I asked each team member to share a brief story about a time they successfully met a tight deadline. This exercise not only provided creative strategies for managing time effectively but also inspired a collaborative discussion on how we could adapt and implement those ideas. It showcased how leveraging personal stories could drive innovative solutions and make the decision-making process more effective within our team.

Think of stories as mirrors reflecting your journey. Look into them, not to admire your reflection, but to see where you can grow, what path to take next. Stories are your compass, your guides in this grand adventure of life and work.

The use of stories is critical for problem solving, especially when it comes to lowering defenses. Rarely do we reflect and see ourselves as the catalyst for creating problems or issues. But, we much easier see the flaws of "others" in corporate storytelling. Levearging these characters and scenarios is imparative to engage the learning and change cycle of thinking. For example, my favorite storytelling tool is presenting scenarios with a multiple diverse perspectives to reinforce to the learner that discovery and understanding of others is a key factor in building teams, solving group problems and making impactul decisions that benefit the group.

Humans access learning in many ways yet the easiest of which is thru the art of storytelling. Internally we leverage the power of stories to create a strong company culture and to signpost the diverse lived experiences which make our Team vibrant & unique. The power of internal stories can be leveraged for everything from benchmarking performances to encouraging improvement & maintaining positive momentum. Storytelling is phenomenal as an external facing tool as well. Sales taps into its power through using their data to tell tales and word-weaving to communicate ideas and convey a sense of urgency. From internal community building to external leveraging of the Hero's Journey in sales/marketing --strong storytelling is pivotal to success.

Knowledge is Power ! It's a continuous learning...with knowledge, skills and attitude. Adding value for output, feedback, assessment...and reporting or showcasing as examples.

Emphasize the learning aspect of storytelling. Encourage your team to reflect on the stories shared and the lessons within them. This can be a powerful tool for personal and professional development, as stories often convey complex truths and insights in a relatable and memorable way.

Absolutely, learning from stories is a valuable practice. For instance, after a project completion, we gathered the team to share individual stories about challenges faced and lessons learned. This allowed us to identify patterns and areas for improvement collectively. It was eye-opening to realize the diverse perspectives and approaches that had led to our success. This practice instilled a culture of continuous improvement and a willingness to learn from each other's experiences, fostering growth and innovation within our team.

I believe it's not only about seeking for knowledge, but also about sharing those learnings you're acquiring over time. Even better: exchange them with your colleagues as much as possible. With that, we can foster integration and collectiveness through those learnings - not only in the essence of the stories we tell and listen, but also in the different formats each one develop to share his/her experiences and takeaways.

Feedbacks always help in improving your skills. There may be some things that go unnoticed but when there is a feedback from third person’s perspective, it can help in improvising not only the skills but also building a good content strategy for the future.

Two things to note here. Firstly, practicing storytelling is absolutely free! You can do it any time in the day where you are communicating. A great way to test, learn, smile and repeat! Secondly, feedback, and being continuously open to it, is crucial for improved storytelling. It can come in any form, dependant on your storytelling scenario. Be open to the comments, and reviews. It may give you the chance to change your story there and then, or improve upon the next one.

story telling leaves a morale message each time it touches someone's heart. Listening for immediate feedback is a way to make adjustment, improve delivery or project in clear language which surely is a good way to evaluate and assess story telling skills.

Being open to feedback is the most effective way to grow as a storyteller. There might be blind spots that have been overlooked, and it takes actively seeking out differing points of view to realize those improvement areas. A storyteller’s goal is to tell stories that resonate with your audience, and the best way to be effective is to get feedback from that audience on how well you’re working toward that unique goal.

Embracing feedback and encouraging action: The many benefits of honest communication in the workplace are clear, from setting clearer expectations to inviting more creative ideas and encouraging retention. Storytelling offers a platform for vulnerability and openness, and is a fantastic starting point for more collaborative work. You can optimize that starting point by keeping the stories you tell focused on humility and action, with a mission of not just better understanding your team and clients, but working better together. Next time you want to deliver a story as part of an important project kickoff or pitching an idea to a leader in your organization, always embrace the feedback.

Diverse stories require diverse teams. Full stop. Sure, one can employ 'research, interview, regurgitate' as an approach to storytelling, yet, like the old timey American game of telephone, the end result will be diluted, muddled, and not as powerful as the original story. At its essence, storytelling connects us to humanity and our global world is a rich, layered, and DIVERSE one. It's pivotal our Teams reflect this diversity if our brand, non-profit, (insert your business vertical here), endeavors to tell stories to inspire action and response. Anyone can make a bullet point list of WHYs; gifted storytellers transform this 'list' into a rich, diverse fabric which sparks listeners' emotions and results in momentum toward the desired CTA.

I think the answer is even simpler than all of the recommendations: if you want diverse stories, hire a diverse team. Especially if you’re creating a story that is outside of your own experience and/or culture. Reading about other people’s experience is only second to having someone on the team who has actually lived it.

Not everyone is comfortable sharing openly with an audience, and it's crucial to keep these diverse preferences in mind if you want to encourage your team to tell stories. Providing a framework can be very effective for inexperienced or reluctant public speakers. One way to do this is by giving them a set of questions to answer, which helps structure their storytelling. Additionally, if the objective is to get a more diverse perspective, you should explore various mediums to enable your team to contribute. Apart from public sharing, you could explore writing mediums, anonymous contributions, or sharing in small groups.

This write-up covers almost everything. I truly believe that for others to listen to us, we first need to listen to others, because listening is as important as storytelling. When we keenly listen to people from different walks of life, we get to know about them, their community/ culture. Interacting with interesting people ensures exposure to new perspectives. Ideas are exchanged & knowledge expands. We learn/ unlearn. As a bonus, respect & harmony prevail. Therefore one needs to be a good listener to be a good storyteller. Most importantly be open minded & lead by example. Thus encouraging storytelling & diversity in the team.

✔️Safe Environment: Foster trust and respect for open sharing. ✔️Lead by Example: Share your own stories authentically. ✔️Offer Training: Provide workshops on storytelling and diversity. ✔️Celebrate Differences: Recognize and honor diverse backgrounds. ✔️Facilitate Dialogue: Encourage open conversations about diversity. ✔️Promote Collaboration: Emphasize the value of diverse perspectives. ✔️Provide Support: Offer mentorship and resources for growth. ✔️Integrate Diversity Goals: Incorporate diversity into team objectives.