We’re two years into one of the most profound global disruptions most of us have ever experienced, and the fallout is still unfolding in new and surprising ways. One effect we’re seeing across all the industries and organizations we work with is that there is a deep longing for human connection and a sense of shared meaning and purpose.
Stories Are the Answer
How do we give people what they’re craving, even as they continue to navigate Covid variant surges, fluctuating health guidelines, and a still-evolving hybrid-vs-remote-vs-in-person work landscape?
We engage them in a story.
We help them find and share the story of how they’ve evolved, how their team or organization has changed, and what shared purpose they can rally around as they move toward the future.
How Storytelling Connects Us
As Jimmy Neil Smith, founder of the International Storytelling Center, notes, “There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.” Why is that?
Scientists have found that when we hear a story, we release cortisol, dopamine, and oxytocin into the brain. Cortisol assists with making memories (helping stories stick), dopamine regulates our emotional responses (keeping us engaged), and oxytocin supports empathy (creating deeper connections with others). It’s the medicine to cure The Great Resignation.
What Stories Should We Tell?
None of us has emerged from the last 2 years unchanged.
Is it possible that we’ve evolved so hard that people need to get to know us again? And that we may even need to get to know ourselves again? How do we make memories, get re-engaged, and create meaningful connections again?
It’s almost certain that after 24 straight months of disruption, the people on our teams and in our organizations need to get to know each other again and be reminded why we do what we do together.
When you engage your team through storytelling, you connect them to each other and to the bigger meaning and purpose of the work you do. Together, you can write a collective story of who you are, what you stand for, and how you’ll design a better future for the generations to come.
You, your team, and your organization have a story worth telling.
Call in the Story Squad
Need help finding Your Evolution Story (YES)? Whether you’re a solopreneur, team leader, or executive, our YES Story Squad can help you mine your individual and collective experience to see, shape, and share your story with the customers, communities, and collaborators who need to connect with you most.
