How do you craft a compelling story to convey your company vision and strategy to new hires?

1 Why stories matter

Stories are powerful tools for communication and learning. They can help you explain complex ideas, create memorable impressions, and build trust and rapport. Stories can also motivate and influence your audience by appealing to their values, emotions, and aspirations. When you tell a story, you're not just sharing information, you're inviting your listeners to join you on a journey.

2 How to structure your story

A good story has a clear beginning, middle, and end, and follows a basic arc of challenge, choice, and outcome. To apply this structure to your company's vision and strategy story, start with a surprising fact, provocative question, or personal anecdote that relates to your company's vision and strategy; this will grab your audience's attention. Then explain the problem or opportunity that your company is facing or pursuing to set the context and the stakes for your story. Show how your company decided to address the challenge with a specific strategy to reveal its values, goals, and priorities. Highlight the results or impact of your company's strategy to demonstrate its achievements, challenges, and learnings. Finally, invite your audience to join you in pursuing your company's vision and strategy to inspire them to take action and feel part of the story.

3 How to deliver your story

Once you have your story structure, you need to deliver it in a way that engages and resonates with your audience. For this, it is important to use simple and clear language, avoiding jargon and technical terms. Include vivid and concrete details to show, not tell, your story. Use sensory and emotional descriptions, examples, and anecdotes to bring your story to life. Humor and emotion can also help make your story entertaining and relatable. To emphasize key points and connect with your listeners, use gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, variations in pitch, volume, and pace. However, avoid being too stiff, monotone, rushed or overly dramatic.

4 How to practice your story

Before you share your story with new hires, it is important to practice it until you feel confident and comfortable. To do so, you can write it down in full sentences or bullet points in order to organize your thoughts and refine your language. Additionally, record yourself telling your story aloud to hear how you sound and identify areas for improvement. It is also beneficial to get feedback from a colleague, a friend, or a mentor to gain a different perspective and address any gaps or errors. Finally, practice your story several times until you can tell it smoothly, naturally, and confidently in order to overcome any nervousness and deliver your story effectively.