How can storytelling be used to highlight underrepresented voices?

I believe that stories connect us all, and it can be a great tool for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Stories help us understand perspectives outside of our own, and this bridge can make it easier for people to appreciate the unique perspective that others bring to a team. Storytelling for DEI is one of the most impactful workshops that I have ever facilitated!

Storytelling is an incredibly potent tool for forging fast connections with others. It is amazing that I can use the power of my own story to ignite inspiration in others and spark personal growth. My focus always revolves around crafting messages that motivate individuals to reach their full potential and become the exceptional leaders they were destined to be. This mission is especially vital because it empowers people to shed the burden of negative self-perceptions and self-limiting stories they may have internalized.

Storytelling helps with two important core needs in people: connection and acceptance. Tell an authentic story, connect with each individual in your audience, and they will accept you and your message more readily. Even, or especially, if you come from opposite ends of opinion.

Storytelling is as old as time. We loved listening to mothers, aunties and grannies telling us stories of all sorts, representing plights of people of all walks of life. We learned from them, we were fascinated by them and we continue to relay them to our children to instill in them values, and compassion towards others. As much as storytelling is beneficial in business settings to motivate and inspire, as much as we should use them to shed light on agonies, bias, discrimination and injustice, and lend our voices to those who need to have their stories told, whatever the medium. Stories are powerful.

My little daughter told me a story the other day. She told me at school the teacher read her a book about these kids who went to school and couldn’t leave, they never got to see their parents again, that they were cold and hungry, and they were very sad. As she was speaking I realized she was talking about residential schools and that this story wasn’t a fairy tale it was a real story. Instantly, tears pricked the back of my eyes because this sweet child was heartbroken for these children, because of a story she was told. Because when we hear stories from underrepresented voices we can see ourselves in their story and we can feel their pain. When you FEEL someone's story your perspective changes and your passion can fuel change.

Storytelling is an art, but it is also a science. Designing a story to both inform and connect on an emotional level has been part of the human experience for thousands of years. As you plan to use your personal stories to cross cultural boundaries, investigate how this was done successfully. Begin with choosing whether your story is one with either a happy ending or a tale of what not to do.

Your own story is the best to share because its real authentic , has a lot of meaning for you ... how you turned the pain into passion to keep progressing. When I started my first public speaking - the story was about how to rise like a phoenix from the ashes ... that was my story ... I was on round zero - with no job, no career , no future as how my exleader told me ... we do not need your seniority ... it really crushed me but I used the pain to tell story and keep progressing .... as it was a true story of rising which many can relate to . Always start with your own story of why you want to do what you do ... and the rest will keep flowing ! - Keep being real!.

Think about this when you choose an example for your presentation. No-one needs to hear another story about how Albert Einstein was bad at school and went on to win a Nobel prize. We’ve heard it a hundred times. Instead, go for more diverse stories, more surprising anecdotes. Storytelling podcasts such as “The Moth” or “This American Life” are a treasure trove of stories from all manner of people.

Storytelling allows us to see different perspectives, to feel different perspectives and believe Because can you ever disbelieve another's story? Why would you when you haven't experienced it? Stories also carry insights and lessons than we can use to address underrepresented needs You can share a story about the mainstream or status quo and count who is missing and interrogate what it's like to not be at the table amd ask who has felt this way before? Ask them to share. That will be powerful.

Each of us has a unique story to tell. The story encapturing the depth of our experiences about: where we came from, what we have been through, lessons we have learnt along the way and how they enriched us as individuals the way we are now and the values we cultivate in our lives. Some of those stories are deeply hidden and need time to evolve and come to the surface in the process of meaning making. Sometimes that process takes time as it is also a process of healing and understanding own truth and how it relates to other people' experiences..

My friend runs a charity that supports marginalized women from black and other minority ethnic groups. She applied for funding for a story telling project. I sent a video application telling the single story of a woman and how the funding would help her to tell her story through funding and the learning activities would help her to write her story, improve her confidence, learn story telling techniques and share her story. Next week, she is representing to a group of people in Corporate. Isn't this some story? And I will be interviewing one of the women soon to see how the project helped them.

I led a TEDx in my local community for many years and one of the most important lessons I learned from TED was the power of stories. One of the reasons TED talks resonate so well with us is that they all aspire to one thing: evoke emotion. It might be fear, love, humor or awe or something else. I don't think it really matters which emotion it sparks in the audience. The fact that it does makes it engaging and memorable. So, when thinking about telling a story, tell it from that perspective. It's powerful.

The most impactful stories are those that are relatable, and really let you step into the narrator's shoes. I recently read a very powerful story of a woman sharing her experience dealing with harassment in a public setting, a cafe. In this story, she told of an experience that women everywhere can relate to. She spoke of how she was able to stand strong and speak out not only against this man's behavior, but also of those in the cafe who witnessed this and did nothing to help her. She spoke of her anger and strength, and made a call upon the public, both men and women, to do better and not tolerate harassment. It was powerful, emotional, and ended with a call to action. That's how you tell a good story.

Story telling is a gift like writing. Writers can write a good story but not all writers are good at speaking and not all speakers are writers. They are seperate gifts and both take practice, and some need more practice than others. We can start practicing in a mirror, any where and any time we are alone, making edits in a video, or start over by taking many takes like they do in movies. The more we practice speaking and listening to oursleves the better we become. We can also practice in front of family or close freinds to get feed back before we make a webinar or book a personal speaking engagment.

Transparency is the key to creating stories with impact! As they say real recognizes real. Sharing your authentic truth in a meaningful way resonates with others.

Confidence is not something you learn, it is something you develop by taking a chance, starting a new thing, and executing the idea. We often have a fear of the unknown, and when we operate in spite of that fear we begin to develop the confidence to do it again, and again until it becomes natural.

The best approach through which I have renewed my confidence and passion is to spend some time with those real people I'm telling the stories about, within the few days preceding my storytelling session. These meetings and conversations have reinforced my thinking, given me new perspectives and narratives for session. The recency of the conversations makes it much easier for me to try to picture their faces and reflect their emotions while telling their stories. And my audience can see and feel it too, through me.

When you're passionate about a topic, you work to learn everything you can about it until some consider you an expert. To deliver stories with confidence, become the expert by bringing your passion for the topic into your speech/presentation. People can see your body language, facial expressions and hear the excitement in your voice. Not only will you feel energized, but the positive body language of your audience will reflect back to you, providing you with the reinforcement you need to feel confident.

Delivering stories with confidence really boils down to two critical pieces: Preparation & Integrity. Preparation: It's often said that success is most probably when preparation meets opportunity. Your audience deserves your best- invest the time to prepare. Integrity: Does the meaning or the intent behind that story hold true to your personal values. Henry Ford famously said, "Whether you believe you can or can't, you're right." Believing in your story and adequate preparation is fine recipe for a masterpiece that can change lives.

Bring your full self to the story! This can include your humor. Many TED talks use humor to connect with their audience, even if it is a business topic. You can do this building up to a funny image, mentioning a whacky observation about our everyday experiences, or using quotes and vocal inflections to reference a conversation.

First you must be clear of what you want to deliver in your story. Have a structure , ensure you are clear of your delivery in the story line. Why are you doing this ? You are passionate about representing the underrepresented community . Focus on the perseverance , resilience , motivation to rise above all . Focus on what change you can bring if you can relay the message for this people through your story . Do not panic! You should only panic if you have no clue why you are doing this. Be clear and be genuine .

Avoid confusion or boredom: Keep your story clear and engaging. Don’t make it too complex or too simple. Balance the story elements, such as characters, plot, setting, and theme. Avoid irrelevance or inauthenticity: Make your story relevant and honest. Don’t make it irrelevant or inauthentic to your audience or your purpose. Choose a story that connects with your audience and shows your credibility and personality.

You can start by reading books like "The Science of storytelling" by Will Storr or watching a MasterClass like "The Art of storytelling" by Neil Gaiman. Also reading and listening to lots of stories. You will find slowly what you like and what you don't, which stories are good and which stories are not. And then you will be able to tell if your story is great, and what you need to do to make it greater.

Two of the most impactful events that I’ve learned from were local Moth events (they also have a podcast!) and Toastmasters clubs. I especially love Moth Story Jams because hearing the personal stories from people who look so different from ourselves reminds us that we are all connected.

Stories are ALL around us, but they require us to upskill a vital part of out communication skills to access them - our capacity to LISTEN. Very rarely do I look for stories outside of my circle of friends, family, clients and strangers I speak to in my day to day. I make a concerted effort to ask questions, to stay curious, to connect, and to listen - there are so many amazing stories to be discovered, and often they are closer than we think!

You can read the article How Sharing Our Stories Builds Inclusion by Selena Rezvani and Stacey A. Gordon, which explains how storytelling can create awareness, connection, empathy, and mutual respect in the workplace. The article also provides tips on how to avoid common pitfalls in storytelling, such as generalizations, assumptions, appropriation, and misrepresentation. You can explore the journal article Educate, Empower, Advocate: Amplifying Marginalized Voices in a Digital Society, which discusses how digital technologies can be used to create multiple versions of public and empower marginalized voices. The article also provides examples of digital storytelling projects that promote social justice and civic engagement.

What I also find effective is inviting people to journey with me. It is an imagined story that I have created for them to know how it feels like, have empathy for this imagined story and the character within it. I find this type of approach cuts across different perspectives and cultures because everyone connects with a character and imagine themselves Imagine a day when Talk about the whole day as though it was how they would like their whole life amd highlight the issue using all sorts of modalities and sensory effect so it creates an emotional response Then I would ask the audience again to imagine when the character is living a different life, the one that is truly theirs People begin to have thoughts about themselves

I had a student whose poetry beautifully captured her experiences searching for ways to be valued in a community that valued STEM over artistic endeavors. She expressed that she often felt unheard in her life at home and at school. She decided to start sharing her work online, and she found fairly quickly that her words resonated with people worldwide. Through storytelling, Maya found her voice, and saw how art amplified the voices of others facing similar struggles, fostering empathy and unity in other communities. Her journey underscores how storytelling empowers underrepresented voices to help create lasting positive change often beyond the world where they have overcome challenges.

I talk to many audiences about presenting to senior management and the C-Suite. When I talk about a CEO / CXO then I always use She/Her to challenge the dominant narratives. It’s a small thing but you’d be amazed at how it has impact.

Leverage Design Thinking for Better Storytelling ?? Design Thinking isn't just for product design; it's a tool for impactful storytelling too! Let’s look at the stages of #designthinking in the context of storytelling: 1. Empathize: Understand your audience. What do they care about? Step into their shoes. 2. Define: Clearly outline the message or insight you want to share. 3. Ideate: Brainstorm different ways to tell the story. Experiment with formats and mediums. 4. Prototype: Create a rough draft or storyboard. Visualize the narrative flow. 5. Test: Share your story with a small group. Gather feedback and refine. Storytelling, like design, thrives on empathy and iteration. Design Thinking can help craft stories that resonate!