When the Story is Up For Grabs

Once a month, Storied hosts a private forum for senior executives that are driving innovation and leading transformation (our clients and friends). This always a lively cross-sector discussion with leaders from companies including Google, Facebook, Dolby, Visa, Roche, Anthem, and NASA. 

Every time we convene our Monthly Leadership Dialogue, we facilitate an interactive conversation around communicating what matters in the face of disruption and change. Needless to say, there's been plenty to talk about...

I wanted to share 3 narrative strategies that surfaced from our latest session that may benefit you regardless of your leadership position or organization.

1: Good news - change is on your side

You've been trying to drive innovation or lead transformation for years. Never have we lived in a more receptive climate for new ideas. Digital transformation has accelerated 10 years in 6 months. Change is here, and while none of us asked for it, how do we respond to it? Nobody is going to argue with you about the need for change (as long as the change you are describing offers a clear payoff). Business as usual is no longer the de-facto hard to move reality.

We've all been disrupted. When the world changes, you have to change your story. This means your people, customers, and stakeholders are more receptive than ever to your new ideas. Are you giving them a story worth telling?

Key questions that apply this narrative:

• What are the "new ways of working" that are essential and "must have"?
• How is this new reality a chance to reimagine the what / how / why?
• What new opportunities and possibilities come with disruption?

2: Fill the vacuum - the story is up for grabs

In a more remote, distributed work environments - it means you have to communicate more, rather than less. You don't have the same informal communications channels you had in a physical office space. People are working behind screens and increasingly isolated on a day to day basis. Your people need to feel more connected to a sense of purpose and intrinsic motivation than ever before. Because they don't have the office space to get themselves pumped up or in the headspace to be productive for 8 hours a day. Instead, they're likely dealing with greater demands and stress, with less clarity and confidence of what lies ahead. As a leader your people don't have the same visibility or access to information that you do. So the reassurance or confidence you may have is not universally felt. What you might take for granted, is the story that everyone needs to hear. If you're not telling the story someone else is going to tell it for you. How are you filling the vacuum?

Key questions that apply this narrative:

• Who do you need to be communicating with more often? Thru what channels?
• How might you host a regular forum for people (office hours, all hands, AMAs)?
• How might you send out more leadership comms updates / state of the unions?

3 - Reinforce the positive - celebrate what's working

We're all trained to point out the problems; what's broken, or needs to be fixed. Rather than celebrate what's right, what's working, and what's possible. What are 5 things to celebrate that reinforce to your people things to feel good about? What gives you faith in the future? If you are driving innovation or transformation — odds are you've already been investing in areas for a few years that NOW matter more than ever. Remind people of this collective foresight, of how smart you all were in investing ahead of the curve. And how you are positioned to capitalize on this accelerated pace of change. Now is an opportunity to simply 2x, 5x, or 10x your commitment to building the future, faster. 

Key questions that apply this narrative:

• What are 5 things you can celebrate with your team?
• What big bets from the past matter even more now for the future?
• What's an enduring truth at the core of your business / value prop?

Re-framing the Narrative: Requires Meeting the Moment

Which of these three big narrative strategies resonates most with you? How are you helping your org keep its eye on the prize and its head above water? Would love to hear in the comments.

For our next convening on October 21, we'll be discussing the upcoming U.S. election, and how can leaders communicate an inclusive and hopeful message to their team, division, or company during a time of such divisiveness. DM if you're an innovative corporate leader (and would like an invite).