5 Best Practices of Storytelling in L&D

You would agree with me that the stories have been around forever. We all have had our favourite bedtime stories which we used to hear over and over again and we might still remember a few.  The art of storytelling is centuries old. Ancient cultures used these to pass on traditions and wisdom to the subsequent generations. Their influence has not waned, and stories still awaken a world of imagination, adventure and fantasy. Stories have a way of sticking with us. Whether it’s the book on our bedside table, an anecdote shared over a coffee, or the latest drama on a favorite TV serial or a movie, there’s something about a well-told story that captivates. Entertainment is just a secondary perk, though.

Storytelling is no longer limited to the theater, movies, literature and television; today, the corporate organizations are rekindling this ancient art to provide immersive and engaging learning experiences for their employees and its working pretty well. When we employ the technique in training, we’re looking to capitalize both benefits: spreading knowledge to learners while holding their attention and engaging their interest.

In corporate Learning & Development (L&D), storytelling is a medium that can be used in:

1. Onboarding training (introducing new employees to the company’s history, goals and visions)
2. Product training (the story behind the creation of a certain product and its uses, including testimonials)
3. Application training (the steps involved to move from point A to point B)
4. Life skills training (e.g., the consequences of poor leadership and how to rectify it?)

More important than the story itself is the role of the storyteller, because the extent to which a story influences learning depends on how well it is told. While storytelling is not a rocket science, there is an art to it. In this article, we will focus on the art of storytelling and its best practices:

1. Use it as the Course & Objectify

Storytelling can be the prime mode of conducting training, or it can be used as one of the many mediums incorporated in a course. You can use stories in case studies, branching scenarios, games and videos. This keeps the learners engaged and improves the learning experience. Also, without a learning objective, storytelling is merely a narration, with nothing to learn. Start with a business story, and then sneak in an objective that learners must accomplish.

2. Follow the traditional Method

There is a common thread in all stories. They begin with an exposition that sets the stage and introduces the characters and a conflict, followed by a series of events leading to the resolution, and finally the outcome. This way, the audiences get ready and tune in.

3. Create Suspense

As a training tool, stories gratify our instinctive curiosity to know how an event unfolds, a problem is solved, or steps are taken to complete a task successfully. Storytelling must create interest, anticipation and expectation that will in turn trigger engagement and participation in the learning process. This leads to meaningful learning, greater retention and immediate recall of information.

While mystery and suspense are an important part of storytelling, present the problem early in the story. Knowing the context will help the learner stay focused and gather the information and knowledge required to solve the problem, indirectly helping the learner accomplish the learning objective.

4. Establish Connection 

Every story you tell must be relevant to learners and resonate with them. Adults learn only when information is aligned with, and can provide a solution to, a pressing business problem or information they are expected to know.

Always remember that storytelling in the corporate context is not exactly like the bedtime stories. You don’t want them to sleep but during the process, the learners should be able to connect the dots and derive effective reasons as why the story was told in the first place. 

5. Use Detailed Imagery

Imagery adds an interesting dimension to an otherwise bland description. The more imagery the story uses, the easier it is for learners to identify with the characters and the plot. In works of fiction and nonfiction, writers use visuals, colors and senses – auditory, tactile and kinesthetic imagery. You can use the same tools for storytelling in corporate training.

In conclusion, it’s important to remember that we are first driven by emotion and then by rationality. Create stories that hit that sweet spot that stimulates emotion in your learners, and they will follow your story to the very end.

Final Word

Precisely, stories are an influencer’s best friend. People love stories, and they can inspire and motivate others when used effectively. Not only do stories serve the basic needs of communication, but they also add value to almost anything: yourself, your product, your brand, your training, your business. People typically want to know more about you before investing time in a relationship. Likewise, consumers like to hear the story of a product before they buy it.

So, the next time you go to a sales meeting or have a heart-to-heart with your best friend or a sibling, tell them a story that will make them stop in their tracks—because once you have them hooked, then you have the sell.

Learn how sometimes smaller things in our lives make huge impact and you can take some learnings on a personal and professional level by following me on LinkedIn and on our official website. Also follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Medium, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Muhammad Sajwani is the Founder, Managing Director and Principal Consultant at Evolve HR which aims at transforming, enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan, At Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders. As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.