Blog #96: How to make your stories the world go round? - 3 must-haves

When you hear air bed, you think ... AirB&B? When you hear wooden toys, you think... Lego? When you hear living in space, you think... Elon Musk? When you hear garage in Seattle, you think... Jeff Bezos?????????

Stories make the world go round. Stories connect with people. Stories link to our emotions. Stories visualise our message.

And stories are easy to remember.

• What is the story of your company? What is the story of your founder?
• What is the story behind your logo? What is the story of your customers?

Storytelling is an art on its own but any great story has these three things for sure:

1. The story has an important human touch: the CEO who reveals a vulnerable part of his/her identity, his/her private life is so much stronger than the CEO just who brings a clean corporate story.

2. The story is authentic: it is a real story, a true story, uniquely lived by the person who is telling the story or authentically linked to the company the story is about.

3. The story contributes to the message the storyteller wants to bring: the story supports the key message, makes it tangible, it visualises that message. The story makes clear what the company stands for, what values are important, what type of people can thrive in this business, etc.

Here is an example: part of the founding story of Starbucks by Howard Schultz who grew the business from a small coffee bean producer into the global coffeehouse?empire it is today. It proves the strength of all these three aspects. It has a human touch, it is authentic and it contributes to the message he wants to bring (Source: https://www.howardschultz.com/my-story/):

"In 1983, I was on a business trip to Italy when I walked into an Italian café and tasted my very first espresso. I was captivated by the beverage, the barista who prepared it and the romance of the café atmosphere. At the time Starbucks stores only sold whole bean coffee and had no seating. I had a vision of creating speciality coffee stores that integrated the romance of espresso and provided a place for the community."

"I never set out to build a global business. I set out to build the kind of company that my father never had a chance to work for. One that treats all people with dignity. The image of my father immobile on the couch, after his accident, stayed with me. So did the fear of not having healthcare. Not long after he passed away, in 1988, Starbucks became one of the first companies in America to give health insurance to all its employees—including part-time workers, a benefit that was unheard of at the time, especially in retail."

What use could this blog do for you when you are desperately looking for more candidates for your vacancies?

Next to creating your founding story, storytelling is also extremely useful when you post a job opportunity. You can describe the appealing future of the applicant by sharing a story describing 'A day in the life of <the job title of your vacancy>' based on the reality within your company, also here being authentic is a must. When the job candidate recognises him/herself in your story, (s)he will apply.

Tell your stories, so that people can connect with your message and act upon it.

This is?my?96th?blog?to inspire you, decision-maker in the hiring process, to attract and keep the talent you need to grow your business, now, and in the future. For you to see how you can become a treasure hunter.

Now, it is your turn.?Please answer the questions below:

What story will you start writing after reading this mail?

Thanks a lot for reading till the end and I am looking forward to reading your reactions.??

Sharing is caring, so if you believe?this?blog?might be beneficial for other people within your network, please feel free to share this blog with them or tag them below. I appreciate it??

Would you like to know more about how to write a storytelling based job ad? Do leave a comment below and I will set up a call with the first 3 people who react, so that we can assess the challenges you currently have, what you would like to achieve and if I can help you with that.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Enjoy your treasure hunt journey!

Katherina?

Co-Wings, Using Everybody's Wings to Fly!

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About?Katherina Swings

An inspirational?connector, a multi-lingual?contributor?with international (working and living) experience, an inspirational speaker, a seasoned HR person with two decades of corporate experience, an experienced change?manager?with business savvy, a creative?writer, a certified professional?learning facilitator, a certified inclusive leadership trainer, a certified employer brander, a?multi-cultural networker, an active?listener…

My?vision?is to create a positive world by connecting people who discover each other’s strengths.

My?mission?is to support?10 000 managers worldwide to become (more) in-clusive.

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Below????????????you will find?my?95 previous blogs??????????????Let me know your feedback after reading them!?