When we think of storytelling, the image that immediately comes to mind is a group gathered around a campfire and listening raptly to one among them narrating stories. These stories we imagine are of the wonders of the world, of adventures in faraway places and of creatures that we didn’t know exist outside our imagination.
Well, this could be the earliest form of storytelling and it continues to exist even in modern life in many different ways. Presidents make speeches, YouTubers make videos, mystics share their wisdom using new technology that reach millions instead of the handful of people that gathered around campfires.
But storytelling doesn’t happen only through a narrator. Stories can be narrated in thousands of ways, and some of the most effective ones we do not even realise are stories. That is how symbols and rituals are used in storytelling.
You can power your communication, motivate your team or even get people to join you on your grand vision using storytelling that makes use of symbols and rituals. Here are a few examples that I have documented, consider them as thought-starters.
Empty chairs in meetings at Amazon:
It is said that in the early days of the multi-billion dollar company, every meeting would have an empty chair. Not that these empty chairs were in the meetings by chance. There was a deliberate exercise of leaving a chair empty in every meeting.
I could have never guessed why. The reason is pretty interesting and shows the genius of the founder. Bezos wanted to make customer-centricity the mantra at Amazon since day one. And the empty chair, so to speak, was the seat at the table for THE customer.
It was meant to remind team members that they needed to focus on the user/customer and bring his/her voice into the meetings, discussion and decisions. I think it also ensured that Amazon employees developed more empathy towards the customer. Inculcating this mission meant that despite growing in size, Amazon has become faster.
All the perks that we enjoy as Amazon users probably can be tracked back to the mantra of the founder and the effective way in which he communicated it to his employees. The empty chair at the table is one such effective method in my opinion.
This example should probably make us think how is it that we can bring our company’s motto and values to life. How can we go beyond the mission and vision statement that lie in dusty manuals that are never used?
Bill Gates and his Ted-ed talk with Mosquitoes:
Back in 2013, Bill Gates opened a jar filled with Mosquitoes bang in the middle of his Ted-ed talk. “There is no reason why only poor people should have this experience”, he said with a smile.
The audience was in splits.
He mentioned that the mosquitoes were not infected. But he had managed to take a distant, and probably even boring, problem and brought it closer to the audience. It is a good example of both, the use of props and an element of surprise.
We have many such opportunities while running our businesses and startups. Think of how you can build a prop, symbol or ritual into motivation, reward or mission.
Chicago Bulls and goodbyes:
If you love Michael Jordan, basketball and great stories then ‘The Last Dance’ on Netflix is essential viewing. As a storytelling enthusiast, their star coach Phil Jackson and his coaching methodologies were a revelation for me. It included a lot of spirituality and storytelling.
The way he got the team to say goodbye to one another was even more special.
After the team won their sixth championship in 1998, they got together and Phil asked each team member to write what the team meant to them on a piece of paper. Steve Kerr read out a poem he had written about the team. It was also one of those rare instances that other team members got to see the emotional side of Michael ‘Black Jesus’ Jordan.
And after that, the notes were put into a coffee can and burnt. It was a powerful way to help team members move on from this successful and challenging phase of their lives.
Just got me thinking about how we could tactics like these organisations and teams which are undergoing change or transformation.
Grandma’s pancakes and high profile case of corporate fraud.
Richard Scrushy and the case of corporate fraud against him was the most high profile legal battle of its kind in American history. There were 85 counts against him of cooking books, unethical practices and gross misreporting of facts & numbers. Netflix’s recent docuseries ‘Trial By Media’ sheds light on how his lawyers managed to pull off the impossible, that is getting him acquitted.
You must watch it, it’s an interesting case of how storytelling can achieve the seemingly impossible.
What stuck with me was Jim Parkman(Scrushy’s attorney) and his line. While opening the case he said, “my grandma used to tell me no matter how thin they make a pancake, it’s still got two sides.”
The prosecution’s opening was long, boring and number oriented. Parkman, in contrast, immediately got the attention of the judges, jury and even the media with his simple yet relatable story.
It drove home the point that Scrushy was the underdog and he had a story that everyone outta listen to.
Now people may or may not have understood numbers involved in the fraud, but everyone sure understood what a pancake was. This opening story was vital in giving Scrushy a chance to have his side of the story heard in the case.
Mascots and the stories they tell.
A great way of symbolic storytelling is to get your brand a mascot.
In many cases, they work because they personify your brand values and purpose. They are also sticky and help audiences identify with your brand. And while the official spokesperson may change, mascots can continue to be the face of the brand as long as audiences like them.
The best example of a mascot that most of us relate with is Ronald McDonald, the clown mascot of the most successful fast-food chain in the world.
I remember Delhi Metro’s Girl from my frequent trips on the Yellow line that would take me to Gurgaon from my rented apartment in Central Delhi. HDFC bank’s website has an AI-powered assistant called ‘Eva’.
While mascots help you tell your story better and also power your marketing, they need to actually personify the brand and have people like them. In some cases, they may not be to your audience’s liking and create more problems than solving them.
These are a few examples of the use of symbols and rituals in storytelling. If we put our minds to it, our communication at work and in business can be made more effective through use of storytelling.
If you want to brainstorm on how storytelling can help your investor pitch, marketing, sales or even employee communication, feel free to reach out to me on Linkedin or Twitter. I will be happy to help.
