Building a Stronger Company Culture Through Storytelling
By: Simon D’Arcy
Originally published in Culture-Builder.com
Storytelling is the oldest form of culture building there is. In fact, before the written word, we would tell stories about ancestors, important events, and moments that highlight who we want to be, what we value, and what’s important in life and in the community. It is through stories that all of that important cultural information gets transmitted.
For leaders, telling a culture-building story is as simple as choosing a moment where you witnessed someone or a team express a company's value. Then, tell the story of that moment. Remember: It doesn’t have to be a big deal, a significant, extraordinary moment. Actually, some of the best culture-building stories are mundane moments seen through the culture lens.
How to tell a culture-builder story
To tell the story, you can use an advocacy storytelling format, a simple outline for your story.
Situation –What was the situation?
Challenge — What was the specific challenge?
Action — What did the person do to reinforce the culture?
Result –What was the impact? What specific value was reinforced?
Usually, the stories are a minute or two in the activity we do together. Each time I go to a company, they tell stories both in small groups and in front of a larger group. There’s inspiration in the room, and people get a palpable sense of the company values, whereas before they told the story to the community, the values were just words on a whiteboard.
For example, at this company I partnered with, someone told the story of their mentor and manager, a mom of four who had taped her kid’s artwork on her laptop. Her colleague took pictures of the artwork and created stickers, upgrading the quality of her kid’s art on her laptop and gifted them to her with a card of appreciation for her mentoring. The manager was touched and grateful. This story reinforced their company's value of delighting people and customers.
Use storytelling to elevate your company culture
Here are some ways that you can use this ritual of telling stories about when the group is meeting their own cultural aspirations in your everyday life at work:
Make it part of a weekly check-in by saying, “Who has a story about…?”
Use it while you’re onboarding new employees
Use it as a way of giving appreciation during one-on-one meetings
Appreciate moments when you see a person expressing a company value and use it as an example of what you want more of
Telling positive culture-building stories is so much easier and more pleasant than policing people into culture-building. That’s because what we pay attention to expands. What we focus on and appreciate reinforces the behaviors and values we want to see more of.
Stories about people we work with inspire and challenge us to improve, creating a positive feedback loop.
If you’re committed to fostering a stronger, more positive company culture and propelling your leadership journey to new heights, contact our team HERE to learn more about how we can support your organization’s culture development.