| The Power of Story Telling by Trevor Gay
Originally published in the April 2004 Issue of Link & Learn. 
Sometimes I have been glued to a story told by someone - my concentration has been total. In more reflective moments, I think about the process I have been through. How is it that:
- I remember the story almost word for word - without rehearsing?
- I create pictures in my head from a story?
- I can relate the story to another context and use it to transmit a message?
I am not suggesting that everyone learns through stories, or that stories are the best or only way of learning. Stories are simply one of many methods of teaching and learning - but it is interesting to muse that before the written word was invented, all information was passed on orally.
Arguably, the oldest skill in the communications book of tricks is the spoken word. With the words we speak, there is no electronic spell check or grammar check. When we are talking, we don't think about left or right justified. So perhaps we are more 'on the spot' with our spoken word. There's little wonder that many like to think carefully before opening their mouths to speak - there's little wonder equally, that many regret speaking without thinking first. The power of the spoken word is immense.
Some have the ability to deliver a story in such a compelling way that we never forget it. I cannot recall a page of text from my Physics lessons at school - but I can probably recall, almost word for word, some of the stories my teachers told to me - twenty or thirty years ago.
Tom Peters talks about the under-estimated power of story telling in the organisational world. But I believe that we are beginning to appreciate the value of story telling in the realm of organisational management and leadership.
Below are some valuable thoughts about story telling and its relationship to effective management and leadership -- and how things get done:
- Story telling touches emotions and presses the right buttons for a listener. It is a very effective way of prompting a response and thereby creating discussion. Additionally, a story can be a vehicle to transmit a potentially sensitive message.
- Told well, stories create pictures… a picture saves a thousand words… hence, stories are an efficient, as well as effective, communication method.
- At school some lecturers were "teachers" and some were "evangelist teachers." While the teachers were probably very competent in their subject, the evangelists were the ones who made learning interesting and enjoyable. Part of the evangelist's repertoire was usually the ability to "make it real" by telling a story.
- Things often get done in organisations in what is called "by the way" time -- those conversations in the coffee making room when the Chief Executive bumps into the Director of Finance and the conversation starts with "By the way…" This may not be story telling from a purist's perspective but "by the way" time is ad-hoc, informal and unplanned chat… usually of the same nature as story telling.
- How many times have you attended a course or a conference where what you remember of the speaker is the anecdote or the story rather than the technical information they imparted in their half-hour of glory at the podium? More often, it is the story telling or the anecdote that is remembered.
- Story telling can dissect very complex situations by providing a context that the listener can relate to. For instance when I ask a colleague in our finance team to explain some complicated financial issue to me in simple terms I usually ask for a 'Noddy' Guide ["Noddy" was a British television puppet character many years ago, who was generally regarded as quite a simple being and as such, things had to be explained very simply for Noddy to understand]. This not only makes the subject interesting - it invariably means relaying the information in a 'story type' way.
- In healthcare, because patients tend to say it as it really is, their story telling is one way of getting services to change. There is nothing as powerful as a patient's story and many believe it is far more effective than a formal audit -- patients' stories are an untapped lever for change.
- The "rational school" of management will argue that stories are subjective, while management is about objectivity. I would say that there is a place for both in many management issues in the UK's healthcare system, NHS ( National Health Service), because:
- The NHS is labour intensive, employing 1.3 million staff, accounting for 60% of revenue.
- People have strengths, weaknesses and frailties.
- People are not necessarily always predictable and rational.
- The circumstances we operate in are dynamic.
All of these suggest that a rational, logical approach will not always fit - we need some "subjective atmosphere" occasionally so that, when the need arises, we can act by the seat of our pants and by natural instinct, trusting only our hearts. The use of story telling will prove to be important at these times.
With these thoughts in mind, it is important that we leverage the power of story telling in the world of management. It is one of the most powerful tools that a manager can utilize, and if used sensibly, wisely and sparingly it can prove a most effective way of:
- Getting your message across;
- Inspiring others;
- Spreading your message; and
- Making work an interesting place to be.
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Trevor Gay has spent his career working in healthcare in the United Kingdom. Originally trained in healthcare administration, he moved on to become a successful operational manager in a variety of healthcare settings. Trevor completed his MA Management (Health Care) 1996-98 at the University of Plymouth in the UK. His dissertation, "Leadership in Practice," explored leadership from the perspectives of family doctors in the English National Health Service. Trevor continues to develop his interest and research in leadership. He also has an interest in change management and team development. Trevor has recently undergone an in-depth training course on Team Coaching that supports his team coach role to health care teams. Contact: Telephone: +44 (0)1803 210913; e-mail: trevor.gay@torbay-pct.nhs.uk.
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