This blog is a special request from my parents who were excited by the idea of storytelling today. The discussion had started around the frustration of someone talking without getting to the point of what they were saying. It is difficult to keep focused, well it is for me as my attention span narrows every day, when a story drifts. But how important is storytelling particularly in an era when we have fast moving social media?
Stories have been told as long as anyone can remember, and even before that. It is how we shared knowledge and experiences. There was plenty that could be learnt from others and elders were respected for their extensive experience. They can be shared verbally or for a chosen few through the words printed on a page.
We are still focused on storytelling today even though there are fewer books and more people using social media. If you look at social networks they are full of stories, what has happened to people, what they are doing, their hopes and fears. All these are stories about their lives and the knowledge and experience is being shared only it is being shared in a different way.
Communicators are trying to use storytelling to provide the most effective narrative about the product, company or organisation that they are representing. It is a way of truly connecting with either staff or people including customers if there is a consistent message that can be shared with clear explanation. The beginning, middle and end of a story provide a framework that everyone understands. I wonder why we don’t take more care to maximise storytelling within communication activity.
Storytelling is part of what makes us human. It is a sharing experience, much like I feel when I write this blog. Stories are an opportunity for us to connect to each other and hopefully in a productive way. I may be sharing experiences on a daily basis but I am also writing my own story, the story of my life.
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