There are stories about your company or organization just waiting to be discovered and shared with your employees, consumers, members, and others who would love to hear them.
But few people will ever know about them unless you become a story-miner, uncovering your company’s gems and depositing them in your story bank for future use.
How do you go about that?
By talking to people and asking them what they’re working on. Listen, inquire, find out more, and then keep your stories accessible and retrievable for use at a moment’s notice.
You probably hear a great story every day at your organization. Often it’s in one ear and out the other unless you write it down.
One of the great stories we captured while working in internal communications at Nike was about an employee at the company’s European headquarters who freelanced as an electronica DJ at an Amsterdam nightclub. Not only was she following her passion, but she was gathering consumer insights, which she brought back to her job. Nike employees loved the story (employees love to learn about each other), plus it underscored an important Nike Maxim: “Be a sponge.”
Great stories stick in our minds. We remember the emotionally charged accounts of people who’ve overcome tremendous odds, the acts that led to a particular advancement, or the development of a person’s character through the opportunities they were given.
How can you mine for story gems to help shape your next product, marketing campaign, or internal communications?
Ask
Kick off every staff gathering by asking each other, “What’s the best story you’ve heard recently about a client who was thrilled, an employee who did something amazing, or a consumer insight?” When the pandemic is over, join people at lunch, or walk down the hall in the morning when people are settling in at their desks.
Listen
Who haven’t you heard from? Are you regularly speaking with people who don’t look like you and/or are from backgrounds that differ from yours? What about introverts who need time to speak? They may need gentle prompting for insights. Listen carefully.
Dig Further
Ask people to tell you their stories. Reflect back to them what you’ve heard. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. What’s interesting and unique about this story to them? To you? What insights emerge from the story?
Document Great Stories
In a text, in a voice memo, in Evernote. No matter the place, make sure to document the story. Even a few words or sentences can help jog your memory down the road.
Create a Story Bank
Create an email address where employees can send stories. Send a quarterly internal survey. Create a folder on a shared drive or a Google Doc to track them. Add stories regularly.
Share Your Stories
Establish a culture of storytelling. Share great stories at every gathering. Create a storytelling event. Have MothWorks come teach a storytelling workshop. Tell your communications and marketing teams about your story. Pull out stories from your bank and use them in your next marketing campaign, employee talk, conversation with a stakeholder, or social media post. Reward the best stories and storytellers.
And be relentless about discovering more gems.