Author: Alison Esse

How important is it to have executive alignment?

One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is about Executive team alignment. When we develop a company’s internal narrative, one of the most important outcomes is to have the Executive team speaking as one: ‘one team, one story, one voice’. If you have dissent amongst the top team, the narrative will not hold weight or have credibility as it travels through the organisation.

The first question to ask is why there’s concern about them being aligned behind the narrative in the first place. Of course, they’ll all have different perspectives; that’s normal, and our job at The Storytellers is to distill pages of conflicting views into a single, credible narrative (no mean feat, I can tell you). But there are times when universal buy-in can be difficult to achieve, and requires sensitive and careful facilitation and listening.

The uncomfortable truth is that sometimes leaders prefer to hide in muddy water, through fear of being ‘exposed’ or because of politics, where their personal agenda is threatened. This is where the power of our approach really comes into play. Giving each Executive a voice through a 1-1 session to solicit their input is an important part of the process. Facilitating a group conversation with skill, listening to objections and being able to read and respond to body language is essential to bring the potential blockers with you as the narrative develops. And encouraging boldness and honesty (the key to a believable narrative) about the weaknesses of and threats to the business – or even admission of not having ‘got it right’ or not having all the answers – will build trust, empathy and confidence in leaders. The stronger the antagonist in the story, the stronger its credibility. What’s not to like?

The power of the narrative is not simply the final output. It’s the process we take those leaders through – a process of continuous alignment alongside the iterations of the narrative. It’s how we achieve true buy-in, belief and ownership, which provides the rocket fuel needed to fire up the wider organisation. It’s also a great team-building exercise in its own right. And it’s why an artful narrative crafted by the communications department may not be as effective as one which has been co-created by the top team themselves.

We are incredibly proud of our track record in aligning Executive teams. The development of the narrative is often a cathartic process for them, even described as ‘therapy’ in many cases. Watching a once-sceptical team morph into one which is genuinely passionate about the story they’re about to share with their entire workforce is simply magic.

Storytelling: how to reset an organisation’s narrative to inspire change

In today’s VUCA world, where change is constant and where inspirational leadership has become a critical requirement for high-performing businesses, storytelling has become a recognised skill for leaders in organisations all over the world and in every industry sector.

Gone are the days of command-control leadership style. To attract and retain talent – and indeed customers – leaders need to be authentic, empowering, collaborative, involving, open to ideas and encouraging dialogue within their teams to solve complex problems and share best practice – be willing to change and go the extra mile to achieve key business objectives. 

In short, a business’s differentiator comes down to people: how they personify the brand through their actions and behaviours, how this builds corporate trust, customer acquisition and loyalty. 

And for leaders to win over their people – to bring them with them on a journey of uncertainty and change – they need to win hearts and minds; create meaning and purpose in the workplace. It’s not enough to connect people rationally to change. Leaders need to create an emotional connection in order to stimulate the energy and collective spirit needed to power their teams through challenging times, where change is embraced rather than seen as a threat. And yet winning hearts and minds is without doubt one of the hardest parts of change to achieve.

The Storytellers have worked with over 180 major organisations in a quest to find the most effective way of creating this emotional connection. Without doubt, storytelling has a major role to play here. But what exactly is it that makes storytelling so effective in persuading and energising individuals? What draws us to a story, and how exactly does it influence how we think, feel and act?

There are five key traits of a memorable and inspiring story, each of which can be applied to the world of business. Explore them in full by completing the form on this page.

Webinar: ‘Future of Food’ with Will Jennings – CEO, UK at Rabobank

We’re on the brink of a global food emergency, with consequences like nothing seen before in the last century. Despite more food being produced today than at any other time in history, to feed an anticipated global population of over 10 billion by 2050, our food system must tackle crucial challenges such as climate change, and get to grips with technological opportunities to make food production and distribution smarter and more efficient.

Rabobank, one of the largest food and agricultural banks in the world, is playing a decisive role in speeding up the global transition towards more sustainable food systems by taking a leading voice and supporting the F&A sector to navigate this rapidly changing landscape.

Will Jennings, is responsible for developing and delivering the UK strategy and operations of Rabobank. With over 15 years banking experience, he is passionate about transformation and digital innovation.

In our ‘Stories from the C-Suite’ series, we talk to C-suite leaders who we believe are expert storytellers about the challenges of leading through change and what the next stage in the journey is for them. In this latest episode, Will joined us to explore:

  • Critical challenges and threats to our global food system
  • How the global food crisis has come to drive Rabobank’s mission and purpose
  • Why storytelling and narrative are important to leaders looking to drive long-lasting change

Businesses that can respond to new demands on their sector or market will always be best equipped to navigate risks and have a healthy, profitable future. Furthermore, successful leaders will need to continue adjusting to recent seismic societal and economic shifts by staying nimble, flexible and creatively future-proofing their organisations.

This was a pertinent conversation packed with topical insights and key takeaways applicable to any sector.

Watch the webinar recording by entering your details.

Storytelling helps leaders navigate choppy waters

In our article, featured in The Times Future of Work supplement, we explain how inspirational leadership is a core requirement for high-performing businesses in 2021. Moreover, storytelling has become a recognised skill for leaders in organisations worldwide and every industry sector. To attract and retain talent – and indeed customers – leaders need to be authentic, empowering, collaborative, involving, open to ideas and encouraging dialogue within their teams to solve complex problems and share best practice. 

In short, a business’s differentiator comes down to its people: how they personify the brand through their actions and behaviours, how this builds corporate trust, customer acquisition and loyalty. 

And for leaders to win over their people – to bring them with them on a journey of uncertainty and change – they need to win hearts and minds; create meaning and purpose in the workplace. It’s not enough to connect people rationally to change. Leaders need to create an emotional connection in order to stimulate the energy and collective spirit needed to power their teams through challenging times, where change is embraced rather than seen as a threat. And yet winning hearts and minds is without doubt one of the hardest parts of change to achieve.

What draws us to a story, and how exactly does it influence how we think, feel and act?

To read more out more about how the power and influence of storytelling can accelerate change and transform performance, and to get access to the full Raconteur Future of Work supplement published in The Times, fill in the form on this page.

‘Talking Talent’ with Alistair Cox – CEO, Hays plc

The pandemic, lockdowns and working from home have changed the way we work in unprecedented ways. As a part of our ‘Stories from the C-Suite’ webinar series, we spoke to Alistair Cox, CEO of Hays plc, about the world of work in a COVID environment. A trained aeronautical engineer with an MBA from Stanford and background spanning consultancy and strategic planning, with extensive time spent working in Asia, Alistair’s approach to recruitment is forward-thinking, unique and globally-minded. Forces of change are sweeping across the recruitment industry, and we wanted to know how Alistair is navigating this tumultuous, but also very exciting landscape, and what the future of recruitment looks like to him.

“Life does go on, just in a different way”

Alistair’s reflections on the pandemic reminded us that even in this moment of intense challenge, we can find positives. As a collective society, we are learning how to deal with COVID, as Alistair noted: “Life does go on, just in a different way.” Hays has used the time to reflect and recalibrate to build and grow the business. During the pandemic, the business has impressively put over 200,000 people into jobs and assignments worldwide. The business adapted to home-based working overnight and has kept its employees engaged, supported and aligned to the journey the company is on. 

Technology as an opportunity  

Another topic Alistair shed light on was around technology’s impact on the recruitment industry. Instead of fighting the rapid accelerations in technology, Hays has embraced change. Alistair reminded us that “technology gives us the tools to make humans better at what humans are good at.” For him, keeping human relationships at the heart of recruitment is essential. 

Indeed, Hays has been able to interact with millions during the pandemic through innovative new webinars which cover fascinating topics ranging from how to write a better CV, to career progression and how to achieve goals. These webinars have been a huge hit, and have affirmed just how relevant recruiters are in our current environment. Nearly every company is on a digital journey right now, and in the UK there is a huge skills mismatch due to a deficit of tech-qualified workers. Alistair rightly pointed out that training is desperately needed in this area so that candidates – both young and old – don’t miss out on the flourishing technology job market.

Culture change

How do we sustain or build company culture whilst working remotely? Alistair noted that we must use this time to pause, consider what we want to hold onto moving forwards, and decide which elements of culture we should leave behind. As culture is a living organism, it must evolve and adapt. This is the moment to shape culture and consider what you want your business to look like in five years’ time. 

“Urgency is the enemy of creativity” 

When asked about whether Alistair has has found any positives working from home, he shared some excellent hints and tips to staying productive, organised and motivated during this difficult period: 

  • Structure: put time in your diary between meetings to give time to your brain to process ideas 
  • Time: use your old commuting time and the reduction in daily workplace urgency to think more. He added that “urgency is the enemy of creativity” 
  • Fresh air: treat exercise and getting outdoors as if it is as important as a board meeting – to be a good leader you need to prioritise your own health 

This relevant and timely conversation reminded us that although the past year has been incredibly challenging for us all, there are important learnings that shouldn’t be missed. Unearth the opportunities and use this time to grow – businesses and individuals alike. 

If you missed the live event, you can catch up with our on-demand recording here.

Webinar: ‘Talking Talent’ with Alistair Cox – CEO, Hays plc

The pandemic, lockdowns and working from home have changed the way we work in unprecedented ways. In this episode of our ‘Stories from the C-Suite’ webinar series, we speak to Alistair Cox, CEO of Hays plc about the world of work in a COVID environment. A trained aeronautical engineer with an MBA from Stanford and background spanning consultancy, strategic planning and extensive time spent working in Asia; Alistair’s approach to recruitment is forward-thinking, unique and globally-minded. Forces of change are sweeping across the recruitment industry, and we wanted to know how Alistair is navigating this tumultuous, but also very exciting landscape, and what the future of recruitment looks like to him. 

In our ‘Stories from the C-Suite’ series, we talk to CEOs who we believe are expert storytellers about the challenges of leading through change and what the next stage in the journey is for them. 

We explored topics such as: 

  • The impact of the pandemic on the recruitment industry
  • How technology is shaping the future of work
  • What an optimal workplace culture looks like in a world of remote working and constant change 

The challenges created by the pandemic are showing no sign of slowing down. As it becomes clear that this crisis is changing how people live, work and spend their free time, successful business leaders will adjust to these seismic societal shifts by staying nimble, flexible and creatively future-proofing their organisations.

Watch this highly relevant conversation now by entering your details.

Webinar: ‘Talking Banking’ with Steven Cooper – CEO, C. Hoare & Co.

Watch the next episode in our ‘Stories from the C-suite’ webinar series, where we talked to Steven Cooper, CEO of the private bank C. Hoare & Co. His trajectory from a big banking behemoth with Barclays, to a smaller, private client bank gives him a unique insight into the evolution of banking. During our conversation, we explored how he has adapted to these different banking environments with their distinctive cultures. Simply fill in the details on this page to get access to the recording.

The challenges created by the pandemic are showing no sign of slowing down, and crises tend to accelerate change and innovation. As it becomes clear that this is changing how people live, work and spend their free time, successful business leaders will adjust to these seismic societal shifts by staying nimble, flexible and creatively future-proofing their organisations. 

In our ‘Stories from the C-suite’ series, we talk to CEOs who we believe are expert storytellers about the challenges of leading through change and what the next stage in the journey is for them. In this episode, Steven shared his insights into balancing a need to modernise to respond to customers ever-changing demands, while retaining a bespoke and unique banking experience rooted in a rich legacy of 350 years.

We covered topics such as:

  • The key to longevity, resilience and strength in banking to overcome major crises, including the pandemic 
  • The future of banking in the wake of COVID-19
  • What’s next as Steven’s next chapter at Aldemore, a new breed of challenger bank, begins in 2021

Watch this highly relevant conversation now by entering your details.

The power of connection: how to create a collaborative and resilient organisation

At The Storytellers, we believe that there has never been a more important time to unlock the power of connection. Our interest is not only why the power of connection is so vital, but also how it can be tapped into. 

Change – whether planned or unforeseen – can offer opportunities for collaboration, which in turn can help build a surge in energy and motivation. Connected organisations perform better, are more agile and resilient to future shocks.

Over 17 years and across our work with 180 companies, we’ve seen many examples of teams who have collaborated to achieve outcomes that were previously thought to be impossible. We have heard countless stories about what people are capable of achieving when they are tested and thrown into challenging circumstances. As humans, we have developed a remarkable ability to adapt. And when we collaborate, we are able to achieve outcomes that go beyond the capability of the individual.

We have found that is connection that acts as the key enabler and the driving force behind collaboration and collective intelligence. In today’s environment, with the radical shift towards remote-working, connection is being threatened like never before. What is at stake? Connection in all its forms: the relationship people and their leaders, a shared sense of purpose and collaborative working practices – to name but a few. 

We have identified the crucial steps leaders can take to mitigate these risks and unlock the power of connection. Now is the time to harness the opportunity of change and prepare for the future of work. 

Download our white paper in full by completing the form on this page, and reach out to us if you need guidance and support in connecting your organisation. 

Leading through adversity

As we enter into this period of cataclysmic change – sudden, unexpected, invisible, intangible and without doubt lasting – it’s a dismal picture for many businesses which are feeling the dramatic effect of coronavirus. 

The high street has already been in turmoil for some time now, with well-known UK brands such as Thomas Cook, Bhs, Dixons, Toys R Us and Staples falling by the wayside in recent years. It’s hard to imagine how businesses that were already severely struggling – and others in almost every industry sector – will recover, and there will be millions of employees all over the world wondering what their future will look like.

For many leaders, this environment presents a daunting task, but also an opportunity. 

It’s one thing to be a ‘good’ leader when times are good, but quite another during a crisis, and there will be many leaders who simply cannot deal effectively with the stress of uncertainty and the unknown. Today leaders have seen their teams rapidly become disconnected and fragmented as people are ordered to stay at and work from home –  their normal channels of communication and social interactions massively disrupted. Technology today will be a lifesaver in many respects, but without the comfort of a high-tech office conference suite or a production/IT support on-hand, the limitations of communicating from a single computer over a long period of time, isolated from supportive colleagues, will be a source of frustration for many. Varying speeds of broadband, the inevitable interruptions of family life in quarantine, different levels of tech capability, the monotony of looking at a screen all day, depleted teams through illness and the sense of isolation, loneliness and often emotional overload – all likely for an unknown period of time – will  be a huge test for both leaders and their teams alike.

A leader’s role is to motivate, engage, inspire, encourage and develop his or her team to maintain maximum productivity and performance. In times of crisis leaders often revert to command/control, task-oriented leadership – something which may come naturally to some, especially those who aren’t natural ‘people’ leaders. In this corona crisis, where fear, financial hardship, a sense of disconnection, isolation, anxiety and distraction will be experienced by many, leaders will need to show their human side to build trust and followship. Empathy, resilience, boldness, empowerment, transparency, honesty, humility, motivation, connection and the need to galvanise, engage and listen to their teams will be critical over a prolonged period of time. Great two-way communication – more than ever before – will create the glue to keep disparate groups in touch and performing at their best.

What is clear, once the initial period of firefighting and adjusting to the new situation has settled down, is that this could be an opportunity for many. Five immediate areas spring to mind:

1. Culture: many businesses are already going through a period of cultural transformation, driven by technology and new consumer behaviours. Now is the moment to rapidly accelerate a culture of flexibility, agile working and decision-making, skills-building, collaboration through robust networks, customer focus and digital capability. Even for non-client-facing teams, everyone has a role to play – something often overlooked by support functions. This period of heightened intensity in the way we work, act and behave can really crystallise culture at speed in a way that it may not have before. This is a cultural opportunity like no other.

2. Purpose and values: a story that reminds people of the company’s purpose and how everyone is helping customers and colleagues during this time of crisis can be highly motivating. Setting clear priorities, uniting people behind a common purpose, and sharing small stories of acts of kindness can also build pride and a sense of ‘we’re in this together’. This is where emotional connection really becomes important, and emotional connection in times of change is critical.

3. Connection: humans are social, feeling beings, so feeling connected to an employer can feel very difficult when working remotely and distanced from colleagues and customers. Reminding people of what a great company they work for, pride in how your business supports your customers and colleagues, and how everyone can all respond in their own small way to an unprecedented challenge can present a rallying cry that will motivate people to want to play their part. Creating a sense of fun and energy will also provide an essential sense of reward.

4. Empowering leadership: at a macro level, this health emergency is out of our control. Leaders who empower their teams to solve complex problems, find solutions and put them into practice, however, can be immensely motivating. Whether in or out of the workplace, listening to stories of how individuals are helping others will help build team pride and a sense of purpose. Empowering their teams will help individuals feel less of a victim and more of a hero, with a degree of influence over an outcome – even at a local level.

5. Storytelling: the classic traits of what makes a good story that will inspire and persuade people to take action comes under the spotlight during testing times: a story that features heroes struggling to resolve a challenge; a call to action; contributing to something bigger than ourselves and connecting people emotionally to a higher purpose. Never before has an anchoring story of a business’s ambition for the future become more important during times of turbulence and uncertainty: a story to which people can create a line of sight, empowered to respond collectively, united behind a common purpose, and to help them create context and meaning out of this period of instability and change.

I recently came across this article by Luke Johnson from the FT (https://www.ft.com/content/97f7fd48-f78a-11dd-81f7-000077b07658) which I first read back in 2009, during the last financial crisis which sparked the last recession. It reminded me that how companies respond to a crisis – and how leaders bring their people through it – will define the winners from the losers once the crisis is over.

Some managers have to be fired because they simply cannot cope. It is becoming apparent that many leaders were really just suited to the good times. During a severe recession, when growth is irrelevant and all that matters is survival, their bullish attitude and denial of reality becomes positively dangerous. But who of quality is willing to join an ailing concern? There are lots of characters looking for work but do they have the stamina and resolution for the task? As Winston Churchill said, “this is no time for ease and comfort. It is the time to dare and endure.”

There are days when one feels almost physically battered by the bad news in the commercial world, and there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. But then a reader reminded me of the extraordinary achievements of Germany and Japan – bankrupt nations virtually reduced to rubble by defeat in the second world war. Within two decades, they had become industrial powerhouses and remain two of the pre-eminent economies in the world. Enterprise, ingenuity, hard work and discipline delivered prosperity from the wreckage of absolute defeat.”

Good leadership will play a major role in determining whether a struggling enterprise rises like a phoenix from the ashes, or whether it is consigned to the history books as one which just didn’t make it.