Author: Nailia Tasseel

I’ve just finished reading an interesting article about Dutch social psychologist, Geert Hofstede’s research into cultural differences in the workplace.

For Hofstede, a country’s ‘way of doing things’ will have a powerful impact on company culture. Hofstede classifies these ‘ways of doing things’ as Cultural Dimensions, which include factors such as the distribution of power, an alignment with either masculine or feminine tendencies and a country’s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity.

To use an example, Hofstede looks at the way in which the distribution of power is perceived. While some employees will expect to be given the opportunity to ask questions, share their opinions and shape the business, others will be used to receiving clear direction, which is rarely questioned. For these employees ‘engagement’ will mean something very different.

Hofstede’s research led me to start thinking about the way in which communication styles differ across the globe and the challenge this presents when communicating a single, aligned vision throughout a global organisation.

How can we speak to every employee in a style and language which will resonate with their ‘way of doing things’, without diluting the central culture of the organisation?

This is where storytelling, I believe, comes into its own. Once the narrative of the business journey has been set, the story can be brought to life in a number of ways. Managers can work with their teams to personalise the story in a way which will resonate at local level – both in terms of the way they present the story and in identifying the information and actions most relevant to their team.

Once they have a personal connection and understanding of the story, employees can begin to tell their own stories, which will inevitably be ‘local’ and vary hugely in content and delivery, yet still contribute to the overall business journey.

Of course, some will argue that Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions are over-simplified generalisations. Can we be sure that national culture will impact upon employee behaviour more than organisational culture? This is open to debate and probably varies for each organisation, but we only have to travel oversees to be reminded that communication styles can be worlds apart.

For me, the effectiveness of storytelling as a medium for global communication lies in the infinite ways in which a story can be told, without losing its meaning. This, combined with the story’s familiar and nostalgic quality – as one of the original ways of sharing information, firmly embedded in communities and cultures all over the world – means that its ability to touch hearts and minds, spark the imagination and re-shape beliefs can transcend many cultural borders.

I’ve heard many motivational speakers in my time, but one person stands head and shoulders above the rest: Scott Burrows, one-time kick boxing champion and former athlete.

I heard Scott speak at a conference in Atlanta earlier this month. Young, all American good-looking, vibrant, sparkling blue eyes and white teeth. Smiling from ear to ear from the minute he started. And in a wheelchair, diagnosed quadriplegic after a tragic car accident six years ago or so.

His presentation was a truly inspiring message about adapting to change.  His own experience took him to the brink of the precipice as his life as an able-bodied person ended and he faced life unable to move from the neck down – dependent on family and friends for his most basic needs. Yet he maintained a clear vision that he would walk again. Crazy speak, the doctors said, as a quadriplegic.

His message was clear. With change comes chaos and confusion. To make change happen you need to get out of your current mindset. You need to stretch yourself beyond your self-perceived limitations, make a positive response to the challenges you face. Go with what scares you. Take risks. Get out of your comfort zone and do things differently.  Fear of the unknown and fear of uncertainty can cause paralysis. Stand up to your fears, focus on what’s within your control.

To do all of this you need a clear vision of what you need to achieve. Be willing to see success in your mind and imprint this idea again and again ‘until your brain just can’t tell the difference’. Visualising success enables us to create a clear path to achievement. Without a vision we have no goal – no end game – to aim for, so no means of shaping a path towards it.

In Scott’s case, his vision was to walk again. Amazingly, through months and years of physiotherapy, struck down by triple whammy of pneumonia, a pulmonary embolism and a collapsed lung on the way, he gradually regained some movement in his wrists, which allowed him to pick things up using a different type of movement by moving his wrists up and down. From there, through sheer grit and determination, he gradually regained the use of his arms (shaking his father’s hand again, he said, was one of the highlights of his life). When the doctors reminded him that walking again just wasn’t going to happen, he lost sight of his vision and gave in, until his family gave him renewed strength to carry on working towards his goal.

Nobody in the room could believe it when he struggled out of his wheelchair to stand, and walked very unsteadily across the stage. A film that followed showed him scuba-diving and playing golf. A truly outstanding achievement that took him six years of mindset, vision and grit, and a relentless determination not to give up.

What defines us is our willingness to scale our efforts and stand up to our next challenge. Whether personal or in business, a clear vision will enable us to define the path to success. Yet achieving that vision is down to our own mindset, and being prepared to test ourselves on a daily basis in a way which will be uncomfortable and difficult at times, but totally necessary to make change happen.

My university lecturer once asked me during a discussion about branding: 'what story are you trying to tell? I didn't have an answer at the time, but I was inspired to find one. My search led ultimately to my 10,000-word dissertation on the relationship between storytelling and branding.

During the course of my research, I came across a number of interesting books; two that immediately spring to mind are Creative Leaps by Saatchi and Saatchi's Michael Newman and Steve Denning's The Leaders Guide to Storytelling. Both these books illustrate the importance of storytelling as a powerful communication tool, especially in relation to branding. My dissertation distilled a number of messages which have stayed with me and have inspired my work with The Storytellers:

There’s no better recognition than ‘word of mouth’. Employees must believe and ‘own’ the story as they will ultimately be the ones to represent the company's brand values.
Brands communicate a story about a product or service. Successful advertising delivers meaningful messages about the brand, often in sequence, taking the message’s recipients on a journey.
The importance of flux. There is a constant need to adapt a story in a fast-paced society where change is inevitable. A brand must therefore evolve with its consumers or it will fail to build lasting relationships.
Brand characters and personalities can be effective at building relationships between a brand and an audience. A successful brand character can adopt human qualities that allow it to engage with an audience on an emotional level. For me good examples of this include: Kelloggs Rice Krispies' Snap, Crackle and Pop, the Jolly Green Giant and the Compare the Market Meerkats.
At The Storytellers, we recently invented a character (a 4-foot puppet) to represent a client company's brand values. It was a way of connecting the employees to the journey of the company. The puppet played the leading role in the story. His personality was an important vehicle which we used to reflect the views of the company and its employees, and to bring together individuals who aspire to achieve the same goals.

It's an approach celebrated recently in J Walter Thompson's work at brandtoys.com; visualisations of brand personalities for over 3,000 global brands. Every toy is measured by its characteristics and qualities. The concept is based on user experience. It's a great way to compare brands and see how they differ around the world and against competitors.

I hope we get the opportunity to invent more characters, to tell more stories, to add more value to client brands by helping them build lasting and profitable relationships with both internal and external audiences.

Flicking through Sky one day, I found a documentary about social media titled Catfish. After reading the synopsis I was still unclear as to what Catfish was about, so, as most of us do in this technology-rich day and age I got on the reliable iPhone to search for it. Having watched the programme, it was interesting to see how social media can be used to create a whole new virtual life, how, without human interaction you can still be taken on an emotional journey. How characters can fall in love with their virtual beings only to disappointed when they meet face to face.

I started thinking about social media: Facebook, BBM, MSN messenger, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype, Wikipedia (just to name a few). How easily we have access to information, new ways to communicate, shop, be engaged, connected and inspired. I wondered though, whether social media means we now have less human interaction or whether it gives us a much-needed escape into a virtual world where we can each become the person we would like to be, free of constraints.

So, social media, what exactly is it? Online technology where people can share, find, do almost anything, something for everyone, from entertainment, to education to employment. A meeting place where friendships, communities and neighbours, have become a global phenomenon. Or a shopping mall where industry can 'connect' with potential customers using social media, which is everyone’s new best friend.

We now live in a culture where social media is a part of all our daily lives, taking us on a virtual journey. The question is ‘has social media become so central to our lives – how we communicate, who we meet, what we do and how we do it – that we are addicts? Does it enhance or reduce our lives? What do you think…virtually speaking?’

Having been a member of the Storytellers team for a month now, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about the art of the story. I've been thinking about this not only for clients (though this is something that has become a big part of my working day), but also in terms of what it means for me personally.

I stumbled across an interesting blog by a designer, David Airey, who talks about the need to set yourself apart from the crowd. What you achieve and experience creates your own individual story, sets you apart from others. The choices you make and the paths you travel ultimately define you. You won't get this vicariously through others, this one's on you and you alone.

The Storytellers work to build and discover that unique story. To understand and develop the strengths of an individual or business, in order to differentiate them from the crowd, and make them more successful. If you can identify and tell people your story, develop that idea of who or what you are, it will engage them and create an enticement to want to hear more and ultimately be more involved. I'm still learning here at The Storytellers and while I am hungry to learn more, the strong belief in a story and how it can define and develop people and organisations has moved to the forefront of my thoughts.

In the past, as a creative designer, I have worked on branding projects and developed a look and feel for many organisations. I very much helped them create their story, but until I became immersed in the world of the Storytellers I hadn't thought of it in this way. I created it subconsciously. The story has now become a very conscious part of my decision-making process and, in turn, this has enhanced my creative process.

In my interview, I was asked to tell my story. I talked about my secondary school education, as an Essex girl from a convent school. I continued to talk about how lucky I am to have travelled widely and I talked enthusiastically on this subject! I was then asked, “how do you think your travelling has helped your creativity”. Initially, I was a little worried about how to answer correctly but simply told them, “It makes me who I am”.

I don't know if it was the right or wrong answer, but I got the job!

About two years ago, I stopped work as a partner, then globe-trotter, for Deloitte (or was it as self-powered carry-on baggage for BA?) but found I didn’t like it. The next two years of sleeping late, failing miserably to improve my golf handicap and gardening provided little challenge. Indeed, some will understand that the golf challenge bordered on depression! I needed a more significant objective in my life.

When Scorpio crossed Sagittarius last year, the juxtaposition of the opportunity of an interesting challenge and the bills for my daughter’s wedding led me to The Storytellers.

This is what I have learnt so far:

• I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to return to getting up at 6:30 am when interested and motivated;
• An accountant of nearly 40 years can fit in with a young, vibrant company of media people, most of whom were not yet born when he qualified, and share his experience for the general good;
• I must be non-threatening and supportive; I may think I know – even know, I know – best, but better to take time to explain ‘why’ than lay down the law and move on.
• Management and leadership style might change, along with workplace attitudes as new generations come in and consumer demand and technology force widespread culture change. But, from an accountant’s point of view, one thing never changes; chase the cash, because cash is king!

I've been talking today to the CFO of a major global technology client on the day it launches the story of the company's future ambition for growth.

How refreshing to talk to a CFO who completely endorses the narrative structure of the story as a means of getting the message across. Numbers and PowerPoint go hand-in-hand, after all, and you might expect somebody in his position – as the chief custodian of 'The Numbers' – to push back against anything other than PowerPoint to present his case. On the contrary, the big picture – and the necessity for people to remember the higher message – are his main concern.

This has particularly relevance for me, having just read an intelligent and thought-provoking article by Juma Wood at The Vancouver Sun on how stories lie at the heart of human motivation, not data. Juma explains how the heart or gut needs to be engaged before people will formulate sensible reasons to act. It's worth a read, and absolutely resonates with us. For any business leader wanting their people to change, a simple and compelling story is the starting point, not a tsunami of statistics and numbers that may well scream a message from within, but will do little to spark the imagination and provoke a human being to really want to do something differently.

When we choose for ourselves we are far more committed to the outcome – almost by a factor of five to one!. Tapping into this unique element of human nature is critical to driving change in organisations today.

In a famous behavioural experiment, half the participants are randomly assigned a lottery ticket number while the others are asked to write down any number they would like on a blank ticket. Just before drawing the winning number, the researchers offer to buy back the tickets from their holders.

The result: no matter what geography or demographic environment the experiment has taken place in, researchers have always found that they have to pay at least five times more to those who came up with their own number (Ref. The McKinsey Quarterly 2009 Number 2)

This reveals something very unique about human nature. When we choose for ourselves we are far more committed to the outcome – almost by a factor of five to one!.

This offers a great opportunity for change leaders as well as one of the biggest challenges. Conventional change management and strategic communication approaches often focus on the need for a clear and compelling Story – get the message out there and people will understand and act as you wish them to. A clear and compelling Story IS fundamental to driving change, but as an isolated 'push' communication, it does not allow for people to discover and own anything and can steal the energy needed to really drive the change that comes through a true sense of ownership. The big opportunity therefore is to engage people in co-creating the answer. People are always more willing to adjust their actions and behaviours when there is a sense of belonging, identity and personal connection to what a business is trying to achieve.