The Story Factor

ANNETTE SIMMONS

Reviewed by Jack

Storytelling has long been a valued method of communication for many people and in many cultures. The effectiveness of this art is difficult to quantify and even more difficult to apply to business. And yet, Annette Simmons, president of Group Process Consulting, contends that storytelling is the best way for leaders to persuade and motivate their people. But for many leaders, storytelling does not come naturally and is hard to learn because of its amorphous nature. Simmons explains: “Breaking storytelling down into pieces, parts, and priorities destroys it. There are some truths that we just know, we can’t prove it but we know them to be true. Storytelling moves us into the place where we trust what we know, even if it can’t be measured, packaged, or validated empirically.”

Most businesspeople, Simmons contends, have had their ability to storytell trained out of them; facts, research, and PowerPoint skills are favored over the art of storytelling. Yet Simmons warns that because people have easy access to too much information, they don’t want or need—and perhaps may distrust—facts. Facts can be manipulative and limiting. People want to believe in what a leader has to say, to have faith. “It is faith that moves mountains, not facts,” she says. And only stories, Simmons believes, can tap into this desire. In The Story Factor, Simmons presents a convincing argument for the unique power of the story to inspire and influence, and offers advice on improving your storytelling skills to garner the best response from your audience.

To help us rediscover our innate talent for storytelling, Simmons presents six different types of stories that have the power to influence others: Who I Am; Why I Am Here; the Vision; Teaching; Values-in-Action; and I Know What You Are Thinking. She gives examples of each type along with instructions on how to create your own story. For example, in the beginning of any story, you must tell people who you are and why you are speaking to them. Personal stories work best to explain your motivation and allow you to explain your position before your audience can draw assumptions.

When you have a significant point to make to an audience—whether you are a new leader coming onboard an organization or an activist detailing the effects of poverty—“you need to see it, feel it, smell it, hear it . . . to ‘go there’ in your mind. The difference in your delivery will be dramatic. Most people hold back. They hang on so tightly to ‘here’ they don’t go ‘there’ where their story is.” But Simmons believes that most leaders are afraid to open themselves up to such an approach for two main reasons: “The first reason is that they are afraid they will look stupid, corny, manipulative, or ‘unprofessional.’” Our image of the professional is of someone who is straightforward, gets to the facts, and refrains from being too emotional. But, Simmons warns, when that happens our delivery becomes cold and ultimately fails to influence listeners.

“Values are meaningless without stories to bring them to life and engage us on a personal level.”

The second reason people hold back is that “we are a bunch of control freaks. Losing yourself in the telling of your story means you are not as ‘in control’ as when you are reading bullet points off slides or reading from notes.” Take Tom Peters, for example, who’s often lauded as a brilliant presenter and storyteller. Anybody who has seen a great presenter like Peters knows that staying to the facts and refraining from using emotion aren’t Tom’s traits. When he is done with an all-day seminar, he has given us everything he has to give, and he has really “gone there” with the attendees.

It is one thing to be like Peters and present your stories to an audience that is paying for the opportunity to listen, but trying to influence the unwilling takes some special handling, and Simmons offers a chapter on that subject. She suggests that storytelling offers a real advantage in high-risk circumstances. In this case, you can’t lose. You may not win, but you can’t lose. When you are in the middle of serious negotiations and dealing only with facts or rational thinking, you are actually drawing a line in the sand. This gives your opponent the opportunity to say no, to disagree, to prove you wrong. When you use stories, you can sometimes move around that obstacle, and even if you can’t move around it, you can revisit the subject because there is no clear “no.”

In delving into the do’s and don’ts of storytelling, Simmons emphasizes that we need to use this influential tool for good. An accomplished storyteller herself, Simmons explains:

Storytelling is like any other art. It can be done well. It can be done badly. And sometimes the ones who do it really well get the big head and fly too close to the sun. Power is power. When you tell a powerful story of influence you will feel this rush of power. You will look out at a sea of faces or even into the eyes of one enraptured face and know that you are inside the head of the person listening to you. You have gained access to a secret place where their imagination paints new realities and draws new conclusions based on the stories played there. Although you might not control the whole show, you are one of the stars.

This passage speaks to how intimate a relationship between storyteller and audience member can become, how there must be trust in that intimacy. A storyteller should never betray that trust.

Simmons uses various stories and parables as examples throughout the book, along with practical advice on becoming a better communicator. As a leader, knowing how to influence a situation or group of people is a valuable—no, essential—asset, and The Story Factor is the book to help you hone your skills. JC

The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling, Basic Books, Paperback 2006, ISBN 9780465078073

WHERE TO NEXT? Here for a story about teams Here for a story about leadership Here for a story about constraints | EVEN MORE: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell; The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning; What’s Your Story? by Craig Wortmann