We are the stories we tell – or at least the stories that they tell about us.
Let’s unpack both of those options.
We are the stories we tell
The stories we tell are either about us, or stories that we’ve chosen to tell about other people. Both say a lot about us because either way we’ve “curated” the stories. Yes, it’s obvious as soon as I say it, but it’s not something we think about unless it’s drawn to our attention.
If you tell stories about your organisation’s successes it gives a different vibe to your audience than if you tell stories about other organisations’ failures. To you they feel the same, ‘cos the point you’re trying to make is the same – to prove/illustrate that you’re better than the competition.
I’m not saying which is automatically better, but I am saying you should think about it.
It’s more subtle than I’ve implied too. It’s not just literally about just tell stories about the other guy but more generally. Are your stories more:
- of success or of failure?
- of bright ideas rather than mistakes?
- or risks taken as opposed to sensible options taken?
You see what I’m getting at I’m sure. It’s not just the stories, it’s the type of stories.
Of course, there’s also the effect the stories we tell on how we feel about ourselves. It’s stepping out of what this blog is about, but if we tell stories of ourselves as, (for example!) a great CEO we start to think of ourselves that way, compared to, say, a struggling one. The amount of research behind this is truly intimidating – and of mixed quality – and the general pattern is well established. In terms of how we think of ourselves, we aren’t quite so much the stories we all about ourselves … but they’re tend to be the stories of what we become.
We are the stories they tell about us
This is your brand. What people say about you when you’re not in the room is your brand, so the stories they tell are pretty much “it”.
Obviously they’re going to be based on what you’ve done up to a point, but you’d be surprised how often they’re influence by your stories too. Think of it as mood-music
So… what stories do you want them to tell about you?