I’ve been running excerpts from the first and second parts of storyteller Eric James Wolf’s interview with me. In this excerpt, he asked me how I describe the benefits of storytelling to other people in the business world. My response:
I call upon the gurus who evangelized storytelling long before I did — 
people like Annette Simmons and Steve Denning and others, early pioneers who wrote books that have become the foundation for current business narrative/organizational storytelling.
Simmons characterizes the effectiveness of stories in business in her landmark book, The Story Factor (Chapters 2 and 5):
- Story creates power.
- Story is a form of mental imprint.
- Story is a dynamic tool of influence because it gives people enough space to think for themselves.
- In a complex environment, people listen to whomever makes the most sense — whomever tells the best story (Simmons’s followup book is titled Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins.)
- Story makes sense of chaos and gives people a plot. People need story to organize their thoughts and make sense of things.
- Story invites people to creatively reframe their dilemmas, while rules alienate people who want to think for themselves.
- Change people’s stories and you change their behavior.
- Story is like mental software that you supply so your listener can run it again using new input specific to the situation.
- Story is uniquely equipped to touch you and help you touch others in this place that cannot be understood, explained, or reduced to a flow chart.
- Story builds connections between you and those you wish to influence.
- Story helps the brain remember.
And from the Australian consulting firm, Anecdote:
- Stories reveal what’s really happening in your organisation
- Stories inspire us to take action
- Stories stick in your mind much better than [bulllet] points and clever arguments
- Stories connect us to a purpose and improve our performance
- Stories share and embed values
Marguerite Granat posted a list of rationales for story in business, which I reprinted here.
Finally, not part of my response to Eric Wolf, is a post by Mike Hamilton on Get Synchronicity entitled Core Elements of Storytelling, in which he lists these benefits (see his full post for his elaboration on each):
- Storytelling is the great equalizer.
- Storytelling clearly and quickly communicates complex ideas.
- Storytelling is a powerful instrument of persuasion and influence.
- Storytelling is your personal business card.
- Storytelling communicates and builds value systems in organizations.
- Storytelling encourages collaboration and unifies teams.
- Storytelling builds community and promise.
- Storytelling ignites action.