The Irresistible Power of Storytelling
Imagine you’re at a job interview and the CEO of the company asks the opening question:
“Tell me your story”
How would you respond?
This is the habit of Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield. Known for his wacky three-question quiz interviewing model involving maths, geography and history questions; later replaced with the classic but obtuse ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’; and in more recent times the one-liner, “Tell me your story”.
Apparently Butterfield is seeking to be told a story that demonstrates humility and empathy to understand if there are similarities between his life experiences and his candidate’s answers.
And he’s not alone in his desire to provoke in the hope of hearing a good story. I was recently part of an interview panel where a colleague deviated from the script and asked our interviewee the wildcard:
How would you define creativity?
This may seem tame in comparison to some of the off-guard and unexpectedly interesting questions (apparently) common in job interviews today. Nevertheless, it came as a surprise to our candidate (and similarly to the Human Resources Manager and I whom were equal parts uncertain and amused at such a renegade question).
What happened next? The candidate answered with a story. A good story. An authentic story. The details are extraneous, but the narrative was creative enough to engage our attention and exactly what our colleague wanted to hear from his next hire.
In the process of appointing a new staff member, I was reminded of the irresistible power of storytelling!
“Storytelling is what happens when a Story is told, face to face, eye to eye, mind to mind, heart to heart. The Story is intimately known by the Teller… and shared, like a gift, with the audience.” — The Australian Storytelling Guild (NSW)
She Works In A Library is a blog about storytelling. Why? Because no matter the context our brains are always seeking a story to make sense of our experiences.
Stories affirm who we are. They show us similarities between ourselves and others, real or imagined, and help us make meaning of our lives.
Sure, to some, stories are merely a coming together of words. But the real superpower lies in being able to articulate our story. And a well-crafted story is a courageous and powerful act.
Good storytelling is honest and delivers on an implicit contract to arouse and fulfil the listeners’ expectations. It demands integrity (of the story) and vulnerability (of its teller).
Case in point: the use of storytelling in a job interview provides the space to discuss ideas, to answer a question, to debate passions and, ultimately, the power to showcase our authenticity.
There are also several psychological reasons why stories are so powerful:
- Stories are a form of communication.
- Stories connect us to others.
- Stories explain, persuade, create, define and decide social values.
- Stories provide order to withstand intense emotions.
- Stories increase our empathy for others.
- Stories lead to innovation, self-discovery and change.
And my personal favourite:
- Stories take place in the imagination.
“To the human brain, imagined experiences are processed the same as real experiences. Stories create genuine emotions, presence (the sense of being somewhere), and behavioral responses.” — Psychology Today
This is what makes storytelling an innate human experience. And this is why I blog.
We don’t have to have lived the same experiences. In fact, that’s the whole point of the story! Our realities will differ, but, thanks to our imaginations, stories allow us to share intellectual and emotional experiences.
There is no right or wrong in storytelling. Stories are authentic human experiences. They can educate, heal, motivate and inspire. And, what I love most about a good story (real or imagined) is, storytelling has the irresistible power to make us feel alive!
