It’s often said that all stories can be summed up by just two plots: ‘a person goes on a journey’ and ‘a stranger comes to town’. Boil it down to one and it would have to be ‘things change’.
Change is what grips us in stories, but in the real world it can hold less appeal, as any internal communications team will attest. Just because your organisation is ‘going on a journey’ doesn’t mean colleagues will want to join it. And just because a new software system is coming soon doesn’t mean they’ll welcome it with open arms.
In fact, ‘change fatigue’ is a major challenge for most companies (73%), according to a recent Gartner survey of HR managers. Fed a relentless diet of disruptive technologies, culture shifts and tightening regulations against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, only 35% of fatigued employees feel engaged and only 44% intend to stay with their organisation, the research found.
So, how can you energise your people when you need them to embrace the unknown? One way is to brush up on your strategic storytelling skills. If you’re sitting comfortably, we’ll dive in.
A tale of two emails
Imagine your company is introducing new software for gathering and reporting sustainability data. You need to send colleagues a short email to prepare them.
A non-storytelling approach might look something like this:
“Hi all,
Happy Friday!
We’re delighted to announce that we are due to integrate BlahBlah software into our MUGLI system to streamline and automate sustainability data collection and reporting.
This solution, which will go live on September 12, will give us real-time visibility of our performance and enable us to collate, monitor and report our data more accurately, consistently and compliantly.
Benefits include:
- Centralised data
- Real-time visibility across operations
- Automatic updates and data cleansing
- Built-in data visualisation tools
Training resources and support will be shared in due course to make the transition as smooth as possible. For now, please mark your calendars and we’ll drop more info soon.”
A strategic storytelling approach might look something like this:
“Hi all,
On September 12, we’re switching to a new sustainability data platform, which should mean less stress as we track progress towards our 2030 carbon neutral goal.
You told us in our last engagement survey that it’s a big headache gathering all the data we need to measure and report our operational greenhouse gas emissions.
We’ve listened, and that’s why we’re waving goodbye to spreadsheets and bringing in a new data management platform from BlahBlah.
What to expect
Going live on September 12, the new system should make your life easier because all our sustainability data will be:
- Stored in one place and visible at all times from every office
- Updated automatically, meaning no more fiddly spreadsheets
- Easy to report thanks to built-in tools that turn the data into tables and infographics
You can find out more about the BlahBlah platform here [link].
What to do now
We’ll give you more information soon, including proper training and a chance to get your questions answered.
In the meantime, please mark your calendars for September 12 and stay tuned.”
Hallmarks of the storytelling approach
Which email did you find more reassuring and interesting? Here we’ll look at the key elements of the second email and how it is designed to bring employees onboard through strategic storytelling.
1. Story logic
Not every piece of content needs to be structured like a story. But it can be helpful to consider the key elements of the traditional story arc when planning communication campaigns:
- Hook (an attention-grabbing introduction)
- Context (explaining the big picture)
- Challenge (showing why something needs to change)
- Resolution (explaining why a change will make things better)
In the storytelling email example above, the first sentence serves as the hook. It sums up the message so that if readers go no further, they should at least grasp when the platform will go live. But it also tries to lure employees into the rest of the narrative with the promise of ‘less stress’ in their jobs.
The reference to the company’s carbon neutral goal adds context, so that readers understand how the new platform fits into a bigger picture. The email then raises a challenge – the administrative headache for employees of gathering and reporting data. This is followed by a resolution – the company has listened and is introducing software that will make their lives easier.
Overall, the aim is to create a sense of action and advancement, grounded in a greater purpose (the company’s decarbonisation) and conveyed in a way that puts colleagues at the heart of the story.
The brevity is important. Like the preface of a novel or the first chapter, the email is not trying to say everything, but to ease people into the change. By planning your change campaign as a series of chapters, each with a key message and call to action, you can drip-feed information over time, making it more digestible and impactful.
Some colleagues will want the highest of high-level summaries. Others will be happy to dive into detail and tell teammates what they’ve learned, acting as your ambassadors. The key is to cater to both groups.
2. Persuasive tone
Internal communications are the inner voice of an organisation. People are more likely to invest in what you have to say if you’re a reliable narrator.
Notice how in the non-storytelling email above, the tone flips from informal chat with words such as “Happy Friday” and “drop more info” to formal and technical language such as “due to integrate” and “real-time visibility”. It’s as if two different people are speaking, and the effect is off-putting.
As a rule, you’ll know you’ve struck the right tone if your writing sounds like something you would say in a staff meeting attended by the boss and new employees. By reading it out loud, you can weed out words more suited to a Gothic novel or a private chat between friends. This is also a chance to trim convoluted lists (see the non-storytelling email) which can bore readers.
Plain language matters, especially for internal audiences. You may have in-house acronyms and terminology in everyday use (note the reference to a mysterious “MUGLI” in the first email) but can you be certain that 100% of your audience fully understand them? The goal is to make your message crystal clear and easy to remember.
3. Relatable content
So, this change will help your organisation save money, make money, win respect, comply with rules. So what? An organisation is not an interesting character. In a story about business, nobody roots for ‘the firm’ itself but for the humans impacted by its activities. In the same way, you need to put your people front and centre in your change narrative and explain what’s in it for them.
Notice how both emails above list the benefits of the new data management system. But only the second email explains what those benefits mean for the people working there. If people can visualise themselves in a better future, they’re more likely to work towards it. Featuring their voices and faces in your content, answering their questions and sending them only relevant information will make your messaging more relatable.
4. Refreshing expression
When change is constant, it can feel like a pattern. Your policy/ goal/ process/ project/ software may be new, but to your people it sounds like the same old story.
Just as readers expect novelty from novels, they will be more engaged if your communications bring an element of freshness, even surprise.
Kick out clichés and spruce up word choices so that your language awakens curiosity. Mix up the rhythm of your sentences. Stir feelings. Shake preconceptions. Perhaps start with a jaw-dropping statistic, debunked myth or striking scenario that illustrates why change is necessary. Can you make your words resonate more powerfully through video, audio or graphic design?
Think of your writing as a shot of content caffeine. With a bit of imagination, it will be just the boost your change-fatigued colleagues need before you all embark on your next adventure.
Looking for internal communications inspiration? Talk to our expert writers.
