Warren Buffett, Master Storyteller
One of the world’s richest men is a master storyteller. Coincidence? Not a chance. Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, ditches dry facts and replaces them with stories.
Why does America’s most successful investor bother to generate stories? Because he knows the return on investment. Stories create clarity, not confusion. Buffett purposefully uses storytelling as a form of knowledge management. And you should, too. You may be a humdrum storyteller right now, but you can improve with a few quick tips:
1. Tell success stories. What successes can you identify in your organization or your personal dealings? How have people benefitted as a result? This is the meat of a good business story.
2. Your story must be significant. Spell out what has changed for the better. Link your tale to concrete outcomes and it will gain weight and significance. It will matter.
3. Your story should resonate. It must be truthful enough to shake the skeptics and reveal a universal truth that motivates people to act. Aim to strike a chord with your audience, instead of merely being an historian.
4. Your story must sound distinctive. If it sounds like the same-old, same-old, it will be ignored. Copycat versions of someone else’s story leave people feeling cheated. Okay, your story can have a familiar ring to it, but it should be distinctive enough to compel a new a-ha moment.
5. End on a positive note. Leave your listeners feeling good. End with a purpose: define the lesson learned and the way forward. This will give your story a long shelf life and lead to positive results.
Tags: communication, Leadership, Point, Storytelling, Warren Buffet
Seriously, how possibly did you get through to the bottom of this, I have been itching for somebody to publish something such as this many thanks.