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Storytelling Is the Programming Language of Culture
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Stories are the programming language of culture. The stories people share in an organization reinforce the underlying beliefs and assumptions that shape the culture. To shift culture, reprogram it with new stories.
There is power in story as they inform, persuade and educate. Using the power of story, you can tap into foundational beliefs that shape culture. An example of the power of story is the one that’s been told and retold about Nordstrom. Someone brought a set of tires to the customer service desk. Although Nordstrom does not and never has sold tires, they processed a refund. Although that’s unlikely, the reinforcing power of the story is that it communicates the value of customer service. It’s far more impactful to share that story than to say, “A Nordstrom core value is customer service.”
Stories reinforce beliefs that either support or undermine your culture change. We are guided by stories. We listen to stories, tell stories, share stories and most importantly behave in ways that support stories. Change your stories and be changed by them.
There are four types of stories that shape culture. “Identity” stories are about who we are and where we came from. They capture what’s unique and special in the DNA. “Success” and “failure” stories are about what is rewarded versus what is punished. Finally, “future” stories are about where the organization is going. ISFF (Identity, Success, Failure and Future) are the core stories that you can tell or will be defined by your culture. Change the story to change the culture.
Identity: Do all employees understand why the organization exists and how it came into being? A powerful identity story shapes the essence of the organization and the connection employees feel. A colleague told us about a sales meeting where his client shared the story of their founding and why they exist. He talked about the struggles of the early days and all the leadership team did to make it successful over the years. Not only was it inspiring to our colleague, it made him want to work harder to win their business and help them be even more successful.
Questions to shape an identity story:
Success and Failure : These are the stories that provide employees with clues on how to behave. Success stories talk about what happens when you do something well. One organization we work with had research scientists who did something amazing decades ago and are still revered. They were well compensated despite contributing nothing in the recent past. The success story of this organization was to make one big contribution and you will have a meal ticket for life.
Questions to shape a success or failure story:
There are people who are doing the things that represent the way you want your culture to be. Find them and showcase them. Celebrate the success of what’s working. You get more of what you focus on. Tell stories about what’s wildly successful.
The Future (AKA vision or strategy): Does everyone in the organization know the direction to move? There are millions of dollars in lost productivity from decisions made that do not align to the vision of the leader. The more clear and aligned employees are to the vision and strategy, the more consistently resources are deployed, decisions are made and actions focused on the right future.
Questions to shape a future story:
As you shape new stories, answer the questions and make sure you have all the pieces:
Once you have the pieces, make it sticky. Pull all the pieces together in a compelling story that creates curiosity and compels people to care.
If you have some interesting stories related to culture or story resources, please share below. I am on a journey of discovery as I improve my storytelling capabilities while helping organizations improve theirs.