Stories for a Change - the power of story-based learning by Margaret Parkin
Margaret Parkin is a well-respected training and development consultant, keynote speaker and executive coach who works with individuals and organisations nationally and internationally. This year, she is launching ‘Success Stories’, a unique learning system which she's developed over the last decade — with the help of storytellers over the last two thousand years! Using ‘story-based’ learning has been shown to deliver positive, long-lasting results in transforming behaviour, and can provide a competitive edge — both in and outside work — January, 2007
“Look in any book on change management, and I will guarantee that at some point you will come across words like ‘transition’, ‘journey’, ‘transformation’, ‘metamorphosis’ and ‘growth’. Although just hearing these words can generate excitement and anticipation, they can also give rise to apprehension and resistance. Many of us are anxious about change; it requires us to move from a place where we feel relatively comfortable and safe, towards a place with which we are completely unfamiliar. Indeed it may be a place that hasn't even been invented yet! And all these words are also metaphorical in their nature — they are likening one thing to another — and it is interesting to note, how, particularly in times of change or emotionally charged situations, we tend to resort (consciously or unconsciously) to metaphor to help us articulate our feelings.
“So, how can a simple story or metaphor help us through the complex process of change? The link between storytelling and the concept of change and transition is as old as some of the stories themselves. The frog turns into the handsome prince, the ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan and the poor cinder girl transforms into a fairy princess — and gets the guy and a ‘happy ever after’ into the bargain!
“Storytelling has always been a powerful tool for transition, whether used by nomadic tribes to pass on cultural values, or by a shaman or pandit sharing their wisdom with the young. The original storytellers were master communicators, who could ignite their listeners' imaginations through their use of language and visual imagery, and who developed immense levels of empathy and rapport with their listeners. Indeed, anthropologists tell us that in many traditional tribes, it was an individual's skill as a storyteller that was a deciding factor in their being chosen as the chief, shaman or respected elder for the tribe.
“So do stories still have a part to play in our modern-day, sophisticated, high-tech organisations? Storytelling, although ancient, is by no means a dead art, and those who think of it as just the province of children are missing a huge resource. For all our apparent sophistication, organisations are still made up of people — and even modern-day people react differently to hearing information in the shape of a story or metaphor rather than just responding to analytical, left-brain based information. Unlike the potential passivity of video or television, storytelling is an interactive and complex activity, where the listener is actively involved in the process, using both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously to manage the information.
“Hearing a story actually changes our brain function; research has shown that, while listening to stories, biochemical changes take place in the brain; levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) drop and levels of immunoglobulin A rise — in other words, listening to a story can actually promote relaxation. This in turn helps us to by-pass our normal, analytical functions; we actually become less critical, and more receptive to change and new ideas. It would be wrong to suggest that storytelling should replace analytical thinking, particularly in the business world, but it can supplement it by enabling us to ‘re-frame’ an old problem, and imagine new perspectives and new worlds.
“One of the great strengths of storytelling is in its flexibility — and there is a whole range of practical methods in which story and metaphor can be incorporated to help people and organisations through change and transition, for example:
- To communicate the future of the organisation clearly and enthusiastically…
- To add ‘spice’ and ‘drama’ to a presentation on forthcoming changes…
- As an aid to memorable learning…
- As part of a one-to-one coaching session for a coachee to reflect on and apply to their own situation…
- To encourage individuals to discuss and share their own fears or concerns about change…
- As part of a team briefing or brainstorming session during the change process…
- As part of a training session, to aid discussion and reflection…
- To stimulate curiosity and interest in a ‘change update’ newsletter or email…
“No-one would underestimate the difficulties of trying to get people and organisations to change the way they do things, and the fact that it can sometimes be a long and painful metaphorical journey, and it would be naïve to think that a quick chorus of Little Red Riding Hood would make people instantly receptive to new ideas! But my experience over the years has been that storytelling is a powerful yet somewhat undervalued resource that can certainly help the journey along.”
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