This is the conclusion of a three-part series on the impact, power and significance of Story. Click here for part one, and here for part two!

Let’s conclude this series on Story with another flexible formula I’ve worked out over the years, this one for framing the Aspirational Story that helps a company or organization or team get to where they want to be by pointing the way and illustrating and celebrating the journey.

I have also used Aspirational Stories on myself; they work for me, literally, by helping me stay true to the aspired outcome.

As I frame the parts of an Aspirational Story I think about how deep deep deep in our past they were being used — likely by the first human language speakers who discovered that a Story portraying and illustrating a preferred outcome made it more likely the outcome would be accomplished.

There are three parts to an Aspirational Story:

First, you frame a genuine picture of today’s situation. It’s the common ground understanding of what’s happening now. The Aspirational Story will be taking its audience on a journey and it’s important everyone starts together, with shared understandings and expectations.

As the storyteller you control the narrative’s point of view, determining which authentic scenes or events to frame in order to focus that truthful look at today’s situation. It’s important you be looking for hopeful, attractive versions of the truth, to attract the audiences’ hopes, setting the stage and showing the journey’s direction through the point of view you’ve selected wisely, respectfully, never distorting, genuinely embracing the truth of the best version of the common ground understanding.

“We have something really worthwhile to accomplish here, and yes, we are a group of underfunded underdogs, so no one expects we’ll be successful, but they don’t know how creative we are, how smart and hungry we are, how ready we are to pick each other up when needed, because we share something important…we are all attracted to this because it is a great uphill challenge.”

Then the Aspirational Story makes a promise of fulfilling their hopes through the creation, the building, the accomplishment of a better situation that they will bring into existence together. The Aspirational Story will offer images of that better future that help the audience find themselves in that better situation.

“When we succeed with the odds stacked against us we’ll find that accomplishment of our significant work is wonderfully fulfilling for each of us and for all of us; we’ll find that our organization’s growth and expansion provides more opportunities for each of us and all of us to keep doing great work; we’ll find financial gain and opportunities for more.”

Finally, the Aspirational Story scripts the behaviors called for to arrive at the better situation—how to get from here to there. It calls out the nature, the language, the spirit of the challenge, and where we can build on the best we already are and where we have to create new capacities.

“Our competition is large and complacent and treats customers like accounting units, so we’ll build our entire operations around not satisfying the customer, no, but delighting the customer, and since being reminded of the difference between satisfaction and delight regularly is crucial, we will narrate our journey as a celebration of our continual search for finding new ways to delight the customer and new ways to keep that distinction between satisfied and delighted alive in all that we do. And for those of us who don’t have immediate direct contact with the customers, an important portion of our job descriptions with be defining how we serve our fellow employees who are closest to the customers.”

A smart Aspirational Story works for you. It stays alive as a leader goes about the day telling the next iteration of the Story that captures the journey’s progress towards customer delight and as the leader invites others to tell the Stories of customer delight as well.

Some final tips about Story.

When I urge folks to use Story in their presentations or marketing communications or in their organizational leadership so they engage the full brains of their Audience I remind them to always keep in mind the importance of knowing the Audience so well you can tell them an authentic version of their Very Best Story that attracts them.

Then I suggest they don’t want to think of it as adding a Story to their presentation. Instead, I urge them to find the Story they want to tell their audience and build the presentation around it.

Consider these Story elements as most useful:

  • Characters — At the least conjure the faces and names of who your Story impacts. Add a couple of details about them—relevant details, sure, but engaging ones too. And it’s great if your Characters are real but it can work fine if they are fictional (always acknowledging when they are).
  • Timeline — A clock is ticking, time is passing, progress is advancing—add to your Story what has occurred and what is progressing and what does the clock say.
  • Conflicts and resolutions — What challenging milestones lay ahead of you and which have you accomplished, and how have the struggles made you stronger, better, smarter, with greater resolve.
  • Always keep this in mind when considering how to leverage the Power of Story:

What is it that is so important to your Audience’s success or happiness it defines them? Tell them their Very Best Story about that, and then tell them your Very Best Story about making their success or happiness even greater.

We’re all natural born Story tellers and these tips will help you use this tool even more effectively.

 

“Exploring Your Creative Genius” takes an expansive view on what it means to be creative and entrepreneurial in an ongoing conversation led by Carl Nordgren — entrepreneur, novelist, and lifelong student with decades of experience growing his own creative capacity and assisting others to do the same in exciting new ways!

You can also find more ways to explore your creative genius in this column’s companion radio program, broadcasting on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and posted here on Chapelboro!

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
None