99 Ways to Influence Change, #1: Tell stories

I recently came up with a list of 99 influence factors, or ways to help people change.  I have challenged myself to post one per business day.  These are in no particular order (really – I copied them into Excel and randomized the list).  At the end, I’ll post a master list with links back to the detail.  So here we go…

#1:  Tell stories

Many times we try to convince people of the need for change using either pretty graphs or clever slogans.  If you want people to connect with what is going on, tell stories.

Consider the following narratives:

• Someone else with the same fears or concerns made the change without incident.
• A similar company didn’t make the change and suffered the consequences.
• Another department succeeded in making the change, and this is how they did it.
• A senior leader did something out of the ordinary that shows unwavering commitment to the change.

Telling stories helps people relate to change so they can imagine themselves doing it.  So collect, create and tell stories to influence change.

What stories might you tell?

Read more of the 99 Ways to Influence Change.