Create a story to build belief

Is your team having trouble getting support from key stakeholders? Are you trying to push a larger change within your organization and facing resistance?

If so, it’s time to start thinking about your story. To build support and catalyze change, you need a well-articulated story that’s memorable, meaningful, and inspiring. It should explain what you’re doing, and why it matters. It should resonate intellectually and emotionally. And every team member should be effective in telling that story.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do we have a clear story about what we’re doing and why it matters?
• Who needs to hear our story—other teams, other companies, leaders, customers?
• Does everyone on the team believe in our story? If so, can they tell it to others in a compelling way?

Once you have a basic story outline you all feel good about, write it down and practice it. Have team members coach each other. And then get out there and start sharing it. The more you do, the better the story will get.