Blogs & Insights

Storytelling is certainly a powerful art - both in the creation of intentional stories released into the world to entertain, enthuse, or inspire, and in the internal dialogue which has evolved to keep each of us safe. But it also holds significant weight as an effective corporate communication tool… We recently shared our insights about the importance of determining your truth in amongst the truth when it comes to the tales we tell ourselves as a response to the world around us. But once this has been mastered, storytelling can help you to further connect and engage – whether at Board level or communicating with your entire workforce.

From early childhood we’re taught the ancient art of storytelling. We start with ‘once upon a time’ and end with ‘happily ever after’, and we carry on telling ourselves stories as we grow and step into the world around us. But they don’t always serve us well. And that’s in large part because we’re each so unique and we view the world through our own personal stained-glass window sunglasses. Each pane of glass has been shaped and coloured by our own lived experiences, the culture in which we were raised, and the many ‘truths’ we’ve been taught along the way. And these impact how we interpret, respond and react to the stories we’re told, and that we tell ourselves. We read into a person’s intent, decipher what they ‘really’ mean, or work to sense what’s coming next. It’s all perfectly natural and it’s ultimately how our brain has evolved to keep us safe, but it’s rarely the truth and very much more often our truth. Take a lunch with friends as an example. Imagine walking into the restaurant and seeing them all together over the other side of the room, laughing and having a great time. You walk towards them and as soon as they see you, they fall quiet and look a bit awkward. You could make that behaviour mean that they were talking about you, or that they were planning a surprise birthday party for you. Neither may be the whole truth but just think about how you’d act if you believed either of those stories, how your friends would respond, and how the end of that lunch might look and feel… So few of us realise that our inner narrative doesn’t come from a neutral place, instead, just like our stained-glass sunglasses, it’s moulded by our experiences, self-image, and personal filters. And this is ever-applicable in the corporate world too. Two individuals receiving the exact same email, can have wildly different interpretations, and that comes down to their filters and how they read or process it. When we assume the intent behind a message based on our inner storytelling narrative, it absolutely impacts our response to that message. Our reaction may be defensive, potentially leading to a negative exchange that may have been completely unnecessary in reality. So always pause. And bring conscious awareness to anything that a communication (regardless of its form) brings up for you, and then ask yourself if the messaging you took from it was the truth, or was it your truth?

Even an otherwise eloquent and emotionally intelligent person can invoke a real sense of judgement and shame in the person they’re communicating with – whether verbally, written, or otherwise.

For over two decades, Fliss has worked with businesses worldwide providing PR and communications support – everything from crafting copy and preparing keynote speeches, through to assisting with Boardroom disputes. The Ultimate Advantage was born out of a burning desire to take this one step further…

Fliss believes that defining - and maintaining - clear boundaries at work (and home) is crucial in avoiding burnout. And that the key to doing so lies in managing expectations through clear, confident, and compelling communications.

Despite it being something we all do day-in, day-out, there are an abundance of challenges (and common mistakes made) when it comes to communication. At The Ultimate Advantage, we’re on a mission to enhance corporate comms, debunk some of the myths surrounding the topic, and genuinely educate individuals about the small (but mighty) changes you can make to totally transform how you do business, galvanize a workforce, and empower your employees.

This month sees The Ultimate Advantage turn two – time flies when you’re having fun!

Along with 100 incredible female minds who make up our business community in Shropshire, this International Women’s Day we attended Shropshire Chamber of Commerce’s Celebration of Women event at the Astbury Golf and Lodge Resort.