It was a change management exercise to rival the largest in the country.
Despite previous successes with implementing new information technology that all the right people agreed was great, there’d been significant delays with this project and multimillion dollar cost blowouts.
As the pressure grew, key executives and other stakeholders threatened to pull the plug.
Mark, the Change Manager, knew the only way to keep the project alive was to tell a different story. Meetings about the information technology project had become so heated that no-one really listened. And repeating the key messages created by the Communications Department wouldn’t cut it.
Mark thought about a time in his life when he’d experienced the struggles of pressures and delays, and remembered when he was a teenager and decided to compete in his first National Championships cycling race.
He’d trained for months, getting up at 5am to spend a couple of hours a day on his bike before school.
On the eve of the race, he packed his shoes, helmet, water bottle, towel, and clothes to put on after the race. The next morning he ate a high-carb breakfast two hours before the race, as he’d been advised by his coach, drank lots of water, and then prepared with a warm up. He’d done everything he could to be his best for the race.
Finally, when the starter gun shot, Mark tried to follow instructions to stay between 5th and 10th place. But he had to swerve and brake hard a few times, then he crashed. Humiliated, his knees stinging badly from road rash, he wanted to quit then and there.
But he’d come too far. He knew he needed to, literally, get back on his bike. No, it wasn’t easy. The greatest achievements never are. As one of the more experienced cyclists said to Mark, “Welcome to the club. You only become a top rider when you keep coming back and having another go.”
Mark came up with a way to use his cycling story to create new levels of connection, engagement and meaning, and – most importantly – staying power, for the information technology project.
It worked.
What stories do you need to tell?
Stories have a profound effect and are the best way to inspire others.
We remember them far more easily than facts and figures. We use stories to make sense of one another and the world.
We remember the stories people tell us, and often learn valuable lessons about our own values and actions.
In business, storytelling strengthens your leadership presence. Stories can help you:
- Motivate people and paint a picture of what’s possible
- Encourage people to try something new
- Deliver bad news and show empathy
- Demonstrate your approach, values and vision
- Explain difficulties and garner support
- Give credibility to fresh ideas
- Build connection and collaboration
The right story at the right time can make you infinitely more influential.
Let’s discover your stories
The news doesn’t have to be bad. I can show you how to discover and craft the stories you need to tell, and be an inspiring storyteller, in whichever situations you require it, from presentations and media interviews, to meetings and conversations, as well as written communication. I, and my team, can also help you with brand storytelling, to uncover and share your brand stories to inspire your audience, and writing.
I offer group training workshops, one-on-one coaching and consulting.
Call us on 1300 733 258 today, or fill in the handy contact form on this page to talk about tailoring a course for your team, or a private coaching program.
