As airline travel resumes, it’s game-on for people watching. No matter how normal they look, the people we see in airports and on planes have a story to tell. The same is true in business: as companies continue to re-open and staff up, leaders often look see their people more as employees than individuals … each with a story to tell as well. Story telling is an ancient practice of passing knowledge and history from one clan or generation to another … and many companies today use this same technique to describe and promote their history and culture. Company leaders should use storytelling to explain what they do and expect, and they should encourage employees to talk about who they are and what they do each day. Take this last idea: it’s sometimes hard for a supervisor to see what employees do or appreciate the nuance of the behaviors they see. This is especially true in the service sector where supervisors are rarely close enough to see a moment of service; that’s why it’s a good practice to ask employees to tell their service stories. It’s amazing what you can learn about your employees - their likes and dislikes, and their triumphs and failures, when they're given an opportunity to talk about themselves. And it’s also a great way to foster 2-way conversations, let others hear about what others do, and create opportunities for recognition. Promote storytelling today.
Sanhita Baruah: Indian marketing executive and author
No comments:
Post a Comment