We Oughta Know that Stories Matter

The best part about summer for me is that I actually have time to think and to write.

While I get that it may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, it definitely makes me happy even though it’s often hard work.

The challenge for me is that I’m typically using different types of writing.

By way of example, this summer my writing included a chapter of a textbook being published by Athabasca University about leadership for active, creative, and engaged communities as well as another article called How One Small Rural Community Found their Ruby Slippers—and the Power of Innovation Within.

The former was purely academic and for me, the most difficult kind of writing. The latter was the most fun and easiest to write because it was a simply the story about one amazing small town and how they found the power within to turn their community around.

That got me thinking…

Why is it that we don’t use more stories in our day to day work? 

Even though we all tell stories, know we learn best from stories, and typically want to read stories more than academic journals, we still tend to place more value on academic writing that reflects facts and statistics and think of it as having more credibility and being more professional.

Not sure why that is because I’ve learned the best way to touch people’s hearts and minds is being real, telling stories, and doing it in an open and authentic way.

While it would be difficult to describe a winning formula for telling a good story because each of us is an innate storyteller and will have our own unique approach, the most effective are those that come from the heart. The best stories are always the ones that resonate with authenticity, passion, and values. It is through stories that capture our imagination and our spirit that we are able to embrace and impart an understanding of what really matters.

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