How to Use Storytelling to Communicate What Excellence Looks Like and…To Celebrate Awesome

When I went to check out after getting my oil changed at the auto dealership (Ira Honda Saco), Alberto, the service advisor I usually work with, let me know he found a discount coupon that made my oil change practically free.

I was pleasantly surprised, especially since I had checked on the dealership’s website and didn’t notice a coupon.

While I appreciated him saving me money, what was more meaningful to me was the thoughtfulness and integrity he displayed with this simple act.

It strengthened my feeling—based on other experiences—that Alberto has my back and that I can trust him to do right by me.

I’m sharing this because it is a great example of how each employee that interacts with customers and potential customers influences a business’s reputation and brand.

It’s also an example of the kind of teaching stories you want to share with YOUR employees.

You want to share these kinds of stories because, as Made to Stick authors Chip and Dan Heath say: “Stories provide inspiration and simulation.”

When you share what I call Stories of Awesome, you inspire your employees to perform at a more elite level and… you provide an example of what that looks and sounds like. By giving examples, you’re creating a virtual reality training video of behaviors you want them to emulate.

I recommend capturing stories from within your business as well as examples from outside your business, when you were the customer or patient. (I will definitely be using this story in upcoming trainings )

TO APPLY THIS

Ask your employees for examples where they delivered great customer service, or they saw a co-worker do so. Curate these and use them in new hire orientation, training, and coaching.

Ask your employees to be on the lookout for their own experiences as a customer or patient where the representative of the business or organization either strengthened their positive opinion or damaged it. Make sure you get them to identify what specifically the person did that resulted in the effect they had.

Don’t just get the details of the interaction. Ask them to also describe what they thought and felt in the experience, as this helps your employees gain more insight into reactions people on the other end of the experience—the customer or patient—have, but won’t actually say. These insights foster greater empathy and Emotional Intelligence.

Finally…to Chip and Dan Heath’s “Stories provide inspiration and simulation” I like to add “celebration.”

When you capture and shares “Stories of Awesome” you are letting your employees know you notice and appreciate awesome.

And remember…what you appreciate…appreciates!