Once upon a time there was a company CEO who knew that he needed to motivate his employees – the company was clawing and fighting for every sale, and customers were leaving their stores and going elsewhere. Today was the town meeting. . .his chance to infuse new energy into his employees.
To prepare, he had met with a group of his best in marketing to create the presentation. They had researched, digging enthusiastically for every fact that could support the need for increased sales and service. He had a fifty page PowerPoint deck that contained the most reliable, most researched, most supportive charts, graphs and tables.
Standing before his employees, he saw tired faces anxious for good news. He felt good about the data he was going to present to them, and hoped it would motivate them.
What the CEO didn’t consider:
The data motivated him because it would directly affect his annual bonus; employees making ten dollars an hour might not be as motivated by the financial data because it wouldn’t directly affect their income.
He welcomed everyone and began. With every single slide of information his audience lost energy. They had put in long hours, cancelled vacations, and taken pay cuts. They’d suffered through lay-offs and forced furloughs. The CEO realized the difficulties they had faced, but was sure this information would make them feel better. He began to stumble slightly.
What the CEO didn’t consider:
When people are fearful, mad or sad they discredit facts regardless of the credibility of the data. Data and facts convince the brain. The story behind the numbers drives the emotion.
What could the CEO have done differently?
The CEO could have used a few key facts to engage the brain. Then he could have told a story about the people that had built their company and how the audience’s daily efforts continued to strengthen the family that was started so many years ago. He could have talked about their customers, and provided a (true) story of how their efforts changed the life of a customer that needed their help of product.
Rather than providing facts to ask for increased effort, he could have inspired them with stories of how they’ve pulled together in the past, and he could have drawn a picture of a future celebration of success. He could have made commitments of small performance bonuses. He could have said he was staying around to help them create the happy ending they all deserved to this tough economy.
Numbers are a result of the daily behaviors people put into practice. Those behaviors require conviction and constant energy. Want to change the numbers? Tell a story that means something to the audience you’re addressing!
2 comments. Leave new
Excellent points and practical suggestions.
One of the things I like about this article is that in it, you do exactly what you’re advocating. The situation is logically analyzed but it and the solutions are in a story form.
Write On!