Increasing Employee Engagement through Storytelling

Increasing Employee Engagement with Story A CHARITY VILLAGE /VERY GOOD STORIES WEBINAR FOR NON PROFITS

What’s happening 54% of employees in Canada and the US

are disengaged

18% of employees are actively disengaged

That means 72% of the workforce just turn up.

(Gallup, State of the Global Workplace Report 2013)

Activity: What does ‘engaged’ mean? Close your eyes.

Think about a time when you were really engaged. When you lost track of time. When you were completely in the moment.

Stay there for a moment.

How did it feel when you were doing that activity?

(Tell us in the chat box!)

Why Employee Engagement Matters

When employees are engaged they feel CONNECTED to your organization.

This means they:

- Want to come to work (most of the time)

- Are enthusiastic about your organization

- Will contribute willingly where it’s needed

- Will want to stay with YOU

Participant Poll Does your organization have an employee engagement strategy?

Yes

No

Don’t know

Where Employee Engagement Matters Leadership:

Vision

Meaning

Purpose

Connection

Where Employee Engagement Matters

Culture:

Engaged employees help create a better place to work – every day

Where Employee Engagement Matters Service Delivery:

Happy employees = Happy clients = Happy Donors & Volunteers

Where Employee Engagement Matters External Communications and relationships:

Engaged employees are your best AMBASSADORS

Why Stories Matter

People LOVE Stories

People REMEMBER Stories

People SHARE Stories

Why?

We are hardwired for stories

Stories generate an emotional response.

Participant Poll Does your organization use story internally to talk about your impact?

Yes

No

Don’t know

Where Stories Matter Leadership

Vision

Meaning

Purpose

Connection

Stories help leaders to convey vision and create connection to your cause

Where Stories Matter

Culture:

Engaged employees help create a better place to work – every day

Stories help your staff to connect to each other

Where Stories Matter Service Delivery:

Happy employees = Happy clients = Happy Donors

Stories tell your employees how they are making a difference

Where Stories Matter External Communications and relationships:

Engaged employees are your best AMBASSADORS

Your employees are already telling stories about you. What kind are they telling?

Types of Stories in Non Profits

Your Founder Story

Your Impact Story

Your Client Impact Stories

Your Employee Impact Stories

Your Leaders’ Stories

Storytelling Tips for Storytelling:

Get clear on your organizational ‘so what?’

Use your own stories to enable learning and decision making

Find opportunities to tell stories internally

Model storytelling

Don’t try to be perfect – give it a go!

Story Listening Tips for Story Listening:

Be curious

Wander

Pay attention

Keep a story log

Great storytelling always starts with being able to listen…

Story Sharing Creating Opportunities for Story Sharing:

Have a story sharing element for team meetings

Performance Reviews

Internal communication

Create cross team story sharing opportunities

Participant Poll Do you think there are opportunities to introduce Story Sharing into your organization?

Yes

No

Don’t know

Creating Impact Stories

Story structure to share impact:

BEGINNING – description of situation

MIDDLE – outline the ‘problem’

END – describe the solution – how did you help? How did life change for your client/community?

Questions?

Presented by: Lianne Picot Story Coach Very Good Stories [email protected] www.verygoodstories.com With Charity Village www.charityvillage.com

Thank You for Listening!

And the Non Profit employees lived happily ever after knowing the work they did mattered… The End