Second only to ‘have a defined purpose and strategy’, amongst our nine hallmarks for world class communications ‘having a clear and compelling narrative’ is an essential piece of your internal communications puzzle.
I can proselytize about narrative all day long - it’s just that critical! But what do I mean when I say “narrative” and why do you so desperately need one?
If having a defined purpose and strategy is the first hallmark, your next step is to tell everyone all about it – and a narrative helps you do just that.
What is a narrative?
In a communications setting, a narrative refers to a structured, coherent story that organises and presents information in a compelling and engaging manner.
Narratives can be used in various communication contexts, such as marketing, advertising, public relations, journalism, and storytelling.
They’re so popular because humans are raised on stories – most of our morals and beliefs come from fairy tales and parables, and we entertain and learn about each other through recounting information to one another.
In fact, did you know that it’s a different part of the brain all together that lights up when we hear a story rather than a bunch of facts? We need and love stories that much.
What are the benefits of a clear and compelling narrative?
By utilising a narrative format, rather than just presenting facts and information, communicators can make complex ideas more relatable and easier to understand, enhancing the overall impact of their message.
In times of change or organisational transformation, a strategic narrative becomes even more crucial. It provides a clear rationale for change, can alleviate resistance and anxiety by providing context, and helps employees make sense of a new direction.
A good narrative should evoke an emotional response – one that connects the audience to the storyteller. Think inspiration. Empathy. Excitement. Motivation. Pride.
By leveraging storytelling techniques an emotional connection makes content more engaging, memorable, and impactful for employees.
What should I include in my narrative?
A great way to think about a narrative’s key elements is to loosely consider the ‘hero’s journey’ structure. In the 1940s, Joseph Campbell looked at the commonalities of mythological storytelling and identified several common elements. Those elements have held true across modern storytelling too. From Odysseus to Luke Skywalker to Harry Potter – all share similar traits that you can build into organisational narrative.
One of the first of Campbell’s stages is “the ordinary world”. Think about the context that your business exists within. Think about Frodo in the Lord of the Rings series, living in Hobbiton peacefully. When creating a narrative, I like to start the sentence (in my head as a starting point, not on paper) with “in a world where…”
If we’re talking narrative for internal communication’s sake, its foundation is your organisation’s vision and purpose. Your vision is the idyll future that you’re heading towards. The purpose is your reason to travel in that direction.
Across the journey you can retell the organisation’s history, milestones, and significant achievements. Just like any journey, there’ll be hardships along the way (Orcs et al) – but your values help you to negotiate difficult times (the morals and principles within Fellowship). By building these moments of overcoming into your narrative, you’ll set behavioural expectations and reinforce the culture of the organization.
Finally, your narrative should include a call to action that inspires employees to take ownership of their role in the organisation's success. Think about the “what’s in it for me?” for your audience, and make sure to include it in your narrative. Bring them along in your merry band toward Mordor.
With all of that covered, it’s also important that your narrative feels genuine and resonates with employees – so it should all be wrapped up in a tone of voice that feels authentic to the organisation. It should reflect the current employee experience, but also leave a bit of room for aspiration and improvement.
Remember: you will need to regularly revisit and reinforce the narrative. While your vision and purpose will remain the same (getting that ring to that fiery pit to end evil!) your route, tactics and cast of characters may vary along the way.
Of course, your organisation’s narrative isn’t quite as neat and linear as Frodo’s (I’d also hope it takes fewer than 3 hours to tell) but many of the same storytelling elements should appear.
How do I use a narrative for internal communications?
Aside from the clear emotional connection stories can create between humans, there are benefits to be had for communicators by incorporating narrative into their day-to-day roles.
Repeatability means memorability! If you want to drive awareness and recall (for example, about your organisation’s strategic priorities), utilising the same narrative playbook across the organisation is a great starting point.
With your narrative agreed, written down, and held central for all leaders and stakeholders, you will have a base document from which to create all future messages.
By repeating words, phrases and themes from your narrative in your everyday business-as-usual communications and relating small messages and behavioural examples back to the big picture, you’ll create a cohesive, joined-up story that makes it easier for employees to situate themselves within their context - helping employees understand how their work contributes to the larger objectives.
With a clear storyline in place, your communications will cut through the noise and deliver consistent messages that resonate with employees at every turn.
Journeying towards Mordor
Crafting a clear strategic narrative isn't just a luxury—it's an absolute necessity for internal communication – and a deserving member of our nine hallmarks.
A great narrative creates alignment, sets direction, fosters a sense of meaning and shapes expectations.
A narrative should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should resonate with employees on an emotional level, making them feel connected, motivated, and proud to be a part of the organisation – a little like a merry band of heroes journeying towards Mordor.
See how our internal communications consultants can help you today, and contact us to discuss the tangible differences we could make to your organisation.