As businesses have adapted to COVID conditions and remote working, the need to foster genuine connections with our colleagues and customers has become a top priority.
There’s an edge to the presenter, communicator or business negotiator who can show vulnerability and reveal their personality and how they experience the world in order to build connection. The foundation of this technique is through telling a story.
‘Introverts who act like extraverts are viewed by others as having more leadership potential,’ Andrew Spark and Peter O’Connor reported inThe Conversation last month.
‘Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage with a business audience. When we’re hearing a story and certain regions of our brain activate, neurons are wiring together to help us remember what we’re hearing,’ says National Institute of Dramatic Art’s (NIDA) Corporate Director Vanessa White.
‘Stories enable us to connect with people on a more authentic, personal level and to find relatable experiences to bond over.’
The question is – how do you tell a story that will capture your audience’s attention – and keep it? How do you put your stories to work?
‘Stories are a great enabler to building rapport with people, particularly when we share experiences which are relevant, relatable, and can encourage a sense of empathy or understanding from those you are talking to.’
Using the actors’ toolkit, developed over 60 years, NIDA Corporate courses harness the same techniques that have created NIDA’s award-winning alumni.
New NIDA Corporate course: Storytelling: From Personal to Professionalstarts fromWed 17 Mar orWed 9 Jun and runs online in the evening over five weeks. More information here.
NIDA Corporateisofferingonline trainingcoursesusing practical methods you can implement straight away to navigate the challenges of remote working, whatever your industry, company structure or individual needs. All you need is a laptop or computer with a microphone.Find out more at nida.edu.au/corporate.
