The importance of a good story
"The world is shaped by two things, stories told and the memories they leave behind." - Vera Nazarian
As we turn from GRESB to other frameworks and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reports, an experience comes to mind. Having met sustainability professionals from around the world in many different sectors - I am often amazed at the incredible work being done. Genuinely creative and innovative solutions are often just below the surface at so many organizations.
I say just below the surface, as unfortunately, this is also where those incredible ideas sometimes stay - below the surface. So many organizations are doing so many wonderful things, but so many also do a really poor job at telling their story. Storytelling actually can provide an answer for surfacing those incredible things your organization is doing. It can be a productive technique that many of us instinctively use when reflecting on the past, making sense of the present, or forecasting the future.
It is essential that the story supports the mission of the organization and provides a meaningful message. A few techniques for this may be helpful as you think about your own sustainability messaging.
The first technique is to borrow from the world of screenwriting. If you watch a movie, play, or musical, have you noticed they often follow a similar formula? Once the scene is set, the writer creates a challenge. The stakes get higher, and through the narrative, the plot thickens. The author takes the plot to a rising point where a crisis exists, and a choice must be made. As the story continues, we see the results of the decision, and we reach a resolution. It can be laid out like this:
Of course, in a business setting, you may have a slightly different setup, but we still need to introduce the issue and the context for which it provides a challenge to the organization. That challenge may be environmental, social, or economic. Perhaps there is a dumpster that is rarely used but is still serviced every day. With each tip, the property is incurring costs, and the environment is being impacted by an unnecessary trip for the service. The ownership or management does not realize this is occurring instead of assuming that the service frequency provided is actually needed.
At this point, we have introduced a potential problem. Now in the business world, we likely deviate a bit from the three-act structure above in that we don’t have to truly develop a plot, but what we do need to do is arrive at what choice was made with enough background to explain why it was made.
The element of choice is a key element as we explore what is acceptable to the organization. This is also a pivotal reflection moment as we can weave in how others respond to our choices. As organizations change, the conversations around choice are often a catalyst for the direction the organization is going. Perhaps the choices previously available are no longer as desirable as the new choice. As the story is retold, the new choice is reinforced and blossoms into an acceptable decision.
This is also an excellent opportunity to link back the story to the organization’s vision or values. When the choice to pursue a sustainable outcome aligns with the companies mission, there is more buy-in and business relevance for the choice.
As we discuss the choice, be sure to address the challenges and failures encountered along the way. For the choice to be considered, it must face the scrutiny of application within each element of the organization. The question, “can this work for me?” has to be addressed. Adding details about the considerations, the challenges, and the failures help keep the story authentic and increase the odds of it being considered “doable.”
As we move past the choice and talk about the results or resolution, a good story leaves a little room for curiosity. The reader should be envisioning how this might work for them. A good story causes the reader’s mind to open up and find application for their own circumstances. This can be tricky as often we like the idea of spoon-feeding the story to our audience. By purposefully provoking the reader to consider the solution, we encourage them to engage, not read it and move on to the next story. This is the moment that we want to capture the hearts and minds of the audience.
Some key steps for good storytelling include:
Identifying the dominant narratives in your organization. Where are we at now?
Highlight the choices that are being made and how they relate to the story being told.
Is the story relatable? Are you giving your audience enough to help them envision the meaning of the story?
Another technique is tying the story to some more significant cause. In sustainability, there are many opportunities to demonstrate how the narrative fits into a more comprehensive solution. Next week, we will dive into one such tool, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how tying your CSR story to the UN SDGs can help sustain momentum.
Happy Storytelling!
You can help reduce the impact of the built environment by sharing this blog with your peers. Together we can impact the 39% of greenhouse gasses attributed to the built environment. It starts with awareness, and we succeed with teamwork.
Chris Laughman is the ThirtyNine Blog author, a blog dedicated to reducing the impact of the built environment. When not blogging, Chris is helping the real estate industry reduce energy and water impact as the Vice President of Sustainability for Conservice, the Utility Experts. Whether Multifamily, Single Family, Student Housing, Commercial, or Military, we simplify utility billing and expense management by doing it for you. Our insight into your utility consumption provides an opportunity to identify risks. Leveraging innovation and experience, we ignite solutions with real impacts and track performance to ensure the trendline stays laser-focused on the goal. To get there, we must build relationships within our organizations and outside of our organizations building the critical mass needed to truly make a difference. We have before us a tremendous opportunity. Standing shoulder to shoulder, we will get this done. Contact me at claughman@conservice.com for more information.