Building a Story Pool by Building a Story Habit

Building a story habit is not as difficult as everyone thinks. All you need to do is look for sources in the right places and apply them at the right time.

Being a manager or any leader involves a lot of roles. That includes being a storyteller.

Imagine yourself a financial institution manager who wants to convince your staff and superiors to adapt critical strategies in providing loans and grants. It would not be enough to tell them what those strategies are. It would be best to convince them to approve and apply those steps.

So, it would help if you incorporated storytelling. You can tell your team a success story about implementing innovative techniques.

But of course, the above scenario is not the only one you will encounter at work. There are dozens of different situations you will find yourself in. Therefore, you cannot just rely on one success story.

It would be best if you had a story pool.

What is a story pool?

It’s a portfolio of narratives, testimonials, and experiences stored in your mind. You can readily use your internal library of stories when the need arises.

But how can you build a story pool?

Through one particular story habit: noticing  change.

Change is inevitable. Anywhere we go, anywhere we look, there’s change. You can use the changes you witness to add to your story collection.

This article explains how the story habit of noticing change can help you build a story pool that would lead you and your team to success.

How does building a story habit lead to creating a story pool?

Noticing change is the first story habit you can enhance. It will help you improve your skills as a leader/storyteller.

It’s undeniable. Change is inevitable. Wherever you go, and whatever you do, changes happen.

And think about, any story really, is ultimately about change.

Therefore, you can begin with change. It’s an excellent place to find stories you can store in your story pool.

The changes you witness allow you to see the value of storytelling. Noticing a difference establishes the need for a story pool.

For instance, you come across an article in a magazine. It’s about the lack of healthcare in some of the poorest countries in the world. You see the value of this change for a future meeting with upper management about approvals on capital projects.

What do you do? Store the story in your mental library; your story pool.

Noticing a change helps you envision the impact of a story pool.

You overhear a story about a woman missing a meeting due to a flight delay. Because of what happened, she could not close a deal with an important client.

This is the best time to discuss the value of time. It can significantly impact your team’s perception of time management for better work performance.

What should you do? File the narrative in your story pool.

Noticing a change can be the means for needed action.

Your child was not able to finish her report last night. That’s because she was too sleepy when she started working on it. She practiced tennis first, leaving her too exhausted to work on her report.

She needed to change her routine, her habit. Work on homework first before her extracurriculars.

A much-needed change in her strategy mirrors a necessary change in your company’s strategy of filing reports on approved grants.

What should you do? Include the story in your mind portfolio.

Steps on how to build a story pool through building a story habit.

Now that you know the necessity, impact, and outcome of a story pool, it’s time to learn how to build one.

Find sources

There are plenty of them!

Apart from what you observe as you walk down the park or drive toward work, you can gather sources of information. Articles, social media posts, and other online and offline sources can help you multiply your storage.

Did you come across an Instagram post about sustainable solutions? Why don’t you file it and use it later to discuss how to enhance the global partnership of your financial institution?

Share your own

It’s the easiest and most convenient way. Transfer the details from your memory to your pool of stories. Nothing beats personal experiences.

First-hand stories and testimonials have a credibility factor to them. Adding them to your mental arsenal will bear fruit for you, your team, and the entire organization.

Ask your members

Your member stories are real and relatable. They can be full of funny, inspiring, and motivational situations that you can use.

No matter how long you have been a financial institution manager or another kind of leader in a different company, it’s always difficult to introduce change to your staff – even to your superiors. Most people are set in their ways. Introducing a new strategy to approve loans can be pretty daunting.

But with the real stories you gathered, you can let these people see the light.

You can find more on gathering stories here.

Your simple stories can help your staff and superiors envision a different future. You can use your story pool to gather momentum.

Final Thoughts

The changes you become exposed to are yours for the taking. You can convert them into stories and store them in your mind for future use.

Building a story habit, such as noticing a change, can make the difference in how you, your members, and the entire company work.

A story pool is necessary, impactful, and calls for action. There are many ways, such as personal, member, and outside stories, for you to fill up this pool. But whatever the content, this library ensures only the best outcomes for you.

So, start noticing changes around you. Build a story pool and pick one that best suits your workplace scenario.