Take any workplace, anywhere in the country, and you will find a group of people with a story to tell. There will be some common threads, similarities by virtue of profession, geographical location, or luck, but also differences—unique experiences, viewpoints, and in some cases challenges faced along the way.
Most of these differences will be of little consequence other than potentially light-hearted rivalries; many of you will know of two colleagues who sit either side of the North-London Derby or have differing opinions over who was better between Oasis and Blur.
When Differences Divide
What happens, however, when there are differences that leave members of the team disconnected? What impact is there upon the productivity of that team member who finds themselves isolated by their point of difference?
We know that a connected workforce—one that can identify with the work they do and the people they share that work with—will be more effective, benefiting from better productivity, reduced turnover, and the ability to attract the best talent.
The Social Mobility Challenge
Research has consistently shown that people from more affluent backgrounds take a disproportionate number of the best jobs and that many employers and sectors tend to disproportionately employ graduates who went to private schools and elite universities. The result is an underrepresentation of those from lower socio-economic backgrounds within workplaces and a sense of ‘othering’ that leaves them feeling ill at ease within their workplaces.
Storytelling as a Catalyst for Inclusion
One potential solution is to harness the power of storytelling. Stories create connection, help us to understand one another, and encourage empathy, taking an issue that we know exists in the cold, blunt world of statistics and assigning a real face, real voice, and real journey to it.
Stories can educate their workforce and provide a tangible statement to their staff that they are welcome, valued, and crucially, not alone. To hear a colleague—be they someone you know or have never met—tell their personal story can be a great connector and evidence of unspoken shared experiences. If that story comes from a senior leader, the power can be magnified, a suggestion that not only are you not alone, but there is space for you higher up and, in turn, a space potentially for your organisation in your future.
