Trust, Stories and the Baobab Tree

By Helen Eyre

I clearly remember my first stories, not from my mother or father but from an old wise man from my childhood in Zimbabwe. Madala would tell me and my sisters great tales of the Baobab tree. He was so well known and loved by all the children who flocked to Matopas, a stunning range of hills where huge round boulders seemingly balanced on top of each other. They were just outside Bulawayo where I was born, and incidentally where Cecil John Rhodes (the founder of Rhodesia which went on to become Zimbabwe in 1980) was buried. Madala told tales of the tree's seeds being mixed with water to make lemonade to protect us from the crocodiles. He banned us from picking the Baobab flowers, saying it was bad luck and a lion would have us for supper. He told us stories of animals and plants which were enchanting, memorable and which we savoured.  

Later in life it come as no surprise to my family that I became a journalist and told other people’s stories. Today I am a communication trainer and coach and spend my time encouraging others to share their stories. They still fascinate me and seem to work amazingly well in the workplace. As one Hewlett Packard Executive wrote: 

“Scratch the surface in a typical boardroom and we’re just cavemen with briefcases, hungry for a wise person to tell us stories.”
Alan Kay 

I believe that story telling is one of the most powerful ways of really communicating messages and the art is as ancient as time itself.  A great story teller can capture imaginations, distil complex issues and take you on a journey to places you’ve never been, yet you feel that you have had first hand experience of that place.

Some stories are magical and mystical, and in recent years business and organisations have realised that personal stories are one of the most engaging communication tools. There are many reasons to love stories at work, and here are just 5 which answer the question WHY STORIES?

1. Trust through disclosure – many people use stories as a way to build rapport or influence groups. If you disclose something quite personal about yourself to others it shows that you trust them, provided you are being authentic. Disclosure is often used by senior managers to engage with people in an emotional way. If the audience are more junior, use stories which highlight your authenticity, humility or humour and avoid talking too much on about your successes or how marvellous you are.  
2. Long term memory – if a story is well told, it will have more chance of being stored in the long term memory as the information is linked together in sequences making it easier for the brain to digest.
3. Meaning – stories work really well in the workplace as a means of communicating complex issues. Through giving an example (which is a short story) issues feel more precise or concrete. Stories can be used to ensure that strategies feel real and mean something.
4. Senses – storytelling provides richness through language and delivery.  If the storyteller is proficient, the receivers will create pictures or a movie in their minds eye, hear the richness or the tone of voice and specific nature of the words, feel the emotions or go on the journey with them. Some people can even smell and taste the experience.
5. Whole brain - story telling is what we call whole brain communication. It appeals to both left brain (logical) people and right brain (emotional) types.

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