Companies hiring storytellers to mentor staff, help in handling corporate life

By J Vignesh

BENGALURU:The images that one conjures of a corporate are high-rise buildings, plush interiors and serious employees bent over their computers, working mechanically. How do we humanise the cliché?

The answer is through stories. Yes, storytelling is the new-age 'mentor and guide' to tackle the tough corporate life.

A story has a structure -a beginning, a conflict and an end, much like any problem that a corporate wants to solve. A story, through this structure, seeks to provide answers to the challenge in a creative way. "For a human being, it is very important to nourish the mind. People are stressed out. Stories give that creativity and wisdom," said Geeta Ramanujam, founder-director of Kathalaya Trust and Academy of Storytelling.



Through these sessions, corporates seek to engage with employees about the vision, culture and values of the company. "If most employees cannot even remember the organisation's values, how can they be expected to embody those values?" asked Ameen Haque, founder, Storywallahs.

The sessions are not just about listening to tales. They are also about how to tell a story . Employees are trained to give good presentations, to manage time and to think outof-the-box. "It is not taught in any business school. A lot of presentations are full of data and numbers these days. If one can weave the numbers into a narrative -a data story -it is appealing," said Haque.

Why does the corporate world need to master this art?

"Corporates are selling stories. Every ad talks about a story . This is how they reach out to customers. Every brand has a story to share," said Aparna Athreya, founder of Kid and Parent foundation and founding member of Bangalore Storytelling Society .

Stories emotionally connect with the audience because "of the voice modulation and body language of the storyteller. Every listener carries emotions," said Sowmya KB, who was a student at Kathalaya be fore becoming a storytelling professional.

Corporate employees too are willing listeners because they take away more than just stories and pleasant memories."We learnt that stories can be come metaphors for what we want to do differently," said Anju Sethi, head of recruitment and L&D at Tesco, who was part of several storytelling sessions.

In the words of Murali Raj SG, head of psychiatry at Manipal Hospital, "Storytelling speaks to the mind and makes everyone a participant. It gives one a better learning experience."