One of the biggest “buzz” phrases in public speaking is, “Tell a story!”
And for good reason . . . Storytelling is one of the most powerful forms of communication, stimulating emotions which are key to better learning, attention, memory and decision-making.
Recent research shows that:
- Your brain “lights up” when you are listening to a story (indicating engagement)
- Stories provoke emotional thought (enabling learning)
- We don’t pay attention to boring things (we get “through it” but don’t “get it”)
In the article, The Science Behind Storytelling — and Why It Matters author Gavin McMahon provides some interesting scientific proof describing the impact of storytelling as well as a collection of storytelling rules tweeted out by Emma Coats, former story artist at Pixar.
How do you use storytelling in your communications? Please share!
Hi John, thank you for your thoughtful comment and sharing the story of your Uncle Kenny. I will be sure to read your article. What a divine connection with your Uncle.
Stephanie, what a great way to start the day, reading of the impact of stories on the brain. Last week I wrote an article about the experience of recall, and my Uncle Kenny. He use to tell me a simple story he called the mouse story. When I tell the same story to my grand daughter, I sometimes smell my Uncle’s aftershave and can almost feel him there with us. Talk about a connection! Thank you for sharing this.