The art of storytelling is a must!

What’s your story of who we are? What do we bring to the table?

L&D has never been about content; it’s always been about humans. You might call them “talents” in your WORL&D. L&D should tell the story about humans, how they grow and develop to achieve more than they would have ever thought. L&D’s story should be more about the conductor who becomes invisible between the audience and the orchestra. About someone whose value is not measured by how long the musical piece takes, but how the experience impacts the short walk in the parking lot after the event, or the watercooler conversations the day after.

User experience is what brings the audience to fill out the room. The best conductors become invisible during the performance, literally “conducting” the experience by connecting the orchestra with the audience. Letting the music tell the story, creating the experience itself, is more memorable than any drag-and-drop in the WORL&D.

One of L&D’s challenges today is showing the value to the business. Showing the value is not an easy task because the value L&D creates is not in the course content, it’s in people’s minds. It’s invisible, yet actionable. It’s the knowledge, skills, and behaviors we ultimately help change, and we should capitalize “HELP.” We’re not changing anything. We facilitate the change.

If your story is about the content you create, the length of training hours you provide, and the number of completions you count, your story will most likely end as a drama or a thriller. While automation can replace us with tools to create content, we still have the advantage of creating good stories that resonate with the audience on an emotional level.

The path to staying relevant in the field of learning and development may not hinge on new technology or buzzwords, but rather on our ability to conduct to engage, motivate, and inspire humans.

Storytelling is a powerful tool to engage, motivate, and even inspire humans. And so, the art of storytelling is a tool we must master for survival. Yet, the story is never about the storyteller, the music is never about the conductor.

What’s your story of who we are? What do we bring to the table?