Why should we begin every meeting with a story?

In cats, we have cute kitties and fierce leopards. In sneaks, we have pythons and cobras. But there are no other human species. Why is that, and why it matters to business storytelling?

Two hundred thousand years ago, on this planet, we had other types of human species. Sturdy and muscular Homo-Neanderthals and Homo-Erectus were among them. Yet, they magically disappeared long ago.

How did we, Homo-Sapiens, a comparably weak species, conquered the world while others couldn’t?

Was it fire? Or languages?

No! Both Neanderthals and Homo-Erectus knew how to use fire. Even further, many other animals have their languages to communicate between them. For instance, elephants, dolphins, whales, and pretty much every other species have languages.

Neither Neanderthals nor Erectus had any significant benefit compared to a lion or a horse. Then a strange thing happened to us, which changed the course of our history. We started to tell stories.

Stories connect us in unbelievable ways.

Chimpanzees, elephants, and many other animals live in communities. Yet, their size doesn’t go beyond an arbitrary number—about 30 to 150 for Chimps and a 100 max for Elephants.

We, however, learned to cooperate in staggering numbers — the binding material? … stories!

Because stories allowed us to assemble in great numbers, even the muscular neanderthals couldn’t survive against us. Although they were stronger than homo-sapiens, they couldn’t gather in large numbers. A neanderthal could kill a homo sapiens in just a few punches. Yet, a ten-member neanderthal family is no match for an army of sapiens.

In today’s world, billions of otherwise unrelated people cooperate because they believed in some shared stories. Two unknown persons from different parts of the world join together to celebrate Christmas because they believe in the tales of Jesus. We elect presidents believing the stories the candidate tells us, don’t we?

Stories are influential material that brings us together and accomplishes otherwise impossible tasks.

Stories are influential material that brings us together and accomplishes otherwise impossible tasks. A great leader’s most prominent skill is not getting things done but telling compelling stories that create strong beliefs.

The story you should tell in your next business meeting.

Business meetings are not to share stories. I get it.

But, one short story wouldn’t hurt much. Stories are fantastic to drive the focus of your audience and get their involvement. For this reason, it is best to come up with a story that emphasizes the meeting objectives and place it at the beginning of the meeting.

A well-told story is not only pleasurable and memorable, but also contagious.

A good story should induce three happiness hormones in the brain — Dopamine, endorphin, and oxytocin. Translating to everyday language, a good story should get the audience's attention, make them laugh, and feel good.

Here is a simple strategy to craft a memorable story. Of course, this is not a mantra or a formula. But a good set of guidelines to start with.

• Start your story with a question. A question is a great way to awaken the audience’s curiosity by giving a dopamine hit.
• In the attempt to answer the question, introduce one or more fictional characters. Stories with characters connect with the audience personally, and characters bring the emotional element to the story.
• Explain the problems of your character with some humor to pump some endorphin. Individual struggles are also an excellent opportunity to bring in humor. Remember how Charlie Chaplin turned even homelessness and world war into comedy. I don’t urge you to make fun out of others' problems. But do it as a favor, and do it as an effort to solve their problem.
• Finally, talk about the promised land. How wonderful it would be once the characters' problems are solved. Tell them how big of an issue we are talking about. And conclude with the positive impact we are trying to make. When you make them proud of their involvement, the oxytocin in their brain will help them work with more dedication.

A well-told story is not only memorable, but it’s also contagious. Often in business meetings, you are not talking to only those in the room. The real audience may be the frontline workers, while you’ve been talking to some mid-level managers. Stories are an elegant way to convey your message without any information loss.

In summary

Stories are a significant advantage we as humans have. No other animal can narrate a story. Even our close relatives who lived on this planet before couldn’t.

Stories create trust among people, and when they believe, they corporate in unbelievable numbers. This is precisely why we could gather in thousands, millions, or in some cases in billions, whereas other animals do not go over a merger pack of hundred.

If stories have such strong binding potential, business leaders can use them in their meetings. A well-told story is perfect for drawing the audience's attention, get their involvement, and make them feel proud of it.

A story with a lasting impact should have performed three things in the brain. First, it should awaken the curiosity with dopamine. Then it should induce endorphin with some humor. Finally, your story should tell the audience that they could be proud of their involvement. Oxytocin, the brain chemical responsible for the proud moment, is contagious. They may go out and share the story with others to feel more proud.

Taking a minute or two to start your meeting with a story will be a game-changer. So, convey your meeting objectives in the form of a story.

Happy storytelling!

I originally published this article on datadriveninvestor.com