Great communicators are, in large part, storytellers. There’s nothing like a great personal story to make an important point memorable—cementing it into our hearts and minds. While repetition is important, it’s less-so when people share their personal stories until they are thread-bare. In other words, repeatedly telling stories about experiences you had 5 – 10 years ago can date you.
Managers and leaders can fall into this trap. To be clear, there may be nothing wrong with the individual’s story. But when I hear a leader repeatedly tell a story that’s 10 years old, it makes me wonder if they aren’t lacking any new experiences that, when converted into stories, would have help them make the same point. Stale stories can make it appear that you’re not in ‘the game’…relying too much on what can feel like ancient history.
Leaders are most effective when they’re acting in the ‘here-and-now’. Stale stories don’t cut it. If you need better (more relevant) stories, create some new experiences! Both you and your people will be better off for it.
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