How to Use Storytelling to Promote Inclusivity

Early in my career, when I shared the story of a workshop that completely bombed (an email announcing layoffs arrived in everyone's inbox during day 1 lunch of a two-day program -- and I had no idea how to handle this), three women immediately reached out to share their own "disaster" stories. We realized we'd all been carrying shame about normal learning experiences while watching men turn similar setbacks into compelling leadership narratives about risk-taking and resilience. The conversation that we had was more valuable than any success story I could have shared. As women, we are stuck in a double-bind: we are less likely to share our successes AND we are less likely to share our failures. Today, I'm talking about the latter. Sharing failure stories normalizes setbacks as part of growth rather than evidence of inadequacy. When we women are vulnerable about their struggles and what they learned, it creates permission for others to reframe their own experiences. This collective storytelling helps distinguish between individual challenges and systemic issues that affect many women similarly. Men more readily share and learn from failures, often turning them into evidence of their willingness to take risks and push boundaries. Women, knowing our failures are judged more harshly, tend to hide them or frame them as personal shortcomings. This creates isolation around experiences that are actually quite common and entirely normal parts of professional development. Open discussion about setbacks establishes the expectation that failing is not only normal but necessary for success. It builds connection and community among women who might otherwise feel alone in their struggles. When we reframe failures as data and learning experiences rather than shameful secrets, we reduce their power to limit our future risk-taking and ambition. Here are a few tips for sharing and learning from failure stories: • Practice talking about setbacks as learning experiences rather than personal inadequacies • Share what you learned and how you've applied those lessons, not just what went wrong • Seek out other women's failure stories to normalize your own experiences • Look for patterns in women's challenges that suggest systemic rather than individual issues (and then stop seeing systemic challenges as personal failures!) • Create safe spaces for honest conversation about struggles and setbacks • Celebrate recovery and growth as much as initial success • Use failure stories to build connection and mentorship relationships with other women We are not the sum of our failures, but some of our failures make us more relatable, realistic, and ready for our successes. So let's not keep them to ourselves. #WomensERG #DEIB #failure

As a leader of learning and development teams and now in my consulting role, I've noticed a shift in how we present the impact of our work. We used to rely heavily on facts, charts, and pages of detailed statistics to showcase our reach. But I've found #storytelling to be a much more compelling way to demonstrate real human #impact. This was driven home for me in a recent Amazon commercial that features three women gazing at a snowy hill where people are sledding. Not a single word is spoken, yet we understand these friends are reminiscing about childhood memories made in a similar setting. The story of lasting connection and friendship shines through beautifully without overt explanation. I think this is a key lesson for those of us in L&D roles. We spend so much time tracking participation rates, completion metrics and quiz scores. But what really matters is how our work impacts real people and teams. Storytelling puts faces and #emotions to the numbers. By spotlighting individual learner journeys, we can showcase personal growth and #performance improvements. Instead of stating "95% of employees completed our new manager training last quarter," we can share, "Let me tell you about how Amy implemented what she learned about feedback conversations to dramatically improve her team's engagement scores." Storytelling aligns people to purpose by helping them see themselves and their colleagues reflected in the narratives. It builds connection as people realize we all experience similar pain points, growth opportunities, and wins. So as you look for ways to expand the reach and impact of L&D in your organization, I encourage you to tell more stories. Share how real humans have advanced in their careers thanks to new skills, built relationships using your training content or overcome challenges after adopting new tools. The facts and stats remain important, but the stories will truly capture hearts and minds. Have an example to share? Add it in the comments below and let's learn together!

Asking your people for stories doesn’t work. Here’s what does. I see this a lot. Leaders are excited about activating the power of story. So they say to their people, “send us your stories! (Written, or recorded on your phone.)” You’ll be disappointed by the results. You may get some good statements. But you probably will NOT get the rich, human stories you are looking for. 👎🏼 Your people aren’t used to this. 👎🏼 They don’t know what “good” looks like. 👎🏼 Or they don’t think they can tell great stories. This requires a bit of facilitation. Instead of saying “send us your stories,” what if you created a story event? Bring people together. (Virtual works.) Ask for the kind of story you’re looking for. Use “Tell me about a time when…” language. Share a simple story framework. Everyone responds to the STAR model because it is so simple. (STAR is Situation + Tension + Action + Result.) Or you can use my free Story Canvas to build a richer and more nuanced story. (DM me and I’ll send you the Story Canvas!) Have them build their stories, working individually. Then put them in circles to tell stories to each other! The circle format is essential for breathing life into the stories. Use a form to have participants capture their stories after the event so you can sort and review. (I have a form I can share with you. DM me and I’ll send it.) While you are focused on the outcome of gathering stories, something else significant is happening. 💥 People are connecting. 💥 They are building culture in the moment. 💥 They are activating the mission and values. 💥 They are building their own voice of leadership It is a powerful experience. They will say “wow, why don’t we do that more often?” 😊 What stories do your people need to tell? #storytelling #culturetransformation #leadershipdevelopment