STOCKHOLM, Sweden–Credit unions have terabytes of data and are fond of using it and citing it in graphs, charts and slide decks, but even the most powerful numbers require something more when it comes to successfully executing on a strategy, one person told the Global Women’s Leadership Network: telling a story.
Storytelling—and the stories often aren’t told well, said Tara Todras-Whitehill—isn’t just for the marketing department. It involves everyone in the credit union and the credit union itself, Todras-Whitehill said.
Todras-Whitehill, the founder of TW Storytelling Agency, is a former photojournalist who has had 20 photos appear on the front page of the New York Times. She also spent a decade running creative agencies and does training with social impact organizations.
In a world in which the landscape is more competitive than ever when it comes to being heard and seen, Todras-Whitehill shared this observation by Robert McAfee Brown: “Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas in the world today.”
What to Think About
What credit unions must understand about being powerful, according to Todras-Whitehill is that “We always have to think about how we can incorporate storytelling into everything we do. There are always ways to make sure you can put a story in your work and it will help you connect with people.”
When people think of visual storytelling, the default is to think of pictures and video, she said. But Todras-Whitehill said there are many other ways to tell stories, including illustrations, animation, data visualization, presentations, website design, social media, text and so more.
“Anything can be a story and it should. Our brains are made for stories, so why not put stories into everything?” Todras-Whitehill asked. “I come from an engineering background. I have a science brain, so I always like to bring the science. Our brains are wired for stories.”
What Neuro-Cinematics Demonstrates
To that end, Todras-Whitehill cited a study out of Princeton University related to neuro-cinematics, which showed the parts of the brain that lit up when test subjects were shown various movies and TV shows, along with just a reality video from Washington Square Park. The Washington State Park video sparked the least brain activity.
“To me what it showed is if you just give them a video and not a story, they are not as engaged,” Todras-Whitehill stated.
She advised that to inspire an investment of people’s time and to create impact requires engaging the senses, creating an emotional response and ultimately leading to a feeling of connection.
“It’s as if we are transported,” said Todras-Whitehill. “And then we want to share,” noting the most valuable piece of real estate in social media is the “share button.”
Todras-Whitehill said her online search prior to addressing the group had not found many examples of credit unions sharing their stories, which she said “leaves a lot of room for storytelling.”
Success is Always About ‘Success’
Many stories that are shared, including at credit unions, are “success stories,” but Todras-Whitehall told her audience that while “success stories are awesome, but don’t forget the journey they went on. We don’t want to share the failures But how you overcame challenges are just as important as the success.”
Do You Know the Difference?
As part of the presentation, one audience member from Australia shared her credit union’s annual report, which she joked was “basically for our employees and my mom; that’s who looks at it.”
But more seriously, she highlighted how in that annual report the CU highlights its effect on its members and community.
“In a mutual you should know what kind of a difference you are making,” the audience member shared, noting the report shares results of the question posed to employees, “Do you know the difference you make?
Added Todras-Whitehill, “Storytelling internally is just as important as storytelling externally.”
Examples of Good Storytelling
- Kiva, which has good examples of how data tells the story
- Herstart, which avoids mistake of being too text heavy and shares simple visuals to tell stories
- TW Story Telling Agency, which is Todras-Whitehill’s firm’s website
- Farewill, which uses stories to talk about creating a will
Final Advice
Before closing, Todras-Whitehill offered this piece of advice “Visuals are not just a ornament, they are an addition. Let the audience make the leap. Otherwise, it’s boring. Give something additional to your story to create more interest. Don’t ornament, add.”
To sum up, she reminded that when it comes to storytelling:
- Share one visual
- Tell a member’s story
- Match a metric to a story
- Show transformation
Credit unions, she observed, have both big data and stories. “And that’s the best.”
