There is a reason that storytelling has been a primal means of communication dating back to our earliest tribal traditions. In this episode of Building Better Cultures, Scott McInnes's guest, Eoghan Tomás McDermott explains why – and how – people across the spectrum of business, sports and public service arenas can benefit from deploying the power of narrative. All it takes is awareness, guidance and practice!

Managing Director of The Communications Clinic, Eoghan works with clients to help them put in place the building blocks for compelling communications, both internal and external. His expertise centers around three core competencies:

• Strategic communications, PR, crisis communications and story placement
• Corporate training and coaching
• Careers and job interview preparation

But it is storytelling that's the thread that links all of the above. Since its founding in 2008, The Communications Clinic has helped people at all levels of leadership identify, locate and articulate the personal, memorable details that make for effective communications. It's a skill and rhetorical device that engages audiences with even the most abstract of data or statistics, bringing home the "why we should care."

Eoghan shares compelling anecdotes about clients who have found their voice through articulating vivid details behind what otherwise might register simply as impersonal facts. He and Scott share stories about helping leaders find an authentic voice, one that communicates branding by reaching people in meaningful ways. Whether cultivating loyalty and commitment internally among company ranks or projecting an effective, resonant message outward to clients, the power of connection cannot be underestimated. Find out why – and how to begin building connections today!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Eoghan shares a bit about The Communications Clinic, its founding and areas of focus.
• Storytelling as a valuable communications tool – not just a buzz word.
• Moving things from the conceptual to the real; abstract strategy doesn't have the "stickability" that a narrative does.
• Written versus Oral: Why there is such a lineage of storytelling in religious and other tribal traditions.
• The critical elements of storytelling:
• • Moving from general concepts and statistics, to the specific.
  • Vivid detail that enable audiences to fully use their imaginations.
  • A deliberate and satisfying structure: the before, the catalyst, the after.
• It's the combination of data and story that gives a message credibility.
• A critical piece: making old things feel new and new things feel familiar.
• Linking and Labeling: The challenge for leaders to learn how to communicate the big picture that drives and inspires employee commitment.
• Three mutually reinforcing elements foundational to effective messaging:
• • Substance to back up and elucidate subject matter.
  • Technique to render subjects interesting, understandable and memorable.
  • Clear, compelling communication to draw audiences in.
• How to help leaders in need of help with their communication style:
• • Establish where you are and hope to go as a corporate entity.
  • Understand your audience and what motivates those you're addressing.
  • Provide a suite of different stories that will resonate in different situations.
• Case studies can provide the framework for powerfully vivid, relatable stories.
• Authenticity isn't innate to everyone, but it is a skill that can be cultivated with help and practice.
• Verbally practicing a pitch or presentation is critical to performing comfortably and effectively. There's no substitute for rehearsing your story!
• Believing your own story is crucial to communicating confidence and authenticity.
• Practice makes perfect when it comes to communications fluency from start to finish.
• Being able to tell a story is a fundamental skill for all people at all career stages, from job applicant to C-suite leadership.

To learn more about the Building Better Cultures podcast and related services, visit www.buildingbettercultures.com

To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.

ABOUT EOGHAN TOMAS MCDERMOTT Company Website: https://communicationsclinic.ie/

Book: "The Career Doctor: How To Get - And Keep - The Job You Want

Eoghan @LinkedIn and @Twitter

ABOUT SCOTT MCINNES Learn more about Scott McInnes, Founder and Director of Inspiring Change, by clicking here.

ABOUT WORKVIVO To discover Workvivo, a workplace communication and engagement platform that offers seamless digital integration, please click here.