Stories can change the world. More precisely, without stories we cannot change the world. After 20 years as a communicator in the social sector, this rings true to me. However, creating engaging narratives that allow us to tap into our collective wisdom and to see how we can participate in shaping a more just and equitable world are few and far between. It is rarer than we would like to think as communicators that we produce stories that help our audience locate themselves in a vision of our community or world.

We have mastered the art of telling stories that map out in great detail our view of a problem or an issue. Many of these narratives omit ideas about solutions, let alone how we can participate in our daily lives in addressing an issue. Most often these stories create a distance between the storyteller and the listener. They push out facts without shifting the context in which these facts are received. As a result, the listener’s perspective remains unchanged.

Think about how you shape your story for change. When you write a story to promote the work of your organization, to engage the public, to influence elected decision-makers, or to raise general awareness about a particular issue, how would you answer these questions?

• Are you trying to awaken wisdom within your audience or convince them that you are right?
• Do you wish to shift your audience’s context or tell them what they should think?
• Are you focusing on the facts or on the meaning of your story?
• Do you want to communicate what you know or provide others access to their knowledge?
• Is your story about you or about connecting with your audience?

Facts are clearly important. However, facts are not the story. Facts can’t influence me until they mean something to me. Stories interpret the facts, cast a perspective on the facts, and create meaning. This meaning provides the springboard to influence people. As communicators, we seem to give facts more of our attention than what these facts really mean. We create narrative jammed with information. This information, while important, is set adrift on a sea of information with no meaning to anchor it.

It takes longer to create meaning, to create a new context, than to simply push out the facts with a tone, dare I say, of righteous certainty. In the social sector, our challenge is not to prove our case but to communicate it in a way that creates so much meaning that we begin to influence people in how they participate in creating a more equitable world.

We have spent decades saying that “the sky is falling” – look at this problem, see this problem, this injustice. It is time for our collective creativity to turn to the art of engaging narrative that enables us to see ourselves as active participates in progressive change.

So I suppose I am laying down the gauntlet. Tell me a story!

Pattie LaCroix has provided strategic leadership in crafting integrated communications and fundraising strategies to nonprofits for more than a decade. As CEO of Catapult Media she is passionate about the power of storytelling in engaging your audience and building support for your work. You can reach Pattie at www.catapultmedia.ca.