Stories vs Numbers- What drives action?

Jenn lived in a small town that was affected by some sort of radiation leak. Every now and then people would come down with a severe cold, diarrhea, and chills. It would also go away on its own. 

The productivity of the town suffered as industries began shutting down. The workforce couldn’t be counted on for being regular. 

The city council decided that Jenn should be sent to the State Council to ask for support and share their scary numbers. She had statistics on deaths of adults and children, rising medicare costs, the rising cost of drinking water (since the natural source was polluted). Her request for financial aid for the city was denied. The council decreed that numbers were much worse in other parts of the country too. Sadly Jenn’s town would have to fend for itself. 

A few months later, Jean lost yet another aunt to one of those never-ending fevers. She went back to the State Council. She didn’t take along a presentation. In the council meeting, she started by introducing herself and then talking about the family and friends that she had lost to this invisible disease. 

She went onto talk about the losses of her neighbors, the impact this was having on their kids’ education, and how most likely they were on the brink of becoming a “homeless” town. 

Jenn spoke for 30 minutes and she named all those whom she could remember. Devoid of tears and any kind of drama, she told the Council that this was probably the last time she was here because the next time she would be too sick to travel. She thanked them for their time and went home. 

The next week, representatives visited the town and sanctioned an unthinkable amount that would be required to keep livelihoods on. They sponsored medicare of the critically sick, asked the few healthy remaining townsfolk to take up responsibilities, and put things in motion. 

How did storytelling change in between the two attempts? 

The first was one where people expected empathy and understanding for numbers. 

The next was where people could empathize with other people and their pain. 

Jenn was able to tug at heartstrings and establish a connection with the Council. They could see her personal struggle. They could see what she had lost. All of that was glossed over in the numbers reporting. 

In between telling stories and reporting stats- I have always picked telling stories. It makes me a better judge of the situation and tells me what’s at stake. 

With stats, we often have to dive deeper to understand what truly is being said, what’s the meaning of all those numbers, and those graphs. That could be tough for some. That delays action. Stories are woven out of those numbers, stories that have a face and character and name to it inspire action. 

How do you use stories in your corporate journeys? 

Are you satisfied with reporting numbers? How do you report numbers? 

Talk to me about it.