Storytelling and rhetoric: the third module of corporate influencer training at HDI
What role does storytelling play in corporate culture?
How can targeted rhetoric support presentations?
What makes a good structure and clear statements?
The third module of the Culture Companions training programme started with these questions - a decisive step on the way to becoming a corporate influencer at HDI.
In this module, the aspiring Culture Companions were tasked with developing compelling storytelling approaches in order to convey their content and messages convincingly and strengthen their personal presence in the long term.
Lessons learnt from real media work
With input from experienced trainers, the participants exchanged ideas on theory and practical implementation and developed a feel for the impact and relevance of targeted storytelling.
The central element here was to transfer established approaches that have worked for years in radio, TV and social media to personal stories and to integrate this approach directly into their own presentation style.
The realisation: good stories are created through structured preparation and authentic storytelling - the heart of effective communication.
Clarity through structure: the principle of "1 slide = 1 message"
An important principle was emphasised during the workshop: The rule "1 slide = 1 message" to promote so-called "cognitive clarity". Participants learnt that visual clarity and targeted information are crucial to avoid overwhelming the audience: Cognitive Load Theory shows that working memory has limited capacity. With this knowledge, participants were able to create much more concise and effective presentation content. Visual aids reinforce the messages and promote the recipients' understanding.
If you want to get people excited, you first have to master the basics
If you want to get people involved, you have to start with the basics: consistently structuring your messages is extremely important. Three things are essential for effective messages:
1. every statement needs a clear starting point.
2. every statement needs a well-founded justification.
3. vivid examples and a strong conclusion bring it to life.
This structure not only helps to convey your message clearly, but also engages listeners so that they actually remember the key messages.
Is every question a good question? Certainly not! The differences between closed, open and personal questions sometimes have a major impact on the interviewees. The next learning step was therefore to use this technique strategically and organise the sequence of questions sensibly. This was tried out directly in role plays and the different effects were analysed and discussed together.
Jumping in at the deep end: an impromptu presentation in front of everyone
Now it counts: a short presentation on a random topic, active storytelling and an audience that analyses every word, technique and movement with alert eyes. This practical exercise was a fun way of putting what the participants had learnt to the test - stage fright included. I really enjoyed this part of the workshop. The many personal stories revealed the diverse perspectives within the group. The feedback not only helped us to develop further, but the exercise also strengthened one thing above all: the cohesion and sense of unity among the participants. A successful conclusion!
... and what remains?
The third module showed that the Culture Companions are motivated to try out new approaches and internalise valuable learning content directly. The combination of theory and practice not only aroused curiosity, but also strengthened the group's commitment to sharing their personal views on the corporate values and culture of and at HDI with the world.
To be continued - with an additional module focussing on content creation.
