🦋 Reading Rainbow at Work: The Transformative Power of Stories
🦋 Reading Rainbow at Work: The Transformative Power of Stories
10 Storytelling Tactics to Support You
Hello, It’s Julia. Welcome to my weekly newsletter exploring the ways we communicate and connect at work and beyond. Today’s article is about the power of storytelling. Be sure to scroll down to celebrate our 1st Paper Plate Award Winner. Nominate until Nov. 15th.
Once upon a time, a television show captured my curiosity, imagination and heart. Perhaps you felt the same way. You may know the show by its theme song:
Butterfly in the sky
I can go twice as high
Take a look
It's in a book
A reading rainbow…
For 26 years, LeVar Burton hosted the beloved PBS show, Reading Rainbow. It transformed children’s relationships with stories as well as their families, teachers and friends. Every episode featured a lesson with a children’s book as the anchor, bringing the audience on an adventure while learning about dinosaurs, families, cultures, science and more. A special segment of the show featured book reviews by kids who recommended their favorite stories to check out at your local library.
In a recent documentary named for the show’s theme song, Butterfly In The Sky, tells the story behind Reading Rainbow, from the pilot to the highs and lows of its more than two decades on television. The film features the founders, Levar Burton, and the grown-up kids who gave those iconic book reviews. One of the reviewers, Jamie Duneier, is now an author and screenwriter. Reflecting on what Reading Rainbow meant to him:
“We learn best through stories — beginning middle and end — we process information differently when it’s touching your heart.”
The science backs up his statement. Karen Ebner, author of The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform Influence and Inspire wrote:
“Data doesn’t change our behavior, our emotions do. Storytelling dynamically engages emotions and increases trust in the storyteller.”
What happens when we apply this to work? What are the types of stories we should share? How will they make us feel? I asked Switchboard leaders for their recommendations and added my thoughts.
10 Storytelling Recommendations
🏆 Celebrate Success
👏 Champion Impact
🎤 Highlight Leaders
📛 Tell User Stories
🌱 Encourage Growth
🍎 Empower Ambassadors
🦉 Share Why
🍊 Showcase Culture
🧰 Connect to Purpose
🔥 Focus on what Fuels Us
1. 🏆 Celebrate Success: Morgan Baden
“Cross-functional wins! Having siloed teams that don't always share information with each other is a fairly common challenge for most organizations, and I've found that telling stories that highlight successful collaboration between teams helps inspire leaders to more intentionally solicit input from folks outside their immediate departments. And the more an organization models that behavior, the more it becomes a norm -- which goes a long way towards breaking down those silos.”
2. 👏 Champion Impact: Chase Warner
“As an internal communicator, it's easy for us to assume other people have just as much information as we do when it comes to company-sponsored benefits and perks/amenities. We're all employees at the same company, after all, and presumably get the same information when we first join and during enrollment cycles, etc. But I've found the opposite to be the case. I think comms that highlight the successful ways employees have been supported by company-sponsored benefits is a critical story to tell - because it should improve our colleagues' lives but also their connection and perception of the company.”
3. 🎤 Highlight Leaders: Julia Levy
“Identify your leader's stories by asking them questions as part of an Executive Story Bank program where you capture their answers and feature them at relevant moments. In conversations, find out about their personal and professional paths. Consider turning these quotes into articles or hosting live meet and greets with leaders to share these messages with employees.”
4. 📛 Tell User Stories: Diane Tate
"Much of our communication is geared to changing behaviors -- and there's nothing like featuring user stories to do that job. Highlighting just how colleagues throughout the org are solving common pain points and challenges through whatever tools, programs or processes you're rolling out (for example) is far more powerful than a central proclamation. By leaning into the credibility of your actual audience, everyone wins."
5. 🌱 Encourage Growth: Claude Silver
“A workplace that embraces growth and progress creates a powerful shift from fear of failure to excitement about learning, where every mistake or setback becomes a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block. When teams make it safe to discuss challenges openly, innovation flourishes, junior members develop faster, and people stay longer because they feel valued for their potential, not just their performance. Most importantly, focusing on growth transforms the entire culture from one of defensive perfection to collaborative learning, where the question changes from "Who messed up?" to "What did we learn, and how can we grow from this?"
6. 🍎 Empower Ambassadors: Carmen Boon
"When crafting your internal communications, strive to highlight stories that emphasize the importance of employees' contributions not only to the organization but also to the wider community. The main goal is to inspire employees to become ambassadors for the organization and as role models within their communities, no matter the form it takes.
The best employee ambassadors for your organization are those who understand their role in the larger context. For example, if an employee is personally affected by the issue your organization aims to address—whether it's themselves or a family member and this employee volunteers to be the first to test a new solution to help others or enhance their own life, it is crucial to share that story from their perspective and the community they belong to rather than the organization's viewpoint."
7. 🦉Share Why: Q Hamirani
“One of the most important stories to tell at work is the purpose or the "why" behind any initiative. For example, a leadership development program isn't just about upskilling—it's about empowering leaders to build trust, inspire their teams, and create a culture where everyone thrives. By telling these stories, we highlight the deeper impact on both individual growth and organizational success.”
8. 🍊 Showcase Culture: Jared Taylor
“Tell stories that reinforce the culture you’re trying to build. Tell them in ways that are relatable, highlight specific actions taken, and connect those actions back to the cultural values you want to reinforce. If you espouse a culture of entrepreneurship, tell stories about employees who take initiative. Describe the problem they were trying to solve, the colleagues they engaged with along the way, and the mindset they embodied. Showcase the outcome and what was learned from the experience.”
9. 🧰 Connect to Purpose: Blythe Yee
“Impact in local communities! One of the biggest drivers of employee engagement is feeling a sense of connection to a purpose that’s beyond the day-to-day work. Some organizations can authentically do this through their mission. Every company has a chance to do this by making an impact in local communities. Especially when you are a global or highly distributed company, social impact work can be a big differentiator in helping people feel connected to one another.”
10. 🔥 Focus on what Fuels Us: Julie Inouye
“Most people who have worked with me know that I love greeter questions before diving in to team agendas. Recently I asked folks to share what was on their phone lock screens. The ensuing oohs and aaaahs and laughter that came from the cute baby photos, pets, adventures, and for some, a default phone wallpaper — helped create instant connection and understanding. Creating space, even if just five minutes before a team meeting, to learn about what fuels us is truly time well spent.”
Thank you to these Switchboard leaders for sharing their thoughts on stories. I end with my favorite quote from the documentary from Jason Reynolds, a former kid reviewer turned author who reflected on the impact of Reading Rainbow on him:
“You matter, your stories matter, your voice matters, your opinion matters. Maybe I have a voice, maybe I have an opinion, maybe I have a story?”
What stories would you share at work? Let me know in the comments. Until then: “I’ll see you next time” to quote LeVar Burton’s iconic closing line of each episode.
The Switchboard Paper Plate Awards
Congrats to our 1st Award Winner: Best Communicator Katrina Dene. She was nominated by Steph Donily. Learn about her impact:
"Katrina has been instrumental in bringing data-driven reports into the comms industry, helping PR professionals show their value in a clear, measurable way. She has a talent for simplifying complex information, making it easier for comms folks to communicate their impact to CEOs and other stakeholders. Beyond her work with data, Katrina is always looking for ways to help others, whether by mentoring, sharing her knowledge, or pushing for new ways to measure PR’s value. Katrina’s dedication to helping the PR industry grow and evolve makes her a standout."
The Switchboard's Paper Plate Awards recognize exceptional people at work. Submit your nomination by Nov. 15th.
Thanks for tuning into this edition of The Switchboard. Let me know if this article resonated — give it a heart, comment below or share it on LinkedIn. -Julia
