為什麼要說故事？

如今，許多成就卓越的企業以說故事作為領導工具。原因很簡單：光靠說理和條列重點根本沒辦法像說故事那麼吸引聽眾。無論你想溝通一個願景、兜售一個想法，或是鼓勵承諾，說故事是威力十足的商務工具，可以造成天差地別的結果。

Why tell stories?

Today, many of the most successful companies use storytelling as a leadership tool. The reason for this is simple: stories have the ability to engage an audience the way logic and bullet points alone never could. Whether you are trying to communicate a vision, sell an idea, or inspire commitment, storytelling is a powerful business tool that can mean the difference between mediocre results and phenomenal success.

在商業界中，說故事的藝術已經太久沒有被充分利用。商場上的故事極具說服力，因為：
．純粹只靠嘴巴說 ── 任何人都做得到。
．說故事永不過時 ── 領導人可以藉此闡明重點，而且永遠有效。
．大家都愛聽故事 ── 不分年齡、種族、性別或是各種人口統計上的區別。
．故事具有感染性 ── 好故事會像野火燎原傳遍整個組織。
．故事比事實及數據還令人難忘 ── 難忘的故事會迴盪許久，一再傳誦。
．故事帶來的感動及鼓舞效果，永遠都比簡報軟體更具威力。
．對於動覺型、視覺型或聽覺型學習者，故事具有一樣好的效果。
．在非正式的學習場合，故事的成效特別優異 ── 這也符合大多數職場學習發生的處所。
．故事會讓人們自然進入學習模式 ── 他們會忘卻事實，深受故事感動。
．故事展現出你對觀眾的尊重 ── 因為你可以謙和的態度傳達出訊息。

The art of story telling in business has been underutilized for far too long. Stories in a business setting are compelling because:
．They are simple to tell -- anyone can do it.
．Storytelling is timeless -- they have always worked for leaders trying to make a point and they always will.
．Stories appeal to everyone -- irrespective of their age, race, gender or demographic classification.
．Stories are contagious -- a good story will spread through an organization like wildfire.
．Stories are easier to remember than facts and figures -- memorable stories will linger for long periods and get repeated.
．Stories move and inspire much more powerfully than a PowerPoint presentation ever will.
．Stories work equally well with kinesthetic learners, visual learners and auditory learners.
．Stories work exceptionally well in informal learning situations -- which is where the bulk of workplace learning occurs.
．Stories naturally put people into learning mode -- they stop worrying about facts and get caught up in the emotions.
．Stories shows respect for your audience -- because you can get a message across without arrogance.