Recent events in my life have given me the chance to take a hard look at my personal narrative. My story, which is made up of the many experiences I’ve had, from growing up in a small town to living halfway around the world in an entirely different culture. It includes working in a cubicle and coordinating Public Relations for a multi-state, multi-million dollar nonprofit organization. It is my story, and every day I am creating new chapters.
What is happening these days, however, is that the telling of the story-what is told to who when and how it’s told-is becoming fragmented. Social media has made it easier to connect with people, but with every tweet, Facebook wall post, or update on Foursquare, the people we’re talking to are only getting snippets of our larger story.
The question, then, is how do we maintain a consistent story across all interaction channels in order that we are telling our audiences our whole story? It boils down to knowing your story inside out. Know who you are and what you want people to know about you when they come in contact with you.
Another point to remember is that in knowing your story, you will be able to show consistency, but in an engaging way. This will help to ensure that the people you talk to will want to come back and talk with you more. The old saying – “If you build it, they will come” – is proven true in this case.
As you interact more with people, your story will grow. These people will actually become a part of your story on some level, and as such will help you to tell your story to others, much like a ripple in still water.
So, what’s your story?
Communicating With 