Everybody Can Tell a Story (even if they don’t know it)

Quite some years ago, CBS News reporter Steve Hartman had a segment that baked in what was once an inherent feature in journalism — the notion that everyone has a story (which was the title of the segment). Hartman started with a gimmick; he would throw a dart at a map of the US, then go to that city or town, open the phone book up (that’s how long ago this was) and randomly pick someone to go talk to. Who knows how many times this method failed, but when it worked, it really worked. People opened up, and their stories were funny, heartwarming, touching, often poignant. Sometimes they had done incredible things in their lives, but no one had really bothered asking them to talk about it.

I think it should be obvious that everyone really does have a story. But is everyone able to tell it? I’m going to say yes. In my career as a journalist and a communications professional, I have been around a fair number of world leaders and titans of business who are skilled communicators and storytellers. It’s a big part of their jobs, and something they work on. I believe every human being has this ability, but for various reasons it has not been activated.

“I’m not good with words” or “I’m a numbers person”. I have heard various forms of this dozens of times in my work coaching executives for media or speaking engagements. Then I start to ask them questions, something about their childhood, their career journey, their families, and before they know it, they are telling me a story or indeed, many stories.

There are different reasons why some people believe themselves to be incapable of this. Shyness, nerves, introversion are just a few. Many just don’t see themselves as good communicators, or that they have something interesting to say, and it becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Building confidence is key to breaking this limiting self-perception. It takes time putting in intentional practice, first in comfortable situations, increasing the degree of difficulty as appropriate.

It’s really about unlocking something that is already there, more than giving someone a new talent. Everyone does have a story, and with some nudging in the right direction, everyone can tell one, too.