People’s Office can be the Epicentre of Corporate Storytelling

Screen time is now an essential part of an employee's life. A lot of that is related to work, and a large part is also to do with significant time spent on entertainment. The current climate of alone-ness has created unwarranted triggers for consuming video content across social media channels.  Research shows there is almost a 150% jump in average adult consumption of content. For kids, that's about 100%. That's a big jump and can be the most opportune moment for companies to build their own story house of experiences. Stories of moments can be magical. Corporations should feed them across the company's communication channels.  Some of them may find them as fascinating branding opportunities for the consumption of the world at large.

Many companies have adopted virtual onboarding. It is a remote form of doing things physically apart—however, there aren't many examples of making these experiences as fascinating stories. We asked people how much of a lingering effect did you have after a 3-hour Zoom meeting. The answers weren't encouraging. But how much of the new movie or video clip on Facebook that you consumed had an impact on you? There was a resounding response to increased influence. Therefore, this is the right moment for the People Office to think as a Production Office – a story house of moments, experiences, triumphs, and inspirations.

There are possibilities of creating engaging content across the 'hire-retire' value chain of an employee life cycle. Think of Sarah, the young enterprising People Manager at Imagination Inc., struggling to hire employees remotely, conduct induction programs, schedule webinars and web meetings. Once she has just about finished with a batch, Jonathan, the enthusiastic training manager, replaces his classroom training using webinars and video conferences. It is like watching a live theatre on a video. Each form and format of content have their uniqueness. If we interchange the medium, the effect is quite dramatic. In this case, suboptimal. Welcome to the New Production House of your Old people Office that will create content for the right medium and in the right manner. There is a need to build your Netflix-like channel that is exciting, engaging, and entertaining.

So, where do we start? Here are some ideas for making a great start:

Trailer

Make your induction program into a short video. Not just dull footage of lectures. Don't ever make the mistake of recording your PowerPoint presentations. Make it fast, exciting. You can add a bit of fun, such as a quiz on your policies and practices. You can also give away a digital certificate at the end of the program. A great trailer creates a compelling inducement for watching a movie. Likewise, a well-made induction video will make a great first impression.

Training

Training is an area where the People Office, along with the Learning and Development teams, can co-create great episodic content. The key to such content is to 'not re-record existing content' of a classroom style session. Successful online training focuses on bite-sized content. Great Storytellers can make complex subjects easy for the audience. They create engagement and interest and entice the audience with anticipations at the end of every episode. Hire a storyteller.

Trophies

Trophy stories or narratives on a company's achievements are great opportunities to broadcast. They bind the people, build on the culture, and it pays to make them with fanfare. A CEO's message on achieving key milestones can be a fantastic quarterly episode for motivating employees. Innovative companies go beyond ad-hoc content. They create a reasonable communication calendar, plan story themes about their corporation's achievements.  Trophy videos are like toffies on the bowl in your front Office. Usually, people pick up one, maybe casually. Engaging messaging builds great connects and enhances the ‘employer’ brand promise.

Tell a Tale

There are hundreds of great things that happen in a company. Behind each of these great things lie an incredible story. These stories could be about an outstanding employee accomplishment, or a grand customer success narrative, or just a tale of a team that created brilliant outcomes against all odds with their sheer grit. Get it all out. Be the Production house and work on 'theme' streams. Let them flow through the screen times of your employees.

All these TomTom about stories are your new People Orchestra that can create a communication rhythm without being over the top. Play out those beats with sense, finesse, and inspiration. You can take your pole position in the employee engagement arena with these carefully crafted cinematic experiences. Some progressive People leaders find out how to start, what to plan, durations, and how these need to be dripped inside your organization's communication channels. Broadcast approach, narrative styles, and deep understanding of your aggregate people's pulse will immensely help you plan. Get hold of a professional company that can help you execute this with precision.

Subtly, entertainment has entered enterprises. Managers should understand that this informal, yet powerful method helps you shape your culture, your purpose to drive participation, productivity, and profits. Many a time, facts can be tedious and lame. But facts presented with fictional imagination and creativity can be uplifting and fascinating.

Take the lead and know more about People Stories.