Storytelling in the Workplace With Guest Matthew Luhn

The Work Place is a podcast where we talk to experts about the cultures we work in, and how to make them better.

Learn how Pixar-style storytelling can change the way we think about workplace culture with guest Matthew Luhn | Human resources podcast from O.C. Tanner.

Host: Andrew Scarcella
Guest: Matthew Luhn

Topics covered:

• 3:00 - What makes a great story?

“The biggest mistake is not telling your own story, and letting someone else tell it.”
— Matthew Luhn

• 4:43 - Heroes and Leaders
• 5:38 - Share successes AND failures
• 5:59 - Creating a company vision

“You need to be able to share what your is vision in 8 seconds.”
— Matthew Luhn

• 7:34 - Collaboration and inspiring creativity
• 8:41 - Ownership and talent retention

“The team you build ends up being the company you build.”
— Matthew Luhn

• 11:14 - Tapping into the 5 senses

• 12:02 - Telling your story in 3 words

“It’s not just about the hero, it’s about the mentors and allies that go on the journey with the hero on their journey.”
— Matthew Luhn

• 14:50 - Employee experience & job satisfaction

Tangible Takeaways:

• Being likeable is being relatable, not being perfect. When you’re talking about your team, department, or company, don’t ignore setbacks or tough times, own them as part of your story. As Matthew says, “Share the successes AND the failures, but what’s most important is that you never give up—on your team and on your company.”

• Create a safe space for pitching new ideas. It doesn’t have to be held in a secret clubhouse, what matters is that people can leave their egos at the door and comfortably share radical thoughts and productive feedback without feeling like someone is looking over their shoulders. They more people trust each other, the more they’ll trust themselves.

• Ratatouille is the best Pixar film. Go ahead, send me hate mail, but they turned the ridiculous premise of a rat that wants to be a chef into a heart-felt underdog story with real stakes and a climax that’s like cutting onions, every time.

Matthew Luhn: author, instructor, keynote speaker, and story consultant
Book: The Best Story Wins: How to Leverage Hollywood and Pixar’s Storytelling for Business and Beyond
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-luhn-52a40629
Twitter: @MatthewLuhn

The Work Place is sponsored by O.C. Tanner, the global leader in engaging workplace cultures. O.C. Tanner’s Culture Cloud provides a single, modular suite where all employee experience apps are in sync, giving teams the integrated tools they need when, where, and how they need them. If you want your organization to become a place where people can’t wait to come to work in the morning, go to octanner.com.