University of Iowa Business School Students Develop Storytelling Skills

Students at the University of Iowa’s Tippy School of Business are preparing to launch their careers. A new program teaches you to tell your own stories and personal experiences. This communication skill is important in the early stages of the job search and beyond. Story Lab was created by the Tippie Leadership Collaborative housed in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, a resource hub for organizations seeking management expertise. The semester-wide program includes workshops, peer coaching, and networking events that showcase participants’ stories.

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Things necessary: Nick Westergaard, Lecturer in Management and Entrepreneurship and program leader, says storytelling helps business leaders become more effective at themselves by creating an emotional connection to their employees and investors. said it helps convey the claims of Story The idea for his lab came when he had a discussion with Steven Courtright, director of Leadership His Collaboration, about how students can have the “basic building blocks” of leadership. “Students and leaders … need to stand up and finally tell their story. [That] That’s how the idea for Story Lab was born,” he says.

“Storytelling is a big part of how I teach communication in terms of the science of storytelling and the ability to persuade and move people,” says Westergaard. It also fits the entire University of Iowa. That’s because, “writers,” he adds, “communication is embedded in our approach across the university, whether in workshops, science, healthcare, or business.”

Additionally, research shows that people are more likely to remember statistics and facts when presented in a story.

Storytelling was one of the first communication strategies used by mankind, and the role of storytelling in leadership is related to leadership effectiveness. leadership education journal.

Lab work: Launched with funding from the Collaborative Executive Education Program, the lab begins with a full-day storytelling kick-off workshop. In this workshop, instructors help students develop rapid storytelling and leadership skills through immersive activities. Participants learn the basics of storytelling, receive feedback from their institution’s governing faculty, and receive guidance from fellow mentors as they develop their ideas. how to tell a storyis published by The Moth, a non-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling, and serves as the text for the course.

A showcase at the MERGE Innovation Hub in downtown Iowa City is planned at the end of the semester, inviting members of the local business community and the general public. With the theme of “Future Tense”, we will share short stories of when everything seemed planned and share about turning points. Take less traveled paths or start over as you move toward or away from your goal.

Future outlook: In business, leaders often try to mobilize people to work toward a common goal, says Courtright. “It is very important for leaders to earn the trust of the people they lead. Storytelling about yourself is how people earn their trust.”

Courtright launched Tippy Collaboration in 2020 to provide customized training for managers and employers. He says storytelling comes up frequently when he talks to organizations about the skills he needs in a business leader. “We had the funding and the ability to do that, and it’s really a strategic advantage for students,” says Courtright.

Storyteller experience: “One of the things I hear in my students’ reactions is the experience of having a new network and a cohort of people with deeper connections, each with their own story to tell,” explains Courtright. To do.

Drew Jouron is a Junior Study Management and was one of the first 15 students to enroll in the program. He says the course will help people understand him better in both business and personal life because it reminds him of all the experiences he can share and how to speak in an engaging way. Jouron believes this course will help him become a relatable business leader.

“I am an individualist in that I know what I am capable of, at least before this experience,” says Jurong. “But other people don’t always get it, so you have to teach yourself about yourself. That’s part of storytelling.”

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