“With clinicians experiencing record burnout and the healthcare field continuing to take notes on how to cement collaborative cultures, two experts remind us of a powerful, age-old tactic for persuasive leadership: storytelling.

During a recent webinar at the Physician Leadership Forum titled “The Art and Science of Storytelling to Engage and Inspire Healthcare Teams,” Margaret Cary, M.D., and Tara Satlow “offered step-by-step instructions on how to tell an effective story. They also explained why storytelling is useful when it comes to helping leaders advocate for their departments and motivate their employees,”  H&HN reported. (You can listen to the webinar here.)

“{A} story that resonates personally can spark considerable change in beliefs and behaviors,” Dr. Satlow said.

H&HN: “Surely increased self-reflection could do wonders for boosting cooperation and improving outcomes in hospitals. But how to begin?”

First, says Dr. Carey, identify the 5 P’s:

  1. People.
  2. Place.
  3. The problem with which you’re dealing.
  4. Progress toward a solution.
  5. Illustrate that solution by creating a picture for your audience with words.

H&HN reported: “Once you’ve got those pieces in place, a good story should have rising action, a climax, falling action and a resolution. For example, if you’re trying to weave a narrative about how to resolve a problem related to new reimbursement models, the rising action might be the anxiety clinicians are experiencing, followed by a climax of clinician chaos and confusion, followed by a resolution.”

“This way of presenting information can be especially helpful for physician leaders, who often end up advocating for their departments. Especially when a leader has a solution to a problem in mind, this approach is a ‘skillful use of your time rather than just saying something,’ Dr. Carey said. ‘You can present the problem and then the solution.”’

To read more, please hit this link.