Storytelling With The “TBARN” Model
Have you received feedback that you need to be more succinct? Has your CEO or peers commented on improving your ability to tell stories? Does it sometimes feel like people are losing interest when you’re sharing necessary details?
Telling a great business “story” is a critical skill in the C-Suite. Being concise and compelling can make or break your success, whether you’re giving an update or asking for resources. But how do you command attention quickly while providing only the details necessary to the people in the room, particularly when you need their input and a decision on resources or prioritization?
The first step is to prepare ahead of time. Be very clear on your point and what you need from the people in the room. Do you need a discussion about their points of view? Input into a decision? A change in priorities? Resources to move forward? The answer to this question determines the level of detail you provide. If you need something specific, this is NOT the time to showcase all the work you and your team have done. It is the time to provide exactly what the audience needs to give you what you need. No more, no less.
After coaching many C-level clients on improving their ability to be succinct and communicate a clear business story, we developed the LeaderShift® TBARN model to help.
TBARN starts with the topic because you need to first set the stage for what you are there to discuss. People are more likely to engage with you if they have a sense of where you are going before you start providing details. For example, “I would like to talk about new product development.” There are some things I think we need to do to improve results this month.”
Then provide a bit of background as context. While this is probably something you see every day, it may not be something your peers pay attention to. For example, “We’ve been tracking time to market for the last year, and our competition is eating our lunch. Our processes are taking too long to get new products to the sales team.”
Before providing too much detail, mention the action (what you think needs to be done). People are more likely to pay attention to details when they have a purpose, so don’t share those yet. Stay focused on the action. For example, “We need to establish an innovation center to focus on and accelerate new product development, allowing us to reach the pilot phase sooner without all the red tape.”
Then, explain the results you expect. For example, “If we had shaved 3 months off the development time of the last 2 pilots, we would have generated $3MM per year.”
At this point, it’s time to pause and seek input. You may want to do this after each step to make sure people are following you. This depends on how succinct you are. But make sure you check in, take questions, get a reaction, and provide additional data if necessary. After some discussion, be sure to summarize next steps. For example, “I will schedule some time for Peter, Jane, Ezra, and I to talk about how we can make this work.
***Are you looking to master your own business storytelling skills? Set up a strategy call to find out how we can help you strategize.
***Don’t forget to check out Jennifer’s recent article Rising Above Assimilation where she explains why traditional plans no longer work in organizations.