Why do stories inspire success better than statistics? They connect.

In last week’s post, we discussed how those of us in healthcare professions share a desire to make a difference and change lives. Yet, life often gets in the way, and our enthusiasm wanes. When that happens, we need to be intentional about reigniting our passion for the work we do.

To inspire and to illustrate how everyone, even a bus driver, has the potential to change lives, I told one of my favorite stories. If you missed it, read it now.

This post shares another true story from my work to illustrate how I made a difference. The reason I have this story is thanks to a colleague who recommended that when we experience success, we should write it down and share it. What a good idea! I pass along that advice to you.

Before I share the story, let’s answer the question…

Why do stories inspire success better than statistics?

As evidence-based professionals, we are encouraged to share statistics that support our message. Statistics are important, but alone they may have limited impact. To give statistics a face, tell a story. Stories are powerful. Why? Because they connect with us on a human level.

Look at the graphic above. Storytelling is powerful because it is relatable, relevant, emotional, and engaging. Stories connect people. They connect people to the statistics, to the storyteller, and to one another.

Stories are memorable. We may forget the statistics, but remember the story. Stories have the power to make messages more life-changing.

What is my story of success?

For 20 years, I worked in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC. Like any public-facing position, we don’t always feel successful in changing lives. For many years, I spoke to WIC professionals across the country to inspire them in the important work they do. I often shared this true story…

… about a mother who participated in our WIC program. She first came to WIC when her second-oldest son was nine months old. She was pregnant again and made it quite clear she was not happy about it. She had even been on birth control pills. She smoked and didn’t want to quit for fear that it would cause her baby to be “too big.” Before coming to WIC, she couldn’t afford to buy milk, so she wasn’t drinking any. We weren’t successful in getting her to quit smoking, but she did start drinking milk and gained an appropriate amount of weight.

We always ask expectant mothers if they would consider breastfeeding (she hadn’t nursed her first two children). This mother gave us numerous reasons why it wouldn’t be right for her: She’d have sore nipples because hers were “extra sensitive.” It took “too long to feed the baby.” It “tied mothers down too much.” And she “didn’t like the idea.” At one of her follow-up visits, she sarcastically commented that WIC only supported breastfeeding to save money on formula. Despite her negativity, we continued to encourage her to consider giving it a try.

When the baby was born, he was tangled in the umbilical cord and gave mom quite a scare. A desire to give him the best possible start motivated her in the hospital to try breastfeeding. She nursed him for three weeks, and then she switched to formula. The baby got a diaper rash, and she started to regret her decision, but thought it was too late to try breastfeeding again. We instructed her on how to re-lactate, and she was successful in partially breastfeeding for a few more months.

A year later, she came into our program pregnant again. During that pregnancy, their family lost their home in a fire, and she was under a great deal of stress. We assisted her in finding household items to replace those that had been destroyed. We also provided ongoing nutrition education and counseling and encouraged her to breastfeed again. This time, she decided she would nurse until her baby got his first tooth. She ended up nursing her fourth son for over a year and loved it! According to this once reluctant breastfeeding mom, her bottle-fed babies “cried all the time,” “spit up a lot,” and “didn’t sleep well at all.” But her breastfed babies were “angels.”

A few years after she was a WIC participant, another expectant mother was in for a follow-up appointment, and we asked her what she thought about breastfeeding her baby. At her first two visits, she had indicated a definite preference for bottle-feeding. This time, when we asked about breastfeeding, she said she had a friend who was strongly recommending she try breastfeeding and had given her stuff to read and showed her a video about it.

Guess who that friend was? You guessed it! The once reluctant breastfeeder became one of our biggest promoters. In fact, she referred many people to our program over the years. She tells everyone she meets who is expecting how wonderful breastfeeding is, and even supplied our local libraries with videos about breastfeeding.

For several years, when her boys were still participating in WIC, she organized a winter coat drive for other less fortunate children, which we held at our clinic. She’s an excellent example of how the good we do can be multiplied and passed along to others. She’s even quit smoking!

What is YOUR story of success? Write it down. Share it.

“Stories are our primary tools of learning and teaching, the repositories of our lore and legends. They bring order into our confusing world. Think about how many times a day you use stories to pass along data, insights, memories or common-sense advice.” ~ Edward Miller  

If you liked this content, please share it.