Alternative Africa

Top Menu

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Reports
    • Africa-Observers
      • Read Reports
      • Submit a story
  • MORE
    • Health
    • News Now
    • World
    • Technology
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us

logo

Alternative Africa

  • Home
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business
  • Environment
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Reports
    • Africa-Observers
      • Read Reports
      • Submit a story
  • MORE
    • Health
    • News Now
    • World
    • Technology
  • Mumps outbreak hits British varsities after students ‘opt out of jab’

  • Man arrested for attempting to blow up polling station amidst longest queues in UK election

  • Americans, Canadians, Pakistanis among fifty illegal foreigners deported by Ghana

  • Two Nigerian electoral officers jailed 42 years for receiving bribes

  • We are no longer a colony of any foreign nation, Nigeria tells UK, US, others

BusinessNews Now
Home›Business›Stories have the power to connect us

Stories have the power to connect us

By alternativeafrica
January 15, 2018
434
0
Share:

I’ll never forget the speech that Bunmi Oni, then managing director of Cadbury Schweppes, gave at Harvard Business School in February 2004.

He had me utterly transfixed, mesmerised with the vivid picture he created of an Africa different from the one I’d grown up in. Democracy had replaced military rule. The combination of stable economies and increased interest from foreign direct investors had created an Africa rich with opportunities.

I immediately quit my plum role with a US beverages conglomerate and returned home to Ghana. With a single speech, he’d made me see that the new African dream was more exciting than the American dream. And he set me on my own adventure navigating Africa and its opportunities.

His speech told a story. Neuroscientists now understand that there’s a reason why stories have this magical effect on people.

Researchers have found that when we listen to stories, powerful hormones are released in our bloodstream, making us far more malleable and open to ideas. They make us empathetic, growing a connection between the speaker and the person on the receiving end. These emotional connections are vital in business where, as we know, investors bet on the jockey and not the horse.

You don’t need to be into neuroscience to understand the power of story. The magical effect is visible whenever you see someone listening to a story – be it over coffee during a conference, at a dinner party, in a meeting, or in a big speech. 

People stop looking at their phones. Their eyes light up and they become alert. It’s like they open their minds for you to pour in whatever you like. I now tell stories all the time. Whether I’m in meetings, chatting on the phone, or giving speeches.

Tell your story

Corporate life can be boring and we can get caught up in realms of data, analysis, spreadsheets, etc. But what binds everyone in corporate life together – whether they are customers, suppliers, shareholders and potential investors – is our shared humanity.

And nothing brings that out more than our own stories. Stories from our lives, our work, our families. Stories that provide insight into our souls and feed the souls of other people. 

This is particularly true here in Africa where we have such a rich tradition in storytelling and so many great stories to tell: stories that explain our motivations and values, our dreams and desires. Don’t keep them to yourself. Share them. People will be grateful to you. And in return they will give you all the support you are asking for. 

Lawyer, entrepreneur, art champion and writer Elikem Nutifafa Kuenyehia spoke at the Young Entrepreneurs Day workshop, The Art of Storytelling, during the Africa 2017 Forum.

The post Stories have the power to connect us appeared first on African Business Magazine.

SHARE ON:
TagsAfricaBreakingBusinesscorporateDevelopmentNews
Previous Article

Muric Blast Nigerian Government over N40M payment ...

Next Article

Hannover condemn fans who racially abused Nigerian ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

alternativeafrica

Related articles More from author

  • News Now

    Germany: Thousands march in solidarity with migrants

    September 3, 2018
    By alternativeafrica
  • News Now

    Nigeria: Robber operating in army uniform arrested in Ogun

    September 26, 2018
    By alternativeafrica
  • News Now

    The Zimbabwe seed firm taking on the multinationals

    October 27, 2017
    By alternativeafrica
  • AfricaNews Now

    Major Headlines In Africa Today

    December 26, 2018
    By alternativeafrica
  • BusinessNews Now

    This is the best time to invest in Mozambique

    March 12, 2018
    By alternativeafrica
  • News Now

    Zimbabwe still faces an economic struggle

    November 24, 2017
    By alternativeafrica

Leave a reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You might be interested

  • BusinessNews Now

    Uganda To Revive National Carrier

  • AfricaNews NowPolitics

    Nigeria will boil if power returns to the north in 2023-Olokoba

  • AfricaAnne's DiaryHealthNews Now

    Malawi Vaccinates Young Girls Against Cervical Cancer

Timeline

  • December 12, 2019

    Mumps outbreak hits British varsities after students ‘opt out of jab’

  • December 12, 2019

    Man arrested for attempting to blow up polling station amidst longest queues in UK election

  • December 12, 2019

    Americans, Canadians, Pakistanis among fifty illegal foreigners deported by Ghana

  • December 12, 2019

    Two Nigerian electoral officers jailed 42 years for receiving bribes

  • December 12, 2019

    We are no longer a colony of any foreign nation, Nigeria tells UK, US, others

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Keynote Address of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at 2018 Oxford Africa Conference

    By PSJ Africa
    May 14, 2018
  • THE TRINKET BOX-A JEWELLERY STORE OF DISTINCTION

    By alternativeafrica
    December 29, 2018
  • Nigeria: Ebonyi state to construct $4 m solar power factory

    By alternativeafrica
    March 29, 2019
  • Year in Review: 2018 in 14 Charts-World Bank

    By alternativeafrica
    December 25, 2018
  • Nigerians in UK, UAE begin enrollment for National Identification Number

    By alternativeafrica
    March 26, 2019
  • U.S Authorities Seize Private Jet Belonging to Wealthy Nigerian Accused of Fraud | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Ahead of full AFCFTA implementation, Nigeria announces visa on arrival for all Africans

    […] Ahead of full ...
  • Ahead of full AFCFTA implementation, Nigeria announces visa on arrival for all Africans | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Anthony Joshua to present belts to Nigerian president, Buhari

    […] Anthony Joshua to ...
  • Anthony Joshua to present belts to Nigerian president, Buhari | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Ivory Coast sign concession agreement for the largest biomass plant in West Africa

    […] Ivory Coast sign ...
  • Rwanda, Tanzania lead in women’s land, property rights in Africa | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Nine-year-old South African drummer hits limelight on Ellen show in US

    […] Nine-year-old South African ...
  • Ivory Coast sign concession agreement for the largest biomass plant in West Africa | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Nigeria commissions first solar mini-grid under World Bank electrification project

    […] Nigeria commissions first ...
AlternativeAfrica.com is an independent Pan African News Website dedicated primarily to influencing the negative narratives about Africa. We hope to do this by focusing and showcasing the many developmental strides sweeping across the continent.

Read more >>>

Contact Info

  • 22 Laburnum Court, Laburnum Road, Mitcham London, CR4 2NA, United Kingdom
  • +44(0)2036320939 | +44(0)7535019197 | +44(0)7305356327
  • info@alternativeafrica.com
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Mumps outbreak hits British varsities after students ‘opt out of jab’

    By alternativeafrica
    December 12, 2019
  • Man arrested for attempting to blow up polling station amidst longest queues in UK election

    By alternativeafrica
    December 12, 2019
  • Americans, Canadians, Pakistanis among fifty illegal foreigners deported by Ghana

    By alternativeafrica
    December 12, 2019
  • Two Nigerian electoral officers jailed 42 years for receiving bribes

    By alternativeafrica
    December 12, 2019
  • Keynote Address of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at 2018 Oxford Africa Conference

    By PSJ Africa
    May 14, 2018
  • THE TRINKET BOX-A JEWELLERY STORE OF DISTINCTION

    By alternativeafrica
    December 29, 2018
  • Nigerians in UK, UAE begin enrollment for National Identification Number

    By alternativeafrica
    March 26, 2019
  • Year in Review: 2018 in 14 Charts-World Bank

    By alternativeafrica
    December 25, 2018
  • U.S Authorities Seize Private Jet Belonging to Wealthy Nigerian Accused of Fraud | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Ahead of full AFCFTA implementation, Nigeria announces visa on arrival for all Africans

    […] Ahead of full ...
  • Ahead of full AFCFTA implementation, Nigeria announces visa on arrival for all Africans | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Anthony Joshua to present belts to Nigerian president, Buhari

    […] Anthony Joshua to ...
  • Anthony Joshua to present belts to Nigerian president, Buhari | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Ivory Coast sign concession agreement for the largest biomass plant in West Africa

    […] Ivory Coast sign ...
  • Rwanda, Tanzania lead in women’s land, property rights in Africa | Alternative Africa
    on
    December 12, 2019

    Nine-year-old South African drummer hits limelight on Ellen show in US

    […] Nine-year-old South African ...

Photostream

    Follow us

    • Home
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
    © Copyright Alternative Africa 2019. All rights reserved.