Jesse Cole’s dream to play at Fenway Park came true recently. Sort of.
He wasn’t starting for the Red Sox, but his Savannah Bananas put on a show for a sold-out Fenway crowd. It was a huge opportunity for his company, but he knew it was also a huge challenge.
So he did what any good leader does. He gave a speech to his employees. But it was more than a speech.
It was a master class in employee engagement, brand building, and storytelling. To me, there were three key moments in the speech that offer important insights that any leader can use.
Use a Challenge to Energize Your Team
In this section, Jesse doesn’t mince words. For the Bananas to play at baseball’s most storied venue could easily be overwhelming. Jesse made sure his team was ready.
In that moment, Jesse reinforced the mindset his employees needed to have. He embraced the challenge in front of his team and used it to energize them.
In the face of a big challenge, a huge project, a looming deadline, a leader’s words can energize the team and remind them that they have what it takes to be successful.
Use a Personal Story to Make it Real
Immediately after challenging his team to “slow down,” he showed them what he meant by telling a personal story.
He could have just told his employees what to do, but that wouldn’t have been as effective. Instead, he shared a real story that gave his employees a model to follow.
Personal stories contain little details and emotional triggers. These things make your message more memorable, relatable, and easier for your audience to understand.
Show Employees They Matter
Finally, Jesse shared what this event means to their fans. Through his words, he let his employees know that they weren’t just doing a job, they were helping their fans form memories that would last a lifetime.
This moment made it clear that the work his employees were doing, and their ability to “slow things down,” mattered to their fans. And therefore they mattered.
People need to know that their work matters, and that they matter. Just ask ZachMercurio.
When leaders make that clear, people are more likely to puteverything they have into their work.
More Than Employee Communications
In his speech, Jesse wasn’t just talking to his employees. He was talking to fans of the Savannah Bananas who might attend a future game.
He was talking to future sponsors, partners, and employees.
He was talking to event planners who might want to book himfor a keynote.
He was talking to business leaders who might want to followhis example.
He was talking to you and me.
Communicating to your employees, through speeches, emails, social media, or even one-on-one meetings, are also an opportunity to reach your other audiences. New talent. Customers. Stakeholders.
When you do it well, you will attract people who want to bepart of your story. Take advantage of that opportunity whenever you can.
Want to level-up your employee engagement through executive storytelling? That happens to be my specialty, so let’s meet to talk about some ideas.
Image Credit: Jesse Cole