We are constantly being told that data is important. It is.
We are told that decisions are made on data. They are. And they aren’t.
Studies have shown that we make 80% of our decisions using our emotions. We then use the remaining 20% to justify our decisions with logic. Businesses who want us to purchase their products know this and use it in commercials. You may buy a car because of its safety features, but no matter what you tell yourself, the reason you chose that brand has more to do with how you respond to it emotionally.
For years, we have had high-quality data showing the importance of school librarians to student learning. I applaud the researchers, many of whom are my friends. But districts are still not hiring librarians and claim it’s because we have been replaced by technology and are not necessary. Why is our message not getting through?
Perhaps it’s because we have too much data and not enough emotion. We have loads of stories about our students – and teachers – who have found success, learned, and grew because of the library. We need to tell our stories and tell them often.
Even if you are doing annual or and quarterly reports, start telling “snippets.” When a student has a great experience or breakthrough, send a quick email to your principal. One or more may strike a chord in your administrator. They might even include it in one of their reports to their superior. Make the story emotional – not only what was learned, but what was experienced.
Scott Van Voorhis says if you are Looking to Leave a Mark? Memorable Leaders Don’t Just Spout Statistics, They Tell Stories. He quotes research (Look! More data!) by Thomas Graeber that showed stories stick to our minds better than anything. Humans have always been telling stories. Our cave-dwelling ancestors told stories then illustrated them on the cave wall. Stories are how we communicate as human beings.
We have a lot of stories. Stories of triumphs and failures. Which should you tell and when? According to Graeber, if you want people to remember something for more than a day, “building a unique story around it is essential.”
Consider first the message you want to send. It’s best if it connects to your Mission. What happened in your library with a student that best illustrates the idea? Tell the story and then incorporate relevant data. Later, use the story as part of the requests you make.
For example, if you want to include more diversity in your collection, talk about how excited a student was to see themselves in a book. Perhaps one that was written by someone from his culture. Then point to the diversity audit you have conducted showing how few books represent all your students. You can then refer back to this story when you request funds for or order more diverse books.
While “eye-catching statistics” may work in business and help them move to immediate action, this is rarely an option in education. Statistics mixed with story can give you the longer lasting impact you want. For example, statistics on the difference between the performance of college freshmen who had a high school librarian and those who didn’t is powerful but coupled with stories from your school’s alumni—it’s lasting and shows the long-term benefit of the work you do.
I always use stories in my presentations and in my books (and frequently here in this blog). They strike emotional chords that readers and participants respond to. They form a connection between you and them. Data gets forgotten; stories get remembered. As librarians, we are not only good at telling stories, we understand the impact they make. Add this to your Leadership qualities and start telling them.
Hilda K. Weisburg 