Fact: we decide based on how we feel. Like it or not, we are just emotional, feeling humans who feel a little (or a lot) different today than yesterday. There are over 7 billion of us, so that’s a lot of individual feelings we have to contend with.
How do we work with feelings?
Emotions and feelings have always been influenced by energy. We know when we “feel bad” or “feel good.” Low energy or high energy. Wherever our feelings happen to be, somewhere along those energy points we are making decisions. From the (relatively) simple: what should I eat today? To the (perhaps) more complex: do I trust that company enough to invest in them today? All of us are making a countless range of decisions every single day.
For thousands of years stories have impacted the barometer of our individual feelings. Stories change energy: educate and learn (school, religion…); inspire and motivate; entertain…socialize…on and on. From the energy of the story we have made – and will continue to make forever more – all kinds of decisions. Participation decisions! (Buy, invest, partner with, agree to, get married to… “like”, “follow” …).
Have we ever felt “good” (high energy) about participating in something when we are bored? We look for (and trust) the energy of stories because we know what they can potentially do for our lives – for our energy. Why do you go to the cinema, turn on the television, flick through your smartphone…? We are energy beings who seek to refuel all the time – or yes, we shut down!
Several years ago I developed the trademarked SpeakingEnergy STAMP Methodology simply out of the motivation of one of our most basic human energies: curiosity. I have always been curious about the energy of human decision-making so I started to dig deeper. Curiosity is a feeling – a crucial energy to our daily needs. Without curiosity for something – anything – getting out of bed can be difficult. Serve your curiosity, serve your energy!
As someone who consults to corporations, I get access to executive curiosity at all levels. Fortunately, I also know (we all know!) – and see – what stories do for curiosity. Story Access Motivates Participation. Put your STAMP on it! Those companies who serve the story are those companies who are serving curiosity…which then serves individual feelings, emotions, energy… a lot of important decision-making. Success for the company depends on how successfully they are serving curiosity – internally with staff and externally with partners, customers and clients.
We participate in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. What I find extremely fascinating is the growing list of brands that are evolving from these “traditional” social media companies. “New economy” companies are exerting tremendous influence because they are giving us access to new ways to participate in the story. I wrote about Uber in an earlier post. Companies like Uber, Airbnb, Soundcloud, Spotify…these are just a few examples of what happens when you think carefully about the feelings impacting “how and why humans decide.” These companies are collaborating with our feelings in order to give us other, more 21st Century, options.
How many people feel good about standing on a street corner in a strange city trying to get a taxi? Maybe that taxi doesn’t want to turn on the meter and you’re not clear on how far your destination is and the driver – a stranger – is demanding you pay what he says. Intimidation is an energy zapper! Or maybe you really want to hear a new song but don’t feel good about paying for the entire album just yet? What about getting an apartment in Barcelona because you are traveling with family but hotels are not offering fair rates?
I could go on…but looking closely at human feelings is the very basic – and arguably most rational – starting point from which massively successful companies are born – every single day! And to (successfully) look closely does not require a team of scientists! Definitely not.
So, how do we work with feelings then?
By giving people immediate access to the energy that stories bring. And yes, even the most technical presentation has a story. That spreadsheet you have with all of the tiny numbers…what’s the narrative behind the number on line 78, column G? Drilldown on that and maybe we can expand the discussion to the point where I am motivated to participate in the larger spreadsheet (as I like to say: “inspire with less, have a conversation with more.”) That legal point that changed everything…I want to hear about the story of that “law” so that I can clearly understand its human impact. (Thanks for putting your STAMP on it!)
We get caught up in thinking that people want the complex stuff in order to make the big decisions. The reality is – and I see this time and time again in my work – the hardest decisions are made using the most basic set of human instincts. Ask yourself, how do you feel right now? From there, so much can be understood…and the story can be taken further…to a bunch of other people who, like you, feel a little different today than they did yesterday. Emotions and feelings…we can all relate to that – in any language.
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Happy Year of the Monkey everyone! Thank you for the many emails. I look forward to working with you on developing great storytelling.