I always look forward to attending The WICT Network Rocky Mountain Chapter’s annual Tech It Out—and this year’s conference truly surpassed expectations with a perfect mix of technical insights, practical innovations, and meaningful advice that resonated with attendees across the spectrum.
This year’s focus centered on navigating leadership in an industry that thrives on change. It explored the connection between personal well-being and organizational success. One of the most compelling threads throughout the day was storytelling—a skill that is often overlooked but extremely influential in shaping careers and organizations alike.
I had the honor of hosting a conversation with Michelle Griego, an accomplished Denver-based journalist and filmmaker. Michelle illustrated the profound impact of storytelling in her career, from daily newscasts to producing award-winning documentaries that give voice to underrepresented communities.
Her film, The Border Crossed Us, is a poignant exploration of multi-generational families whose stories are intertwined with the ever-changing borders of the American Southwest. Michelle shared how she successfully pitched this concept to her leadership, crafting a compelling narrative that demonstrated its relevance and impact. The result? Autonomy, trust, and the green light to tell an important story.
Michelle’s approach to storytelling underlined critical lessons for business environments:
- Strategic storytelling simplifies complex ideas by wrapping them in relatable, emotional context.
- Stories build trust and connection within teams, organizations, and even customer relationships.
- Emotional resonance matters—stories are remembered far more vividly than raw data, leaving a lasting impact.
In the corporate world, storytelling isn’t just a “soft skill.” It’s a strategic tool. Bain & Company’s research highlights how internal storytelling fosters a sense of belonging and purpose among employees. Harvard Business Review reinforces that stories are up to 22 times more memorable than mere facts, making them invaluable for aligning teams around shared goals.
Michelle also highlighted the importance of listening—a crucial but underappreciated complement to storytelling. Her early experiences as a junior reporter taught her to “read the room,” adapt to audiences, and find common ground. Active listening is connecting on yet another level, with the ability to absorb what is being said, process and analyze that data in real-time, and make decisions about a response.
We’re teaching these EQ (emotional intelligence) skills at Syndeo Institute’s Intrapreneurship Academy (IA) because they resonate deeply in the business environment, where building trust and connection are foundational for progress.
The theme of internal influence was brought to life through an inspiring session led by our own Susie Tomenchok and Janice Silver from IA, Their interactive case study, Don’t Let Your Career Happen Without You, demonstrated how storytelling and influence-building can transform careers.
One of Susie’s executive coaching clients, Carynes Gitler, joined the stage to share her journey of growth. Through coaching, she developed self-awareness, identified skill gaps, and honed her intrapreneurial abilities, ultimately positioning herself for a well-deserved promotion. With the addition of expert commentary from Janice to provide context and actionable tips for the workplace, this real-world example highlighted the tangible impact of EQ, intrapreneurial skill sets, and strategic storytelling in advancing careers.
While technology drives innovation, Tech It Out 2024 reinforced that it’s our human connections that fuel progress. Whether it’s building trust through storytelling, listening actively to customers, or empowering teams through emotional intelligence, the soft skills we cultivate are as critical as the technical expertise we bring to the table.
At Syndeo Institute, we are proud to champion these principles through programs like Intrapreneurship Academy, equipping leaders with the tools they need to thrive in our dynamic, fast-paced industry.
