STORY BUSINESS

McMahon presents an energetic and informative exploration of the value of storytelling in the corporate world.

In this debut business book, the author synthesizes theory and observation to develop a framework for successfully using storytelling in a business capacity. After examining early human history to explain the fundamental role of narrative in humanity, McMahon divides business storytelling into six genres and guides readers through the creation and use of value, product, brand, sales, leadership, and culture stories. Each chapter includes examples of successful case studies illustrating the genre in question, along with six key rules for telling that type of story. Sales stories, for instance, “show how every step forward is a step toward becoming, turning aspiration into achievement.” The author discusses how companies, including Slack, Amazon, Pepsi, Fifth Third Bank, Microsoft, IKEA, and Ferrari, put stories to work in their businesses and delves into history to use the Brooklyn Bridge and Charles Babbage’s early computers as object lessons. McMahon also applies his storytelling rules to his own text, resulting in a dynamic and enthusiastic investigation of what stories can do, which, in itself, is a compelling and cohesive narrative. The author moves from one example to another at a rapid pace that feels entirely appropriate, neither hurried nor uneven, and the anecdotes engage the reader while staying close to the central thread of the book. The examples are well chosen, concisely conveying relevant qualities while balancing informative detail with narrative focus. Myriad infographics, bulleted chapter summaries, and eye-catching formatting make the book an effective reference tool to refer back to. While cynics may feel that McMahon is too credulous regarding the corporate messaging he describes in the book (like Pepsi’s focus on healthy customers or the positive changes in Microsoft’s culture over the last decade), he would likely argue that a well-told story can counter skepticism.

A tribute to effective storytelling that serves as its own example.