Dressed in a black kurta with her hair worn loose, Nancy Katyal looks pretty as a picture. To think that she spins wild, crazy stories for a living, seems like, well, a twist in the tale. Pune-based Nancy (31) is the founder of Storytelling Zone and an advanced practitioner in training and delivery of storytelling. Nancy is also among the 12 Indians to be listed on the International Storytelling Network.
“I’m surprised that only 12 are listed. Our country has immense talent pool. It’s just that we need to tell our stories,” she says. “There’s a story behind every message, but we don’t realize the importance of conveying it effectively,” she says. Nancy conducts workshops, trainings and seminars on “the art and science of storytelling”.
Nancy swapped her well-paying corporate career for one in storytelling in 2008. “I grew up listening to a lot of stories from my parents. It’s not just the tales of struggles and triumphs that kept me riveted, it’s the very art of story-telling itself,” she says. Following her corporate stint, Nancy briefly taught at an NGO. “The desire to reach out to a larger audience made me choose storytelling,” she reflects.
Nancy’s stories range from inspirational, motivational, educational, humorous, to personal and traditional. “Stories that I feel can inspire change, motivate people, foster collaborations and most importantly stories that move me deeply,” she says.
But what made her pick the less-traversed corporate storytelling?
“Any idea or information is quickly and accurately remembered when presented in the form of a story, rather than through jargon-laden power-point presentations. Corporate survival, these days, requires constant innovation and change. Leaders/CEOs should inspire people for that change. Merely setting sales targets and incentives will not achieve this but effective storytelling does,” she explains.
In her workshops, Nancy emphasises the role of storytelling in spreading the values and priorities around a company. This goes beyond the usual talk of transactions. As she puts it, much of the intellectual talent in an organisation is not written down anywhere but resides in the minds of the employees. Communicating this know-how across an organisation helps struggling employees overcome their challenges.
“I conduct a learning-needs-analysis with my clients to identify problem areas. During my sessions, I build examples and stories for people to relate to, offer them key principles and guidelines of storytelling, and get them to share their stories on any topic with one another and provide feedback. Gradually, we translate this into a focused effort or topic to address the organisational need,” she says.
Her passion for writing helps Nancy draft, develop and structure her stories with élan. “While choosing a story, I view it from the eyes of the listener/audience, act as a critic and accordingly structure it to the role and goals of a given session. Choosing the right story for the right audience and telling it at the right time is the essence of it,” she recounts.
As to what fuels her imagination, she says, “My inspiration comes from observing people, travelling, books, our rich Indian cultural heritage and my own experiences.”
Building one’s own style and keeping the stories short and crisp, maybe with a punch-line, helps. “Avoid abrupt facial expressions and gestures which reflect lack of composure. Storytelling is a performance art. You get better with every story,” she believes. “There are immense opportunities for storytellers in India. Even schools require good storytellers who can imbibe the concept of storytelling into the curriculum.”
Does being a certified image consultant help her in storytelling? “Our clothes and manners tell a story even before we speak. Image management helps me to help an organisation to project the right image with the right stories,” she points out.
Nancy feels storytellers should get the respect they deserve and that more people should come forward in spreading the art and science of storytelling. “It’s all about inspiring change through stories. The sheer pleasure of being able to make a change in someone’s life, strengthens me to narrate more,” she says.