How do we give employees shareable business stories?

Find the stories in existing evidence, using case studies, technical documentation and internal materials as the starting point rather than expecting employees to translate them themselves. At IBM, employees had extensive knowledge and access to powerful examples, but much of the material was buried in dense case studies, technical documents and press materials. Those formats were not designed for easy sharing or emotional engagement. The IBM storytelling platform drew on a wide library of case studies and internal materials to create concise narratives. The practical task is to turn an existing archive into material employees can understand, remember and share, rather than simply giving employees access to the archive.

Connect complex work to familiar experiences by making the relationship between a technical contribution and everyday life the centre of each story. For IBM, the storytelling approach linked innovations to recognisable objects, places and human experiences, using simple, memorable language. Complex information became concise "story nuggets" designed to make the company's impact tangible and easier to communicate. The framing mattered as much as the technical achievement: employees needed a clear connection between IBM's work and the world around them. Use that approach to give employees a concrete example they can remember and explain in professional or personal conversations, rather than a technical description they must interpret for someone else.

Put ready-to-share stories within reach by bringing them together in an accessible library and providing formats suited to employees' sharing opportunities. The "This is IBM" campaign, which ran from 2019 to 2023, gave IBM employees a library of tangible, real-world examples they could use to explain the business. It grew from a single UK and Ireland-based website into printed promotional assets, event stands and geography-specific web pages across Europe and Asia. Content also appeared through internal communications, social channels, YouTube, printed books and event cards. Across the formats, the shared narrative was that IBM's technologies quietly shape the modern world. Give employees usable stories and supporting materials, not just a central message.