The secret to you becoming a great communicator is Storytelling.
Engage, inspire, lead, transform.
theWholeStory: specialists in storytelling for communication, change and leadership since 2006.
“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built into the human plan. We come with it.”
Margaret Atwood
Storytelling, your toolkit for communication and leadership.
Communication is often described as a “soft skill”, yet in reality it directly impacts the speed and quality of decision-making, alignment across teams, employee engagement, culture and the ability to execute strategy and bring about change.
We work with the full picture of what makes communication powerful: the thinking behind it, the story that carries it and the person who tells it.
These things are inseparable and developing all three is what transforms communication from information into impact.
Tell us what's happening and we'll show you what's possible
At the heart of what we do is helping people use storytelling to bring out their natural strengths:
To be more human, more empathetic and more impactful in the way they communicate and lead.
We believe the best communication is not about presentation, but connection.
That’s what we help people build.
Our workshops, training and coaching cover the full range of what great communication requires.
Storytelling: The Methodology of Communication
Storytelling is often seen as something you add to a presentation. For us it is intrinsic to who people are, and our methodology puts it to work in everything: the way you lead, make decisions, influence, work with others and make things happen. So teams move faster, collaborate better and build stronger trust.
Voice, Body, Space.
Storytelling is as much about the teller as it is about the story. How we use our voice, body and space shapes whether people listen, trust and follow. This work gives you conscious control over how you show up, from leading yourself under pressure to building trust with others and shaping the culture around you.
Coaching: The Whole Communicator
Individual development that goes deeper into our methodologies and approaches. We work on what matters most to you, from high-stakes moments and difficult conversations to refining your leadership voice and building long-term capability in how you think, express yourself and lead.
Share what you’re working on and we’ll show you how our training and coaching can achieve your goals.
Three ways our approach to storytelling transforms how you work.
Investigate and Understand
In complex, fast-paced or changing environments, leaders and teams often struggle to find a shared understanding of ideas, strategy, purpose or direction.
We help them use storytelling to make sense and plan, understand the big picture, find the detail they were missing, make the unknown tangible and develop the clarity of voice and presence to carry it with conviction.
Connect and Engage
Disconnection across teams and a lack of shared culture can lead to low engagement and weak collaboration.
Our workshops and coaching use storytelling to build trust, connection and a sense of belonging through what is said, how it is said and the physical openness and energy with which it is delivered.
People understand each other, share values and feel part of the same story, creating a stronger, more unified organisation.
Communicate to Make it Happen
Great ideas and strategies often fail because they aren’t communicated in a way that connects to emotions and drives action. Messages get lost, misunderstood or fail to inspire.
We help leaders and teams use their inbuilt storytelling tools to make ideas clear, relatable and motivating, shaping not just the content but the voice, presence and physicality that make it land, so people not only understand what needs to happen, but feel compelled to make it happen.
Sample our work to discover how we transform leaders and teams into the communicators they need to be.
Curiosity, creativity and two decades of practical experience.
Lily and Josh’s curiosity about how the practical, enduring and dynamic methods of storytelling could support modern working life led us to found theWholeStory in 2006.
In 2014, Ben Joiner joined our core team. His depth of expertise in how voice and body are essential elements of communication, completed the strength of our offer.
With backgrounds in storytelling, performance and theatre direction, we brought a wealth of lived experience, insight and hands-on skill. Responding to the real needs, challenges and aspirations of our clients we’ve created and shaped practical tools our clients can use to communicate and lead with greater clarity, authenticity and impact.
We love seeing people grow in confidence, mastering creative approaches to connect more meaningfully with others and move their work, teams and ideas forward.
Lily, Josh and Ben.
