SOAR: Storytelling Your Way to Career Success

Quote of the week

“Opportunities don't happen, you create them." Chris Grosser

Have you ever walked out of a performance review feeling like you undersold yourself? You know you've accomplished meaningful work, but somehow it came across as a dry recitation of tasks completed rather than a compelling narrative of growth and impact.

Your manager isn't just evaluating what you did - they're trying to understand the story of your development, your potential, and your value to the organization. Raw accomplishments without context are like ingredients without a recipe. They might be impressive individually, but they don't create a satisfying whole.

Why Stories Matter in Career Conversations

As we've discussed in previous newsletters, storytelling is about the listener. In performance reviews and career conversations, your listener - whether it's your manager, HR, or senior leadership - needs to understand not just your achievements, but the journey that led to them and where that journey is heading.

Stories transform bullet points into compelling narratives that help others see your progression and potential. They create emotional connections that make your accomplishments memorable and your value undeniable.

The SOAR Framework for Achievement Stories

Just as we've emphasized the importance of having a script for your presentations, crafting career stories requires structure. Here's a framework that works.

• Situation: Set the context. What was the challenge or opportunity you faced

• Obstacle: What made this difficult? What barriers did you overcome?

• Action: What specific steps did you take? This is where your skills and judgment shine.

• Result: What was the outcome? Include both quantifiable results and learning outcomes.

This framework ensures your stories have the narrative arc that makes them engaging while highlighting your problem-solving abilities and growth mindset.

Three Types of Career Stories You Need

Achievement Stories These showcase your wins, but remember - the obstacle you overcame is often more compelling than the result itself. Instead of saying "I increased sales by 20%," tell the story of how you identified an untapped market segment, convinced skeptical stakeholders to try a new approach, and ultimately delivered results that exceeded expectations.

Learning Stories These demonstrate growth from setbacks. As we know from our storytelling principles, vulnerability creates connection. Sharing how you learned from a mistake or failure shows maturity and adaptability - qualities every manager values in team members they want to promote.

Vision Stories These paint a picture of your future contribution. Use storytelling techniques to help your manager envision how your skills and experience will tackle upcoming challenges. Instead of saying "I want more responsibility," describe a specific scenario where your expanded role would benefit the team.

Practicing Your Career Narrative

Just as we recommend practicing your presentations, rehearse your career stories. Record yourself telling them, as we've suggested for other storytelling contexts. Listen for clarity, conciseness, and impact. Are you making an emotional connection while demonstrating your value?

Remember, repetition is the key to making your message resonate. The stories you tell in performance reviews should reinforce consistent themes about your capabilities and growth trajectory.

Video

This week, we analyze Sheryl Sandberg's Harvard Business School commencement speech about resilience and career setbacks. Notice how she transforms personal challenges into universal lessons about professional growth, using vulnerability and specific examples to create connection with her audience.

Watch how Sandberg structures her personal narrative to demonstrate growth, learning, and future potential. Her story doesn't hide from difficulty - it shows how challenges became catalysts for development, exactly the kind of narrative that resonates in career conversations.

As you prepare for your next performance review or career discussion, remember: your accomplishments are the raw material, but your story is what makes them memorable and meaningful. Invest time in crafting narratives that don't just tell what you've done, but show who you've become and where you're headed.