Think about a time something really funny happened to you. Even though it was just a singular moment in your life, you can probably recall everything about that moment. Hours, days, even years later, you can reshare that experience with others in the same level of detail.

But do you have that type of recall when it comes to the training video you watched at work last week?

Our brains are, by design, prioritization machines. Given all the sensory inputs that bombard us, we are in a continuous state of cognitive overload without prioritization. We filter out the noise and focus on the inputs that matter and are relevant to us. By way of evolutionary necessity, our brains assume inputs that stir emotional arousal deserve our attention and a place in our working or long-term memory.

So how can we design workplace learning experiences that generate emotional resonance?

Stories Generate Emotional Resonance

In his class on MasterClass, Formula 1 racing champion Lewis Hamilton shares stories about his experiences being the only person of color in the room in a predominantly white racing industry. As he narrates his story, a striking photograph of him sitting in a chair surrounded by a large team of people who don’t look like him appears on screen. At that moment, we can’t help but try to imagine what that must feel like. It prompts us to reflect on similar moments in our own lives, or people we know who may have similar experiences.

This story is included in an inclusive leadership program that is focused on developing empathy to foster a more inclusive workplace environment. Hamilton’s story provides tools and frameworks for leaders to cultivate a sense of belonging at work while anchoring these lessons in learners’ minds through emotion. It will take time, practice and even failure before the leader can effectively integrate all the tools and frameworks, but it’s the emotional resonance triggered by Hamilton’s story that gives those tools meaning and relevance.

For many of the durable, people-focused skills employees need to develop to thrive at work, stories serve as critical cognitive anchors for the tools and concepts learning and development (L&D) leaders are trying to develop. Without those stories, employees lose the context and relevance of the learning, and the brain de-prioritizes the content in favor of more emotionally resonant content.

Surprise! An Underrated Element of Effective Learning Design

Whether by way of a compelling story or a funny joke, emotional resonance is often generated when the unexpected happens. This moment of surprise is memorable to us because it is disruptive. It awakens us from the malaise of our daily routines and forces us to cognitively work through what happened in that moment of surprise. Designing for surprise in a learning experience might feel counterintuitive at first. A surprise would seem to take a learner out of their flow state and distract them. However, being intentional in the use of surprise can be a powerful force for learning.

For example, in a lesson on effective selling for retail store associates, employees are surprised to find comedian and actor Kevin Hart sharing a story from his days selling sneakers at a sporting goods retailer. He explains how he used comedy and a light-hearted approach to connect with customers and improve his selling, but he also talks about taking pride in his selling. For the young person watching this video on the retail floor during their shift, there is surprise in the shared experience with this notable person and that the experience was formative in his career. The surprise in this learning encounter on the retail floor anchors the selling techniques employees will learn about and apply during their shifts to improve sales performance.

Learning that emerges unexpectedly in the stories and experiences of people from different professional backgrounds can also help shift our perspective and develop new modes of thinking. In a lesson on strategy for senior leaders, scientist and activist Jane Goodall explains how she uses storytelling when lobbying for financial support from busy politicians to forge an emotional connection. The story invites the senior leader to see the world through the eyes of a wildlife preservationist, which develops a broader context for understanding how storytelling can be used as a tool in socializing strategy across an organization. Seeing the application and value of skills across different contexts can deepen the learning experience, provided the learning supports the leader in effectively applying those skills in their workplace context.

For talent development professionals, stories from people of diverse professional backgrounds can be a powerful learning tool. When considering what stories to include in a learning experience and how to fit them into a learning design strategy, consider the emotional resonance and contextual variability as a way to anchor the concepts and tools you are trying to get employees to develop. The surprises along the way will help keep the learning fresh, exciting and memorable.