Storytelling - Your Secret Weapon in Successful Change

When change feels mechanical, people disconnect. But when they feel part of the story—they don’t just follow change, they own it. Join Lou Robey - Storyteller & Award-Winning Change & Communications Expert as she shares why storytelling is the most overlooked yet powerful tool in any transformation. Drawing on over 20 years in communications, mediation, and leadership development—including time at the BBC—Lou will demonstrate how story shifts behaviour, builds belief, and makes strategy mean something.

What You’ll Learn

Why Change Fails Without Story, “You can cascade a strategy, but you can’t cascade belief. Belief is built when people feel emotionally connected to the journey.” - Why so many change efforts stall despite clear plans - How storytelling makes change personal, not just procedural

The Science & Psychology Behind Storytelling - Our brains are wired for narrative: emotion > logic - Stories create safety and structure during uncertainty - Shared stories = shared language = deeper trust

Real-World Insights Lou brings rich case studies and real examples—from corporate transformation to complex mediation—showing how story created momentum where logic alone failed. “They weren’t resisting the transformation. They just hadn’t heard themselves in the story.”

Tools & Takeaways You’ll leave with creative tools, story arcs, and repeatable models you can use to: - Frame change in ways that land emotionally - Craft narratives that align people behind purpose - Move from ‘telling’ to connecting

Why You Should Attend

This webinar is for anyone leading, supporting, or navigating change—from HR and comms professionals to senior leaders and team facilitators. Whether you’re facing transformation fatigue or looking to inspire belief in your vision, Lou’s session will equip you to lead with story—powerfully and practically.

Key Takeaways

People don’t resist change—they resist meaningless change - Facts inform, but stories move - Great leaders don’t just drive change—they narrate it - Story gives people something to hold onto in disruption - When people see themselves in the story, they shift from compliance to commitment In times of change, people don’t just want a plan—they want a place in the story. That’s your job as a leader. To invite them in.

Speaker Bio

Lou Robey is a powerhouse in business transformation, with four decades of experience across multiple sectors, including an impressive 25 years in broadcast media. A visionary leader, Lou has held pivotal roles such as BBC Head of Internal Communications, Head of Change at BBC Technology (WISTEM), Co-leader of the BBC Culture Change programme, and Head of Communications at WGSN. At the heart of groundbreaking change initiatives, Lou led the BBC’s largest-ever capital project—a visionary transformation of the historic 1930s headquarters into a state-of-the-art digital production hub. This monumental project spanned a decade and earned the prestigious APM Award in 2013, cementing her reputation as a leader who turns ambitious ideas into reality. In her final role at the BBC, Lou co-led the Culture Change programme, where she introduced a bold new employee experience strategy and coached over 100 change agents through one of the most transformative periods in BBC history. This extraordinary initiative won industry acclaim, securing the Change Awards’ top honour in 2024. In 2023, Lou stepped into a new era to start a portfolio career as the Managing Director & COO of Women in Change, a global movement dedicated to empowering women to make an impact across the world which she built to go global before stepping out. She now has relaunched under her own name and brand ‘Lou Robey’hat same year, where her mission is to help leaders share their vision, stories of change and build cultures that embrace transformational change with impact. Whether driving large-scale organisational change or helping others tell their stories, Lou Robey is a trailblazer in amplifying voices, creating meaningful, lasting impact.

Additionally - Serves on the advisory board of Uuna and Trust your Creative and is also an associate to Marlowe Consulting. - At Women in Change, Editor of two of the “The Edge of Change” magazines - Podcast Series Voice’s on the Edge of Change - Keynotes 2024: BBC, Home Office, Boarder Force with Marlowe Consulting, Karren Brady's Women in Business &Tech Expo in London. Women in Change Summits, with Diageo & Gate One Production Futures: 2022/23 & Panels: @ Citti @The Home-Grown Club.

Contact

E: lou@lourobey.com

L: Lou Robey

W: www.lourobey.com