Storytelling is a skill and it’s costing you promotions (But here’s how to fix it)

As a recruiter, I talk to treasury professionals every single day.

And I’ve noticed something:

Some people are absolutely brilliant at telling their story…

It flows naturally. Clear, compelling, confident.

But some others take a bit more warming up.

One of the former is Meredith Vance, Global Treasurer at NTT Data.

When she joined me on the Treasury Career Corner podcast, it was effortless.

Her career path, the decisions she made, the challenges she faced – it wasn’t like she was reciting her CV; she was telling her story.

No waffle. No rambling. Just well-thought-out insights delivered with purpose.

It was one of those interviews where I could’ve just put my feet up and let her run the show.

And the reason it stood out?

Because most treasury professionals are brilliant at doing, but struggle when they’re asked to talk about what they’ve done.

That’s not a criticism – it’s just the reality.

Execution is the comfort zone. Articulating the value of that execution? Not so much.

But why is this important to you and your career?

Well, if you can’t talk about your own impact, how is anyone else supposed to notice it, let alone reward it?

That’s why I loved a tip I picked up from Emma Hayward, a treasurer I recently spoke to.

Here’s what she does:

Every Friday, Emma sends herself a short email summing up what she and her team achieved that week.

It’s not for show. It’s not for social media. Just a running record of progress.

And it’s gold dust when it comes to performance reviews, pay rises, job interviews, or just reminding yourself of what you’ve actually delivered.

So, here’s what I recommend:

Keep a weekly win list (use your Notes app, a Word doc, your inbox – whatever works)
Think in stories, not bullet points. What was the challenge? What did you do? What changed?
Practice telling your story out loud

Because whether it’s an interview, a networking event, or a chat with your CFO, sometimes it’s not enough just to have done the work…

You have to be able to tell the story.

Best regards,

Mike

P.S. Want to hear what great storytelling sounds like in practice? Listen to my conversation with Meredith here:

Or my conversation with Emma here:

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