The story doesn't change. The telling does.
Think and write
Think of something you need to communicate to three different groups — your team, your board, your clients. How would you tell the same story differently for each? What changes?
Here's the core tension: you want to be consistent. You want to tell the truth. And you also want every audience to care about the truth the way you do. But they don't. They bring different knowledge, different fears, different needs to the conversation.
A company turnaround story told to investors is about ROI and timeline. Told to employees, it's about job security and purpose. Told to customers, it's about continuity and trust. Same core facts. Three completely different tellings.
The question isn't whether to adapt — you have to. The question is whether you can adapt without deceiving. And that requires understanding what each audience knows, fears, wants, and needs to do.
Four questions that shape how you tell the same story.
For any audience, ask yourself four things:
Prior knowledge. What can I assume they already understand? Where do I need to start?
Hidden concerns. What's the unstated worry in the room? What are they anxious about?
Desired outcome. What's their measure of success? What would make them say "I'm satisfied"?
Action required. What do you need from them? What decision or commitment are you asking for?
Scenario: A company went through a major turnaround — restructured, cut costs, focused on high-margin products. The turnaround worked. Now the CEO needs to tell this story to: investors, employees, and customers. Same facts. Different story.
What they KNOW: We were losing money. They know restructuring happened.
What they FEAR: That the changes are temporary. That we're just cutting our way out.
What they WANT: Clear ROI. Evidence that we're profitable and will stay profitable.
What they'll DO: Decide whether to increase their investment or cut losses.
The story: "We were burning cash. We made hard choices. The data shows we're now profitable on a smaller revenue base, with higher margins. This proves the business model works. Here's the ROI timeline."
What they KNOW: Some people lost their jobs. Things changed.
What they FEAR: More cuts are coming. Their jobs aren't safe. The company might fail anyway.
What they WANT: Job security. A sense that the hard part is over. Purpose.
What they'll DO: Decide whether to stay and rebuild, or leave for a safer ship.
The story: "We made hard cuts that were painful and necessary. That part is behind us. Now we're focusing on deepening what we do best. We're stable. We're hiring in growth areas. We're here for the long term, and we need you to help us rebuild it."
What they KNOW: Something changed. Maybe they noticed service shifts.
What they FEAR: We're going out of business. Our service will degrade. We don't care about them anymore.
What they WANT: Continuity. That we're the same reliable company they chose.
What they'll DO: Decide whether to stay or explore alternatives.
The story: "We've refined what we do. We eliminated the parts that didn't matter to you and doubled down on what does. Your experience is better, not different. We're stronger and more focused. Your partnership matters more than ever."
The key: The CORE doesn't change (the company restructured and is now profitable). The FRAMING changes based on what each audience knows, fears, and needs. All three versions are true. But they lead with different truths.
Map one story onto three audiences.
Think of one story from your professional context. It might be about a project completion, a business decision, a team transformation, a market shift — something you need to communicate to different groups. Write it out, then map it onto three different audiences using the empathy map.
The core story
What actually happened? What's the core fact or narrative?
Audience 1: Who are they?
What do they KNOW?
What do they FEAR?
What do they WANT?
What will they DO?
Your version of the story for this audience
Audience 2: Who are they?
What do they KNOW?
What do they FEAR?
What do they WANT?
What will they DO?
Your version of the story for this audience
Audience 3: Who are they?
What do they KNOW?
What do they FEAR?
What do they WANT?
What will they DO?
Your version of the story for this audience
Tell the same story three times, adapted for each audience.
Using the three versions you just built, deliver each one out loud — as if you're actually in the room with that audience. 90 seconds each. Timer for each.
Delivery 1: [Your Audience 1]
Tell the story as if you're addressing this audience right now. 90 seconds.
Delivery 2: [Your Audience 2]
Tell the story adapted for this audience. 90 seconds.
Delivery 3: [Your Audience 3]
Tell the story adapted for this audience. 90 seconds.
Which version felt most natural? Which was hardest? Why? Did you notice yourself changing emphasis, starting point, or emotional tone for each audience?
The difference between adapting and deceiving.
If audience A and audience B compared notes after your presentations, would they feel you told them different things, or the same thing differently?
If the answer is "the same thing differently" — you've adapted. If the answer is "different things" — you've started deceiving.
Adapting: Same core facts, different framing. Investors hear "we're profitable," employees hear "we're stable," customers hear "we're focused." All true. All emphasized differently based on what they care about.
Deceiving: Telling investors "we're growing" while telling employees "we're cutting costs" — those are contradictory stories, not adapted ones.
Explain the difference between adapting and deceiving — in about 60 seconds. Then connect it to Lesson 8's ethics framework: are you adding a perspective the listener needs, or removing one they deserve?
Looking back at your three versions: does each one pass the authenticity test? Could the three audiences compare notes and still believe you're the same person telling the truth?
From Lessons 2 and 6 — from memory only.
Lesson 2: The Defining Moment Method
1. Name the five steps of the Defining Moment method.
Lesson 6: Data Storytelling
2. Name the four data storytelling techniques. Which would be most important when presenting to investors (where the audience cares about numbers)?
1. 1. Isolate the moment. 2. Name what changed inside you. 3. Show the before and after. 4. Make it visible. 5. Connect it outward.
2. Context, Contrast, Clarity, Conclusion. The "Contrast" technique (showing what changed) is most important for investors because they need to understand the magnitude of impact and the direction of change.
From memory. No peeking.
1. Name the four quadrants of the audience empathy map
2. What's the core difference between adapting and deceiving?
3. Which quadrant of the empathy map is most often forgotten when people prepare presentations?
1. What do they KNOW? / What do they FEAR? / What do they WANT? / What will they DO?
2. Adapting keeps the core story true while changing emphasis and framing based on what each audience knows, fears, and needs. Deceiving changes the core story itself — telling different truths to different people.
3. "What will they DO?" — the action required. Most presenters focus on the first three quadrants and then wonder why their audience doesn't actually do anything with the information.
When you tell the same story to different audiences, which part changes the most — your words, your emphasis, your emotional tone, or something else?
How confident are you with that statement right now?
1 = not yet | 5 = absolutely
Next time: Your Thought Leadership Narrative — the throughline that connects everything you've done.