Why Stories and Visuals Matter More Than Ever in Times of Change

Change is emotional. Even when the strategy is solid, people still feel uncertain, skeptical, or overwhelmed, especially when the vision feels huge and the path feels unclear.

In this revisited episode of The Visual Lounge (originally Episode 168), Matt sits down with Jake Gittleson, who leads McKinsey’s Learning Research and Innovation Lab. Jake shares why storytelling is one of the most effective tools L&D teams have for supporting change inside organisations.

Instead of trying to persuade people in one big moment, Jake explains why change stories should be shared over time, through small experiments, human insights, and incremental updates that meet people where they are.

He also breaks down practical ways to gather stories through interviews, outline your narrative, and use video and audio to create connection, without needing expensive gear or a polished production setup.

Learning points from the episode include:

1. 00:00 - 01:21 Introduction
2. 01:21 - 02:03 Jake’s background
3. 02:03 - 04:14 How Jake started using audio and video
4. 04:14 - 07:01 What does a successful change look like
5. 07:01 - 08:45 Creativity as a tip for using video at work
6. 08.45 - 11:55 Jake’s role and expertise in change and innovation
7. 11:55 - 15:11 Why human connection matters in change
8. 15:11 - 18:13 Operationalizing storytelling without big budgets
9. 18:13 - 21:13 Building the right stories
10. 21:13 - 27:10 Visual approaches to telling stories
11. 27:10 - 30:21 Capturing real voices
12. 30:21 - 39:51 Speed round
13. 39:51 - 40:46 Jake’s final take
14. 40:46 Outro

Important links and mentions:

1. Connect with Jake on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-gittleson/
2. Check out The Learning Geeks podcast: https://www.learninggeekspod.com/
3. Listen to Jake’s first appearance on The Visual Lounge in episode 168: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ee9c311f-7f51-4a6c-a749-c2d7090a1274