Why You Shouldn't Use Storytelling to Dodge Tough Questions

Is there ever a time when you shouldn't tell a story?

Yes. In fact, there are a few of them. But there's one that really gets on my nerves, because it's not just ineffective. It's a blatant abuse of storytelling's power.

The Number One Time NOT to Tell a Story

Do not tell a story if you're trying to evade a question.

You've seen this in action. Someone in power sits down for an interview and gets asked a point-blank question. Instead of answering, they launch into a story, often about their childhood, often completely unrelated to the question, and certainly not anywhere close to answering it.

The story is just long enough, and just winding enough, that by the time it's over, the interviewer has lost the thread of what they originally asked. The person in power is essentially off the hook. And to make it worse, they might even earn bonus points for being so human, so vulnerable, so approachable, all because they told a story.

This is manipulation, plain and simple.

Why It's Starting to Backfire

In an increasingly skeptical world, audiences, whether in an interview room, a boardroom, or a town hall, are getting wise to the evasion tactic. What might have worked ten years ago now signals inauthenticity to people who are already primed to be suspicious.

Using a story to distract instead of illuminate doesn't just fail to answer the question. It erodes the trust that storytelling is supposed to build in the first place.

What to Do Instead

I get it. Tough questions are hard. Sometimes you don't have the answer. Sometimes you've been coached not to answer at all. That's a real situation.

But here's what actually works:

• Answer first, then tell a relevant story. Use the story to add texture and humanity to an honest answer, not to replace one.

• Or tell the story, then answer the question. Either order works. What doesn't work is using the story as a way to never get back to the answer.

• And if you truly can't answer? Say so. "I don't have the answer to that question" or "I'm not prepared to speak to that just yet" is a far better look than a smoke-and-mirrors anecdote.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools you have. It builds trust, creates connection, and makes your message stick. If you want to learn how to use it the right way, Stories That Stick is the place to start, and The Story Edge goes deep on storytelling as a leadership tool specifically.

Use it to illuminate. Never to evade.