My essence is stories. Your essence is stories. We are all story works. We are so much more than what we do, what we own or what we produce. We want to know, to think and to feel. We want to connect these thinking/feeling/knowing dots. Stories connect all the dots: the rational and the emotional.
Storytelling to Improve Workplace Culture
Workplace storytelling liberates people to think, feel and act differently. It may be because people love stories. If you were to trace your lineage way back in time, you would discover that your earliest ancestors met to swap the stories of their pasts, make sense of these experiences, learn from one another’s ideas and solve the problems of the day. Storytelling is a step back in time, and three steps forward in creating innovative workplaces.
The following story-based organizational development process enables workplace learning and change to unfold in imaginative, resourceful and innovative ways. Consider adding storytelling to your leadership toolkits for helping people to learn, think and act differently, and in the process, shape the future of work.
Exploration
Find an ordinary polished river rock or smooth stone to serve as our storytelling stone. The premise is that who ever holds the stone has the voice. When we are not holding the stone, our contributing role is to listen to understand. The storytelling stone serves as both a visual and physical reminder of the need to listen. It also encourages quiet, so reflective learners can share their experiences in a group setting. No one should ever feel obliged to speak, if they don’t want to share, they can pass the stone onto the next person.
Once a group of colleagues is assembled, start at the beginning of your organizational story. Whether your company dates back 50 years or five years, take a trip down memory lane. Collaborate in the telling by passing the storytelling stone to your colleagues and team members. To promote discussion ask probing questions each time the stone is passed to a new person such as: what key people, places and major events have shaped who we are, or what business decisions are we most proud?
Organizational Timeline
Create a record or timeline by plotting down the key events, people, trends, business decisions, successes and difficulties your organization has experienced. The objective is for everyone to be able to see their past with greater clarity and build upon it in the following steps.
Discovery
Look for common themes among the shared experiences and stories. Perhaps a symbol or picture comes to mind that best describes your organization's journey. By looking closely, employees can discover the common threads that weave throughout the company’s history - creating a rich tapestry for learning and discovery. Consider: What time periods are the employees most proud of? What do they want to improve? What does the company need to stop or start doing to move into the future?
Identification
The next step is to identify what your collective desired future looks like. What do customers love about the organization/product/service? What does the competition fear most? Why is the company successful? How can this be used as a stepping stone? Are there clear patterns on where the company can go in the future? What will the future look like if the company stays the same?
When writing this chapter of organizational life, think compelling and enduring. Encourage people to think lofty thoughts. The company’s next chapter should be attainable yet challenging. Be thoughtful to the values that are needed throughout the organization to make this vision real. Consider what organizational systems and practices are in alignment with your vision and values and which ones are not.
At this stage in the process, recognize that there is still some work to do to affect this kind of meaningful change. Leaders must be passionate and committed to lead the change. If not, don't expect the employees to be. To tell a vision story that is capable of inspiring others requires senior management’s emotional investment in the new story.
Action
Ordinary people gain special insight by taking one step at a time. To develop an action plan, methodically plot out the steps needed to go from the current reality to the brightly imagined future.
A real business opportunity exists in storytelling. It fosters team building, develops communication and the sharing of institutional memory. Liberate the employees’ stories to tap employee potential, shape positive workplace culture and effect lasting change.
