The development of organization depends heavily on how it is being managed; so, it is the management’s role in making decisions that are directly linked with the success or failure of the organization. Story telling is a very important part of our lives as we all grow up listening to different stories that teach us significant lessons. A story must be effective to make everlasting impressions. Narrative comprises of various tools that can be used differently for distinct purposes.
“Burning platform” stories have a negative tone like saying that if innovation is not done, the company would go bankrupt; this grabs attention but does not inspire the people (Clark, 2004). In contrast, a “springboard story” has a positive tone and talks about a change that the company has already experienced in the past. “Personal narrative” is a traditional form of narrative and is well-told but there are less chances that it inspires the listeners. Another form of storytelling is by narrating a success story but this lacks the typical errors and mistakes of the real world (Harris & Barnes, 2005).
The leaders and the managers have to face the most difficult challenge when they need to implement a change or new strategy within the organization. Though the conventional approach of command and control may require communicating the new goals simply, they end up being counterproductive for the company. In contrast, it is the springboard stories and other kind of narratives that seem to be well adapted to cope up with the challenge. The springboard stories trigger and spark the transformational change that is required in the organization (Denning, 2001). These stories help the listeners to envision new narratives for their own context.
Jack Harris, VP of Global medical operations at Eli Lilly, and Barnes states: “Self-disclosure through storytelling is a powerful method of engaging and inspiring others. Such a disclosure, told with humor and confidence, can stimulate a dialogue about what you could have done differently and opens the way for others to share their stories.” The staff and managers at World Bank envisioned a different future for their organizations when in 1996, they were told the story to spark interest in knowledge management. And now, the World Bank is considered to be the global leader in the application of knowledge management (Clark, 2004).
References
Clark, E. (2004). Around the corporate campfire (1st ed.). Sevierville, Tenn.: Insight Pub. Co.
Denning, S. (2001). The springboard (1st ed.). Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Harris, J., & Barnes, K. (2005). Leadership Storytelling: Learn how to get people to connect with you. Executive Excellence, 22(4).
