Explaining a ‘Storytelling Culture’
Why create a ‘storytelling’ culture?…And, what on earth does that mean?!
We believe that strategy isn’t just something that you’ve got, it’s something that you do. Too often strategies don’t work because people are not engaged, at worst, they are alienated from the vision that they could help to achieve.
Story connects us, it gives us meaning, it helps us to learn, build good relationships and help to break down siloes. So the key to successful strategic management is blending story and strategy. All of these factors are essential to effective strategic management, brilliant leadership and a happy workforce.
How exactly does the StrategyStory blend do this? Here are a couple of ways:
One is that stories convey the strategy’s ‘rules of thumb’, which means that people have more chance of being able to respond creatively – limiting the need for stifling micro-management. Stories also bring to light the impact of actions keeping your strategic decisions focussed and on track.
By creating a storytelling culture you will:
- Help give voice to your workforce – uncover their challenges and opportunities and put their experiences and views at the heart of strategic management and change – essential for buy-in.
- Equip your managers with the skills and processes necessary to develop better communication and storytelling practices.
StrategyStory’s Kate Hooper explains a little more about how this works:
How do we do it?
Developing an effective storytelling culture takes time but will reap benefits.
Working in long-term partnerships (12 months plus), we take a three step, phased approach to establishing a storytelling culture:
Phase 1: People
Train your people in the art of storytelling and story-gathering and weave storytelling practices and enhanced skills into the strategic repertoire of the leadership team. Your people, your skills, your voices.
Phase 2: (Infra)structure
We work with you to analyse and develop the infrastructure required to establish a storytelling culture required for effective strategic management.
Phase 3: Communications
We work with you to develop an effective strategic communication plan for external audiences/customers developed from the strategy that we have worked on together
Sound interesting?
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Liked this? You might enjoy our Demystify strategy with a strategy statement page
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StrategyStory supports businesses to develop strategies that work. This means strategy as collective action rather than a dusty document. We deliver through partnership programmes, online learning, workshops, seminars and public speaking. We deliver lectures, talks and sessions on strategy and storytelling at private and public events.
If you’d like to arrange a conversation, please contact us at hello@strategystory.co.uk
