WHY
STORY?
Story
is the oldest most proven way humans learn and remember information.
We are story-making machines. Cognitively speaking, every experience,
every relationship, every object is stored in the mind as a story.
We think, feel,
and live thru story. As far back as we can remember, we have gathered
in community to tell stories of who we are, where we come from,
what we believe in, and where we are going.
"The
world is nothing but my perception of it. I see only through myself.
I hear only through the filter of my story."
– Byron Katie
Our
changing world demands new stories.
We live in an
era of information overload, where change is constant, and trust
and faith are in short supply. Value systems, worldviews, beliefs
and emotions collide as old barriers to communications, commerce
and exchange disappear.
"He
who tells the stories rules the world"
-- Hopi proverb
We see this
pain greatly in the workplace. Many employees feel disconnected
from the larger vision and identity of their organizations. Most
corporate communications are flat, alientating and lacking in passion
and relevance. Organizations are struggling to stay on purpose and
profit.
Very few social
institutions understand their proper place, power, and role in our
emerging global reality.
Story
and narrative provides a set of tools for making sense of this new
reality.
Good stories
are the ultimate form of persuasion. They inspire, influence, reveal,
connect, and motivate people to action.
"..The
oldest tool of influence in human history -- telling a good story...is
like a mini-documentary of what you have seen so others can see
it, too."
- Annette Simmons, author of The Story Factor
The fundamental
power of story is being acknowledged across the business world and
media. The Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, CIO Magazine,
The World Bank, NASA, Bristol Myers Squib, IBM, Disney, Ford are
all on the bus.
Not to mention
leading experts from across the fields of leadership development,
branding, knowledge management (KM), cognitive psychology, media,
and organizational learning:
- Tom Peters
- Business author and guru
- Howard Gardner
- Harvard cognitive psychologist
- John Seeley
Brown - Technology futurist
- Steve Denning
- Story and knowledge mgt. authority
- Larry Prusak
- Management expert on social capital
- Kevin Roberts
- CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi
Explore our
key resources section
for more details on these and other examples.
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