The Power of Story

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2010


Story: Where  Possibility  Resides

"Be so good they can't ignore you."  - Jerry Dunn


Storytelling is one of leadership's best kept secrets.

Peter Block says:

"Storytelling plays a noble and historic role in our lives and in society. 
Stories can give us a narrative to guide and instruct us. 
They are crucial to knowing who we are.  They provide a sense of identity. 
Some stories, however, become the limitation to creating anything new. 
We need to distinguish between the stories that give meaning to our lives and
help us find our voice,
and those that limit our possibility.

The stories that are useful and fulfilling are the ones tha are metaphors, signposts, parables and inspiration for the fullest expression of our humanity. 
They are communal teaching stories."

Stories are not "right" or "wrong". 
They are not fact - each of us has our own interpretation
because we tell the story through our own lens.

In "Systems Thinking", story telling becomes one of the factors in understanding problems, issues and potential solutions. 
 Each of the "characters" talks about what is happening from "the place in which they (uniquely)  stand".  The story unfolds as  assumptions emerge, and hypotheses are disclosed. 
These theories are logically consistent - but not linear. 
When combined, they are a series of thoughts from many vantage points and recurring patterns.  They are the foundations of possibility.

This story-telling process is also known as "model building",
a powerful learning tool - especially for teams. 

As Peter Senge says:
At the heart of the art of (...systems thinking)
storytelling is one question:

How did we (through our internal thinking, our processes, our practices and our procedures) contribute to or create the circumstances (good or bad) that we face now?

Leaders: 
Listen for the stories. 
Talk story. 
Ask questions to understand the thoughts, assumptions, mental models and systems at play in the circumstance.
Do not just solve the problem...

Hmmmmm....

See you Thursday afternoon!
Maggie