The Power of the Tale - Using Narratives forOrganisational Success
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More About This Title The Power of the Tale - Using Narratives forOrganisational Success
English
" . . . I thoroughly endorse the book. . . Fairtlough is an excellent thinker."
Napier Collyns
"Takes Arie de Geus's thinking forward . . I have no hesitation in recommending it for publication."
Gill Ringland
"The most important aspect is the potential to legitimise the use of storytelling in a business environment . . and help management think outside the box."
Arie de Geus
Story-telling is one of the best ways for individuals, groups, organizations and societies to learn. Skill in story-telling and in other narrative activities allows us to understand complexity, live with uncertainty, communicate well and increase personal and organizational effectiveness. As organizations move away from old-fashioned command and control, they will increasingly need the bonds of shared stories, which create shared language, shared visions and shared values.
Napier Collyns
"Takes Arie de Geus's thinking forward . . I have no hesitation in recommending it for publication."
Gill Ringland
"The most important aspect is the potential to legitimise the use of storytelling in a business environment . . and help management think outside the box."
Arie de Geus
Story-telling is one of the best ways for individuals, groups, organizations and societies to learn. Skill in story-telling and in other narrative activities allows us to understand complexity, live with uncertainty, communicate well and increase personal and organizational effectiveness. As organizations move away from old-fashioned command and control, they will increasingly need the bonds of shared stories, which create shared language, shared visions and shared values.
English
JULIE ALLAN is a chartered occupational psychologist in private practice, whose work is focused on supporting sustainable individual and organisational development. She draws on a wide range of whole-system approaches, including gestalt and complexity, to help individuals address both strategic thinking and behavioural change. With a prior career in writing and publishing with the BBC, she is particularly interested in communication and applied creativity, and has recognised and put to use the vital role played by storytelling across all her working involvement, as well as in general life.
GERARD FAIRTLOUGH is a biochemist with 25 years' experience at Shell. Later he was founder and CEO of biopharmaceutical company Celltech, and has helped set up several other businesses in biotechnology and IT. Gerard has been specialist advisor to the House of Commons Select Committee for Science and Technology, advisor to the LIFT Business/Arts Forum and is widely published in the areas of organisation learning and innovation. He is currently a director of Xenova Group plc and Chair of the Advisory Panel of SPRU at Sussex University.
BARBARA HEINZEN is a geographer and freelance consultant in long range scenario planning and policy analysis. She specialises in working with organisations to help identify the driving forces of change in developing and restructuring societies. Barbara has worked with a variety of major multinational companies and public and voluntary organisations in Europe, Asia and Africa on both commercial and public policy issues. Like Gerard, she is an advisor to the LIFT Business Arts Forum, but also co-founded BEAD, Business Exchange on AIDS and Development, and is a Senior Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
GERARD FAIRTLOUGH is a biochemist with 25 years' experience at Shell. Later he was founder and CEO of biopharmaceutical company Celltech, and has helped set up several other businesses in biotechnology and IT. Gerard has been specialist advisor to the House of Commons Select Committee for Science and Technology, advisor to the LIFT Business/Arts Forum and is widely published in the areas of organisation learning and innovation. He is currently a director of Xenova Group plc and Chair of the Advisory Panel of SPRU at Sussex University.
BARBARA HEINZEN is a geographer and freelance consultant in long range scenario planning and policy analysis. She specialises in working with organisations to help identify the driving forces of change in developing and restructuring societies. Barbara has worked with a variety of major multinational companies and public and voluntary organisations in Europe, Asia and Africa on both commercial and public policy issues. Like Gerard, she is an advisor to the LIFT Business Arts Forum, but also co-founded BEAD, Business Exchange on AIDS and Development, and is a Senior Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.
English
Acknowledgements
1 Stories in Action
Resistance to story-telling
How story-telling works its magic
Types of narrative
Ways of creating stories
Story-telling skills
Seven histories
The rest of the book
What readers will get from the book
2 M4 Technology -
Stories for Truth and Trust
Communication
This chapter
A theory of truth and trust
Practices and stories
Accept vulnerability
Seek empathy
Seek transparency
Promote dialogue
Avoid groupthink
Support truthful politics
Conclusion
3 AutoCorp -
Learning
Individual learning
AutoCorp: the past
AutoCorp: stories for the future
A training tale
A coaching tale
A mentoring tale
A cautionary tale about not learning
Conclusion
4 Themis -
Using Stories in a Professional Development Community
Lyn's story
Perspectives and practices
The history of Themis
A note on written stories
Conclusion
5 Matters of Life and Death -
Using stories in the National Health Service
Value conflicts
Embracing error
Trusting your judgement
A positive approach to dilemmas
Stories about stories
Barchester District
Complexity
Conclusion
6 AutoCorp -
Evolving
Facilitating change
Coping with complexity
Another virtuous circle
AutoCorp's change programme
Uncertainty
Ambiguity
Self-organising change at AutoCorp
An experiment in self-organisation
Conclusion
7 LIFT -
Stories for Innovation
The London International Festival of Theatre
Imagination, vision and stories
Stimulating your imagination
Making connections
The right space to tell the tale
Boundary spanning
Building an organisation
Expanding the vision
Renewing the vision
Conclusion
8 Kenya -
Scenarios for a Country's Future
The Mont Fleur scenarios
The benefits of scenarios
Kenya
Story-telling and scenarios
Mount Kenya Safari Club
The research workshop
Detoxifying the mind
Further workshops -
Lake Baringo, Mombasa and Amboseli
The scenarios
Influence of the scenario project
Conclusion
9 Thinking about Stories
Story characteristics
Stories in organisations
Stories and learning
Stories and society
Conclusion
10 Tools and Techniques for Story Use
A note on ethics
Chapter format
Story-telling frameworks and starting points
Workshop games and activities
Developing your own skills
A note on story-telling and organisational research
Conclusion
11 The Future of Story-telling in Organisations
Key points from the seven histories
What we learned while writing this book
Story-telling and complexity
Respect for other people
Art and emotion
Negative possibilities
Story-telling and sustainability
References
Further Reading and Resources
Index of Stories
Subject and Author Index
1 Stories in Action
Resistance to story-telling
How story-telling works its magic
Types of narrative
Ways of creating stories
Story-telling skills
Seven histories
The rest of the book
What readers will get from the book
2 M4 Technology -
Stories for Truth and Trust
Communication
This chapter
A theory of truth and trust
Practices and stories
Accept vulnerability
Seek empathy
Seek transparency
Promote dialogue
Avoid groupthink
Support truthful politics
Conclusion
3 AutoCorp -
Learning
Individual learning
AutoCorp: the past
AutoCorp: stories for the future
A training tale
A coaching tale
A mentoring tale
A cautionary tale about not learning
Conclusion
4 Themis -
Using Stories in a Professional Development Community
Lyn's story
Perspectives and practices
The history of Themis
A note on written stories
Conclusion
5 Matters of Life and Death -
Using stories in the National Health Service
Value conflicts
Embracing error
Trusting your judgement
A positive approach to dilemmas
Stories about stories
Barchester District
Complexity
Conclusion
6 AutoCorp -
Evolving
Facilitating change
Coping with complexity
Another virtuous circle
AutoCorp's change programme
Uncertainty
Ambiguity
Self-organising change at AutoCorp
An experiment in self-organisation
Conclusion
7 LIFT -
Stories for Innovation
The London International Festival of Theatre
Imagination, vision and stories
Stimulating your imagination
Making connections
The right space to tell the tale
Boundary spanning
Building an organisation
Expanding the vision
Renewing the vision
Conclusion
8 Kenya -
Scenarios for a Country's Future
The Mont Fleur scenarios
The benefits of scenarios
Kenya
Story-telling and scenarios
Mount Kenya Safari Club
The research workshop
Detoxifying the mind
Further workshops -
Lake Baringo, Mombasa and Amboseli
The scenarios
Influence of the scenario project
Conclusion
9 Thinking about Stories
Story characteristics
Stories in organisations
Stories and learning
Stories and society
Conclusion
10 Tools and Techniques for Story Use
A note on ethics
Chapter format
Story-telling frameworks and starting points
Workshop games and activities
Developing your own skills
A note on story-telling and organisational research
Conclusion
11 The Future of Story-telling in Organisations
Key points from the seven histories
What we learned while writing this book
Story-telling and complexity
Respect for other people
Art and emotion
Negative possibilities
Story-telling and sustainability
References
Further Reading and Resources
Index of Stories
Subject and Author Index
English
".... the approach allows management teams to think constructively, help personal development and can be used to explain complex issues." (People Management, 21 March 2002)
"…definitely a book to recommend to those with curiosity…" (Journal For The Association Management & Development (Organisations & People)
"…The Power of The Tale is itself full of entertaining stories. The authors hope you will be entertained by the stories they tell, because while stories will aid your organisation’s performance, they should also be fun!…" (Management Abstracts)
"…an interesting and thought-provoking book, which I am sure will encourage many to attempt the story-telling technique…" (Personnel Review, Vol.32, No.3, 2003)
