HOW TO USE STORYTELLING TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE

ENVIRONMENT IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING

BY:CHAD ALLDREDGE

STORIES CAN BE POWERFUL

• STORIES ARE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF OTHERS.

• GOTTSCHALL’S ARGUMENT IN HIS 6TH CHAPTER RINGS TRUE- THE MORAL OF THE STORY

WHAT TYPE OF STORIES ARE TOLD?• EQUALITY VS. INEQUALITY• WHAT DO I DO WHEN A HIGHER STATUS

PERSON BREAKS A RULE?• IS THE BIG BOSS HUMAN?• CAN THE LITTLE PERSON RISE TO THE

TOP?

• ·         CONTROL VS. LACK OF CONTROL• HOW WILL THE ORGANIZATION DEAL WITH

OBSTACLES, CREATED EITHER INTERNALLY OF EXTERNALLY?

• SECURITY VS. INSECURITY• WILL I BE FIRED?• WILL THE ORGANIZATION HELP ME

IF I HAVE TO MOVE?• HOW WILL THE BOSS REACT TO

MISTAKES?

NARRATIVES GONE WILD! (I

MEAN WRONG)

• DOMINATE STORIES IN THE CULTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION CAN IMPEDE THE ORGANIZATIONS ABILITY TO CHANGE AND ADAPT WHEN NECESSARY.•DOMINATE STORIES CAN

CREATE MEANING

•HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=OCGDNZRPJ40

BAD STORY CONTINUES… • SELF LEGITIMIZING NARRATIVES –

WE HAVE BEEN SO GOOD IN THE PAST!• BIND SPOTS CAN BE CREATED

THROUGH CONSTANT NARRATIVES

HOW TO COMBAT BAD WITH GOOD!

• ACTIVE-“EMPLOYEE’S EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO, IDENTIFICATION WITH, AND INVOLVEMENT IN AN ORGANIZATION” • CONTINUANCE-“A FOCUS ON THE COSTS

ASSOCIATED WITH LEAVING AN ORGANIZATION”• NORMATIVE- BASED ON AN OBLIGATION,

OR MORAL DUTY, TO REMAIN WITH AN ORGANIZATION 

TYPES OF ORGANIZATION

AL COMMITMENT

LET STORY BE THE LEADER•THERE IS NO INHERIT CONFLICT IN STORYTELLING•MORAL OF THE STORY IS ALL THAT NEEDS ATTENTION

•BE SURE TO KEEP THE STORY CLOSE TO THE SETTINGS FOUND IN THE ORGANIZATION• HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH

?V=9J6J5BCHFCS

TELL THE TRUTH • WHEN DISCUSSING THE USE OF

“SPRINGBOARD STORIES,” STORIES TO ENCOURAGE CHANGE, DENNING (2006) ADVOCATES A MINIMALISTIC APPROACH TO ALLOW LISTENERS TO FORM A NEW STORY USING THEIR OWN CONTEXT AND ACTION PLANS• TRUTH IS PARAMOUNT WHEN

RELAYING STORIES TO THE ORGANIZATION.

CITATIONS• MARTIN, J., FELDMAN. M.S., MATCH, M.J., & SITKIN, S.B. (1983). THE UNIQUENESS PARADOX IN ORGANIZATIONAL STORIES. ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCE

QUARTERLY, 29(3), 438-453.  HTTP://WWW.JSTOR.ORG/STABLE/2392251• ROUNDY, P.T. (2010). CAN STORIES BREED COMMITMENT? THE INFLUENCE OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS NARRATIVES ON EMPLOYEES

REGULATORY FOCUS. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL AND APPLIED MANAGEMENT, 12(1), 88-98.• PARRY, K. W., HANSEN, H. (2007) THE ORGANIZATIONAL STORY AS LEADERSHIP. LEADERSHIP, 3(3), 281-300. 10.1177/1742715007079309• BARKER, R.T., & GOWER, K. (2010) STRATEGIC APPLICATION OF STORYTELLING IN ORGANIZATIONS: TOWARD EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN A

DIVERSE WORLD. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 47(3), 295-312. 10.1177/0021943610369782• NASLUND, L., & PEMER, F. (2012). THE APPROPRIATED LANGUAGE: DOMINATE STORIES AS A SOURCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL INERTIA. 89(1), 89-

110. 10.1177/0018726711424322• GOTTSCHALL, J., (2013). THE STORYTELLING ANIMAL. NEW YORK, NEW YORK: HOUGHTON MIFFLIN PUBLISHING COMPANY• CARNEGIE, D., (1981). HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE. NEW YORK, NEW YORK: SIMON AND SCHUSTER• HILLER, A., (DIRECTOR). (1972). MAN OF LA MANCHA [FILM]. ROME, ITALY: DINO DE LAURENTIIS CINEMATOGRAFIA STUDIOS • GEIGER, D., & ANTONACOPOULO, E., (2009). NARRATIVES AND ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS. JOURNAL OF APPLIED BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE. 45(3), 411.

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