The Power of the Tale

" . . . 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.

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