rganisations are urgentlybuilding the capability toconceive and implementtransformational change.

However, change can only be effected byindividuals making a conscious decision towork differently, to build new relationshipsand to learn new skills. There is often a gapbetween the definition of strategy bysenior managers and the delivery ofstrategic goals by the workforce.

To ensure that the strategy becomes areality, and not merely a desire,organisations must create participation andinvolvement across all levels of staff. During

the 2011/2012 timeframe, this hastranslated into a demand for processes andframeworks that provide a structuredapproach to implementing change. Criticalto the success of this approach is the needto influence, motivate and persuadeindividuals to move towards the desiredfuture state.

Key to implementing change now, is theability to paint a compelling picture of thisfuture. One that offers opportunities forimprovements, fixes current problems, andcreates a path for career advancement.Corporate stories are effective in creatingemotional connections with stakeholders.

The reason for this is that storytelling hasthe power to motivate and inspire loyalty,especially during a period of change, whensuch values cannot be achieved throughstrictly rational, analytical andmeasurement-oriented approaches.

WHAT IS CORPORATE STORYTELLING?

A story in this context is a narrative thatinstructs an audience and creates amemorable message. It may have abeginning, it has a middle, but often it doesnot have a clear cut ending because theaudience is expected to interpret theending for itself.

December 2011 Inside Learning Technologies & Skills 55

How do you bridge the gap between the strategic vision of

senior managers’ and the delivery of strategic goals by the

workforce? Melanie Franklin argues the case for corporate

storytelling.

STORYTELLING FORCORPORATE CHANGE

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