Storytelling, Call for action
A senior banking professional and I built a story on cyber security. We both were ready to put our hand on our heart and say, ” This is the story that will drive the desired outcome. It will work.” We knew people will understand the importance of cyber security once we tell this story but is that really the goal of storytelling?Is…

Change Storytelling : And why must I begin with a Personal Story?
Leadership team of a large MNC is working on a change story. The team is knowledgeable, so eliciting reasons / benefits from them to structure a change story is fairly simple. The reasons/ benefits sound something like this Harmonisation Efficiency Single Source of Truth We have the reasons/ benefits, its now time to wrap a story around them. Once the leadership team…

How Singapore Airlines sparked a desire to change in me?
February 2001, I am sitting in an amphitheatre along with 10 other girls who are all going to become Singapore Airlines flight attendants post a 3 month training program.  Its our day 1 in the Singapore Airlines Training Centre and we are just about to start our orientation. I am expecting for someone to come on the stage and start a powerpoint…

Storytelling: Sesame Street Story-tells
“Our head of sales, Natalie is excellent.. and I wish everyone was like her.” “Mariam is top of class in her grades, hope all students can become like her.” “Sandy is a great writer, she always comes up with best articles.” We have all heard such statements and perhaps rolled our eyes when listening to them too! Often the teller of these …

Change Storytelling: Super Smart People Need a BIO Story
Karen is responsible for Change Management in her organisation. Every time she announces a change initiative, there is group of people who would hijack her presentations. They question everything and anything which usually dampens the little enthusiasm that exists for change. This group of people are super smart people. Karen’s biggest worry, for a long time before any change announcement, was this…

Change Storytelling : Changing Minds
Recently, I had an opportunity to be involved in building a Change Narrative for a leading semiconductor manufacturing company. The factory was on its way to becoming a Smart Factory. Whilst running the project, at one stage, I sensed through a conversation with the leadership team that most of the factory workers had the view that this drive for automation and robotics…