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| STORYTELLING WEEKEND MAY 8-10, 2008 The annual weekend of organizational storytelling events is here once again: THURSDAY EVENING MAY 8 IS SOLD OUT EVENING WORKSHOP Storytelling is central to today’s challenges in enterprise management because, unlike traditional management techniques and abstract communication tools, it has the power to connect speakers with their listeners. When properly used, it can engage the listeners’ hearts as well as their minds and inspire enduring enthusiasm for a cause. At its best, it can help generate not just followers but new leaders and champions who will carry the cause forward. Storytelling has this power because human beings think in stories, remember in stories, plan in stories, decide in stories, articulate their fears in stories, and hope and dream in stories. In many ways, storytelling is our native language. Storytelling has thus become an essential capability for managers and organizational leaders. However many managers and staff have no background or training in storytelling. In this innovative and interactive workshop,Svend-Erik Engh and Steve Denning will show participants: What is a story? What are its components? How do I put a story together? How do I enhance the story to make it more compelling? What are the specifics of stories in organizations? How do they differ from stories told outside organizations? What purposes can I use story for in an organization? How do I craft the story so that it fits the purpose? The price is US$30. NOTE: This workshop will be self-standing, as well as providing an introduction to the May 9 seminar on “Storytelling and Innovation”. Steve Denning is a Senior Fellow at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland and the author of “The Secret Language of Leadership” (2007) and “The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling.” Svend-Erik Engh is a internationally known storyteller from Denmark and the author of “Tell a Story: Be Heard, Be Understood, Get Action” (Fokus, 2006, in Danish). He has been teaching storytelling for 20 years, in universities, high schools and in business. Storytelling and Innovation ALL-DAY SEMINAR MAKE YOUR BOOKING FOR FRIDAY HERE Since narrative inherently focuses on the new and the different, the fresh and the unexpected, storytelling has an important role to play in enhancing organizational capacity to innovate. This is vital in a time of cutthroat global competition and rapid change. In many cases, organizational survival will depend on the capacity to innovate. While traditional management can make a contribution through doing more of the same—better, cheaper or quicker—increasingly organizations also need to have the capacity to do something different. In this stimulating and practical seminar, you will learn how to use narrative techniques to generate new ideas, to select the more promising among them, to win organizational support at all levels for change, and inspire enduring enthusiasm for implementation, and sustain momentum over time. Dorothy Leonard, William J. Abernathy Professor of Business, Emerita, Harvard Business School, and author of “Deep Smarts: How to Cultivate and Transfer Enduring Business Wisdom” (Harvard Businesss School Press) will explain how stories inspire—and kill—innovation. She will explore not only the use of stories about famous inventions to stimulate creativity and risk-taking but also the effects of stories about innovation failure. With examples from industry, Dr. Leonard will draw on her recent research on experience-based expertise to suggest some ways that stories can codify novel ways of thinking. Read my interview with Dorothy here. Linda Coffman will discuss how storytelling has been used at Procter & Gamble as a knowledge transfer technique and as a way of encouraging innovation. She will show how videotaped stories contain imbedded tacit knowledge that others can identify due to the universal familiarity with the story form. She will also discuss digital storytelling as a method to expand communication channels, and enhance the transfer of knowledge. Read my interview with Linda here. Claudia L'Amoreaux is the Education Community Developer for Linden Lab where she helps organizations bring their stories to life in the immersive 3D world, Second Life. She will take us on a very personal journey to the Metaverse where she'll share examples of organizations innovating in the new storyspace of Second Life. The session will explore: What if you discovered an entirely new world where you could tell stories in ways you've never done before? How might it change you? What stories would you tell? Read my interview with Claudia here. Steve Denning, author “The Secret Language of Leadership” and “The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling” will explain why traditional approaches to innovation don’t work and review the relative effectiveness of storytelling versus other communication techniques to inspire sustained excitement for innovation. Throughout the day, Madelyn Blair will be facilitating and orchestrating the conversation at the event itself. The authors’ books will be available for signing after the event. The price is US$98. Bookings are open now on the Smithsonian website: SATURDAY MAY 10, 2008 Golden Fleece Day Storytelling and Innovation A variety of workshops and presentations related to the theme of storytelling and innovation will take place at the 4H Center in Bethesda Maryland. FOR INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION FOR SATURDAY MAY 10, CLICK HERE
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