More and more organizations are realizing that stability and predictability are no longer reasonable assumptions. In fact the number one problem of today's managers is the difficulty in getting their organizations to adapt to a competitive environment that is neither stable nor predictable.

   More and more organizations are realizing that storytelling can communicate complex new ideas and spark energetic action towards their implementation. 

   More and more organizations are realizing that storytelling is one of the few tools available for accomplishing a major transformation of the habits and culture of a whole group of people in short period of time.

   More and more organizations are realizing that successful branding, marketing and selling depends on connecting and engaging with clients, which in turn depends on is founded on authentic storytelling.

   More and more organizations are realizing that storytelling is just the beginning. Beyond storytelling lies narrative intelligence -- an ability to navigate the quicksilver world of interacting narratives, as discussed in Steve's new book, The Secret Language of Leadership.

   Organizations are also recognizing that that learning how to use business narrative doesn't involve elaborate expenditures or lengthy training. It can be mastered by a wide variety of individuals in a short period of time, because it draws on the latent capacity for storytelling that all human beings possess. 

   More and more organizations are realizing that their future is going to depend in part on the capability of their managers and staff to harness the power of storytelling. 

Preview a workshop : videos and public workshops

   You can get a preliminary initial idea of Steve's work from his videos and DVDs, as well as in open workshops held from time to time in various capitals around the world. That can help give you a sense of what your organization can gain from having a workshop tailored to your specific business priorities.

A workshop tailored to your specific needs

   You can arrange for Steve to come to your organization and work with your staff on-site to unlock the immense potential of storytelling to meet your organizational objectives.

Click here to see a catalog of Steve's presentations and workshops

   A workshop might comprise Steve's involvement at five different levels, depending on the organization's needs::
        - a two-hour presentation and a discussion; or 
        - a half-day workshop
        - a full-day workshop
        - a two-day workshop, aimed at exploring
        - a comprehensive communications support over a period of several weeks

The workshop should focus on whatever high priority challenges the organization is currently facing. That might include all or any of the following:

• to learn the secret language of leadership, discovering how to incorporate storytelling and other communication techniques into a presention that can move even cynical or skeptical audiences, including the four steps of the language of the leadership, and the six enabling conditions.
• to learn the art and discipline of springboard storytelling, using a simple ten-step template, to communicate complex ideas and spark enthusiasm in staff within the organization;
• showing staff involved in branding, marketing and selling how to use the power of business narrative to connect and engage with customers.
• launching knowledge management, using storytelling to transferr knowledge, both explicit and tacit; and cultivating knowledge sharing communities;
• enhancing collaboration and getting people working together, inclinding accelerating collaboration in mergers and acquisitions;
• disarm negative stories and tame the grapvine with stories;
• show the way forward with stories about the future

     The benefits of such workshops depend of course on how time participants are able to devote to learning the elements of business narrative. The following outcomes are typical: 

• participants develop an understanding of the potential importance of storytelling and the role of business narrative in leadership communication.
• participants significantly enhance their skills at in the use of business narrative to engage and connect with audiences.  
• participants have exposure to various types of storytelling, and depending on the amount of time invested, develop capability to use these types of story. 

   In addition, it needs to be recognized that storytelling's effectiveness depends not only on our intellect, but also our emotions, our creativity, and our willingness to renew ourselves. Storytelling elicits genuine authenticity in the storyteller as well as the listener. So at one level, storytelling is a tool, but it inevitably ends up as being more than that. It involves a fundamental rethinking of how to go about communicating in any setting.

   Steve Denning has given these workshops in major organizations in the public and private sector in the U.S., Europe and Asia. 

Background on Stephen Denning: 
   Steve Denning, organizational storyteller extraordinaire, is the author of the acclaimed books, The Secret Language of Leadership (Jossey-Bass, October 2007) and The Leader's Guide to Storytelling (Jossey-Bass, 2005). 
   From 1996 to 2000, Steve was the Program Director, Knowledge Management at the World Bank where he spearheaded the organizational knowledge sharing program. 
   In November 2000, Steve Denning was selected as one of the world’s ten Most Admired Knowledge Leaders (Teleos)
   He now works with organizations in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia on knowledge management and organizational storytelling. 
   His clients include scores of Fortune 500 companies. 

   In April 2003, Steve was ranked as one of the world's Top Two Hundred Business Gurus by  Davenport & Prusak, "What's The Big Idea? (Harvard, 2003).

   Steve's latest book, The Secret Language of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire Action Through Narrative (October 2007) is a comprehensive guide to transformational leadership, particularly how to use develop and use narrative intelligence to inspire enduring enthusiasm in any audience for your cause.
   Steve's book, The Leader's Guide to Storytelling (2005) is a comprehensive guide to the various ways in which leaders can use of storytelling to achieve a variety of organizational purposes, including spark action, communicate who they are, transmit the brand, transfer values, share knowledge, inspire collaboration, tame the grapevine and lead people into the future.
    Steve's book, The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations (Butterworth Heinemann, 2000) describes how storytelling can serve as a powerful tool for organizational change and knowledge management.
    Steve's book, Squirrel Inc.: A Fable of Leadership and Storytelling was published by Jossey-Bass in June 2004. It discusses the seven highest value forms of organizational storytelling, about which there is already considerable advance praise.
    A third book, co-authored by Steve Denning along John Seely Brown, Katalina Groh and Larry Prusak, was published in June 2004 by Elsevier. It is entitled Storytelling in Organizations: How Narrative and Storytelling Are Transforming Twenty-first Century Management
    Steve’s website which has a collection of materials on knowledge sharing and storytelling may be found at: 
          www.stevedenning.com
     Steve was born and educated in Sydney, Australia. He studied law and psychology at Sydney University and worked as a lawyer in Sydney for several years. He did a postgraduate degree in law at Oxford University in the U.K. Steve then joined the World Bank where he worked for several decades in many capacities and held various management positions, including Director of the Southern Africa Department from 1990 to 1994 and Director of the Africa Region from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 2000, Steve was the Program Director, Knowledge Management at the World Bank. 
     Steve was a member of the Quality Council V of the Conference Board from 1993 to 1996. 
     Steve is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts He has published a novel and a volume of poetry.