Tag Archives: Narrative

Controlling the Narrative

As a reminder, the blog is, for me, a primary ‘sense making’ space, and first space of reflection: what that means in practice is that it’s a space of uncertainty and the development of new ideas and the vocabulary that … Continue reading

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Fracturing the Narrative

I’m not totally happy with this piece yet: it’s a bit clumsy, but sharing it as part of #WorkingOutLoud. It concerns a view of change that is centred not on a focus on future state, but on fracturing an existing … Continue reading

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Running a Storytelling Experiment for Social Leadership

The Social Leader will be a Storytelling Leader: not simply shaping and sharing their own narratives, but enabling, filtering, and amplifying, the stories that others tell. Specifically, they will understand the systemic nature of the Socially Dynamic Organisation, and the … Continue reading

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Fallout: The Failure of Dominant Narratives

A dominant narrative is a story that takes on a life of it’s own: it becomes the accepted norm. Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, all across the United States, tens of thousands of nuclear fallout shelters were built, nearly twenty … Continue reading

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Social Leadership Storytelling Certification: Technique #1 – Diagonal Storytelling

Today i am #WorkingOutLoud and sharing one of the techniques i’m using for the Social Leadership Storytelling certification. This one concerns ‘Diagonal Storytelling’, which is an activity intended to stretch storytellers out of their comfort zone, and help to connect … Continue reading

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Gun Control: a Case Study in Authenticity

With some trepidation, i wanted to develop a narrative around the current conversation on gun control in America, in the context of the recent tragedy in Florida, and the emergence of a group of young survivors calling for change. I’m … Continue reading

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The Social Age Safari: Shutting up Shop

Now that the Social Age Safari is complete, we are left with the task of capturing the story and closing the community. Much of the success of the event itself came through the tight choreography and carefully rehearsed facilitation. But … Continue reading

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Narrative Loops: Disruptive Power

I’ve been #WorkingOutLoud for a few days around a paper i’m writing on ‘Black Swans and the Limits of Hierarchy’. Please note that this is a very early stage #WorkingOutLoud post and, as such, not that good yet… feel free … Continue reading

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Mugged in Madrid: Black Swans, Scripts and Power

I’m #WorkingOutLoud this week on a paper entitled ‘Black Swans and the Limits of Hierarchy’ for a conference later this year. So called ‘Black Swan’ events, characterised by Talib, are unknown and unknowable, or in the language i use in … Continue reading

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Why Learning Informs Strategy

Under a Scaffolded Social approach to learning, we don’t blindly tell stories to people, but rather co-create stories with them. The difference lies in that space: not ‘to‘, but ‘with‘. At a single stroke we move from a ‘broadcast‘ mindset … Continue reading

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