CORPORATE STORYTELLING:
Discovering Fire for the Second Time
Vol. 9, No. 1, 2009
Publisher: Evelyn Clark
evelyn@corpstory.com http://www.corpstory.com
(c) Clark & Company 2009
***********************************************************************************
"Leadership is defined by results, not attributes."
--Peter Drucker
====================================================
Please forward this E-Zine to anyone you know who is interested in becoming a more effective communicator, or who may want to learn how to supercharge their business/career.
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Three Steps to Leadership Communication - and Results
2. Nine Steps to Smooth Changes in Leadership
4. Storytelling at the Smithsonian and Beyond April 16-18
1. Three Steps to Leadership Communication—and Results
One of Evelyn’s colleagues and a thought leader on effective leadership, Steve Denning outlines three key steps of leadership communication in his latest book, The Secret Language of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire Action through Narrative. For communication professionals, it won’t be surprising that he says the first step in the “language of leadership” is Getting Attention, particularly when a leader’s goal is to persuade people to a new point of view. (Getting attention is the first rule of any effective communication; if you don’t have the audience’s attention, nothing you say will be heard!) Denning’s point is that traditional leaders usually start with building the case for a new behavior by offering the reasons the change is needed, and this doesn’t work.
In an article based on his book that appeared in “Leader to Leader,” Denning identifies the other key steps of effective change communication as 2) Eliciting a Desire for a Different Future (accomplished through a practice Evelyn calls “deliberate” storytelling); and 3) Reinforcing with Reasons. This order, Denning says, is crucial, because only after people decide they want to be open to a new way of doing things will they hear the reasons you offer.
To read the entire article, go to http://www.leadertoleader.com/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=712
2.Nine Steps to Smooth Changes in Leadership
It’s well known that people become anxious when major changes are underway, but many organizations pay little attention to smoothing the way. The companies that do help employees cope, though, not only improve employee relations but also reap the benefits of a more productive workplace. A change in top leadership is an especially high-anxiety time, and in a recent publication from Melcrum Communications, consultant Sally Hinder offers nine ways of easing the transition. The first five:
- Heighten the visibility of the new executive as soon as possible
- Evaluate the new leader’s communication style and adapt to it
- Plan face-to-face meetings with staff supplemented with appearances and interaction through all media available so people can get to know the new chief
- Serve as the leader’s eyes and ears so you can give feedback about what’s on people’s minds
- Remind the new executive to refrain from criticizing the old way of doing things
Get the rest of Hinder’s nine steps at http://www.melcrum.com/Source_Comms_Online/041208index.html
3. Making Training Stick
You may not think of “change” immediately when you hear the word “training,” but of course, training new skills is about change—and just as Sally Hinder points out in the article above, change creates anxiety, which people would rather avoid. In an article in The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Harry Martin says that resistance to change can prevent learning even when people also want to acquire new skills.
To ensure that the high cost of training is not money down the drain, he says employers need “to create a workplace environment that actively encourages people to change.” How? Dr. Martin, an associate professor of management and labor relations at Cleveland State University, says employers should incorporate time for developing personal action plans for implementing the new knowledge and/or skills as part of the training session—and follow up with regular opportunities for peer discussion sessions. He offers several case studies that illustrate the striking difference in results when companies follow his recommendations.
Read the entire article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122911147694102431.html
4. Corporate Storytelling Live
If you’d like to see and hear a great line-up of well-known organizational storytelling practitioners from around the globe, your best opportunity will be April 16-18, the first two sessions at the Smithsonian Institution and the third in Chevy Chase, MD. Among those on the program are Evelyn’s Washington, D.C.-based colleague Steve Denning, former manager at the World Bank who has authored numerous books on leadership and storytelling; Peter Guber, chair and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, co-host of AMC’s “Shootout”, and a professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television; and Tom Stewart, chief marketing and knowledge officer at Booz & Company and former editor of the Harvard Business Review.
The weekend of presentations begins Thursday evening and continues with full-day sessions on Friday and Saturday. The topics:
Thursday--The
Basics of Organizational Storytelling
Register at http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=216805
Friday--Storytelling, a Path to High-Performance Teams
Register for this session at http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=216802
Saturday---Why
Story Matters Now More Than Ever: Exploring Contemporary Challenges
Register at http://www.kminstitute.org/cms/event.jsp?id=com.tms.collab.calendar.model.CalendarEvent_10495780-ac1020f0-1c452800-162a3dc8
Registration fees are very affordable, so plan on being in the Washington, D.C. in April. The timing may be just right for seeing the famous cherry blossoms in full bloom!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bring the power of story to your company, or to your organization's next conference or retreat. Book The Corporate Storyteller now. Call 1-866-818-8079.
To subscribe to this e-zine, either complete the short form on any page of the website - http://www.corpstory.com or send a blank email to mailto:subscribe@corpstory.com
Build your web traffic by trading permanent links with us. Send your web address in an e-mail to evelyn@corpstory.com and we will contact you re arrangements.