New Stories Needed

In my new essay, What Will Replace the Hero's Journey, on the Stanford Social Innovation Review blog, I explore the skepticism generated by reliance on the hero's journey narrative: person goes on journey, is challenged, resolves challenges, and is transformed. I offer several examples of authentic stories that reflect the complexity and messiness of life, and that are currently being publicly shared by organizations.

An excerpt:

Familiarity can be extremely comforting. In a hero’s journey, there are definitive winners, villains, benefactors, and plot twists. It certainly accelerates message comprehension: You too—if you act similarly—can be a hero.

But familiarity can also, ultimately, breed skepticism. And if audiences are becoming skeptical of such pat storylines, what, if anything, might replace the common hero’s journey?

Click here to read the full post.

Be Confident.

My most recent post at the Stanford Social Innovation Review blog explores the difference between confidence and certainty in communication. 

Here's an excerpt:

Confidence allows for fallibility and flexibility, and therefore helps you to develop trust with your audience. Think of the sometimes off-putting perfectionism and certainty of Martha Stewart, versus the humility and benevolent confidence of Oprah Winfrey....

Madeline Albright said, "Certainty comes from believing we have learned all there is to know. Confidence comes from the effort to learn all we can."

And here's a link to the entire short piece.

Be confident!

Why & How to be Intentional About the Stories You Share

Stanford Social Innovation Review recently published my short essay, Invite Your Listener to Share the Story. It offers tips for finding and developing strategic stories, as well an example of the process. Click here to learn how to invite your listeners to imagine their part in your proffered solution.

Benefits of Building a Narrative Organization

Increasingly, I am working with both for- and non-profit organizations to build narrative organizations. In a narrative organization, brand identity is clear and appealing; audiences are quickly and sustainably engaged; leaders appreciate and strategically share stories; and knowledge is easily gathered and shared. The Stanford Social Innovation Review just published my essay on the benefits of building a narrative organization.