After a career so far spent across brand, design, marketing, innovation and learning & development it’s only natural I begin to carve out a thesis and position around change and success in business.
I’ve been chipping away at what I feel is at the crux of everything; the non-negotiable; the deal-breaker and THE most fundamental levers one can work with.
About a year ago, I wrote a piece on what constituted a “grand theory for change” (a first draft if you will), built out of a leadership and innovation program I had designed and delivered over 5 years ago in the middle of the pandemic.
What started as a hunch is now something to bet on.
With time, more research and perhaps a mix of more reps and diversity with client contexts but also my willingness to go for something that I’d not done before or where I’ve seen a clear playbook to apply.
Long story short: the most important lever we have at our disposal in our work is underused.
And that lever is language.
The words and stories (both what we say out loud and in our head) shape how we see our work, its potential, how we connect with colleagues and ultimately how we interact with our customers.
All together, this is the narrative that shapes our reality.
A Key Framework
One framework I've drawn much inspiration from is Edward Hall's ‘Culture Iceberg Model’ and the role that simple stories, mindsets, and beliefs (often hanging out below the surface) play in shaping outcomes and behaviours observed above the surface.
Throw in systems, incentives and structure and these things combine to create the culture a group or organization can have.
This framework shows us that like an iceberg, most of a culture exists beneath the surface – invisible but powerful.
Countless Observations & Patterns
Some will invest in a new resource planning or accounting software, manage our pipeline with a new CRM, and integrate new tools into a design process.
Others, will create learning experiences or send leaders training on the latest disruptive technology.
Many will seek greater profitability and efficiency; while recruiting new talents and letting some go.
These initiatives, tactics and investments are important and depending on the context, are definitely needed at times to create or sustain a healthy business and organizational culture.
But I often see how they don’t move the needle at all on things as intended, but will continue to get support and buy-in. And sometime in these cases they’ll have an even adverse affect creating confusion, frustration or disappointment.
What I suspect is, is that the change is not complete - not as in “finished”, but as in “whole” and “together”.
To bring these things to life in a way that can inspire, motivate or clarify a shift in one’s mindset or their behaviour there needs to be an interaction between what the desired state is, and what its going to take to get there.
This is where language and communication comes in.
It's the mechanism of interaction – the original form.
Storytelling they say is the most timeless and human technology.
And I think we forget that and by-pass it in urgency.
Especially beyond the surface, beyond the marketing, beyond the aesthetic layer.
It’s fundamental.
Cultures of Avoidance
We will dance around it, avoid it, not address it head on.
Make easier decisions in one place hoping the bigger ones, the existential ones, the tougher ones elsewhere will disappear or become someone else’s problem.
If you want to go somewhere else, be something different and reach someone new, surely a new language is going to be a big part of that change.
If you have worked very hard and the results aren’t there and you’ve already tried all the structural, incentive, new systems and software approaches…..well?
Or if your cultural values or origin DNA speaks to innovation, growth, expansion and doing new, perhaps it feels more natural to update the language as a way to help accelerate things.
We do communications, we do marketing, we create brand platforms & strategic plans. There are press releases and annual reports. Social and community activities and so on.
They all contain language, but what’s the narrative?
Is it one of focus, with clear ambition and alignment?
Are the stories you tell working together or against themselves?
I used to joke that you can be a good business without having a strategy, true strategy. And that happens.
And similarly you can be a good business without that focus, shared ambition and togetherness that a coordinated narrative can provide. You can get by sometimes, but looking ahead is that going to be enough?
There Is A Choice
To feel a little bit clearer, a little more confident, and a little bit more at ease – especially with so much uncertainty today, what are the anchors and platforms you can feel solid from.
I just sent this to a sparring partner/advisor/friend.
It’s a chaotic world out there.
You can choose between the horse or dirt bike.
Narrative is a tool to gain an edge.
It complements and pairs along with all the things that make your business what it is.
It frees you up to tackle what matters most, or even creates just a little extra life force and energy to take on the chaos.
I think it allows us to be at our best too.
Thanks for reading!
Fun to get this out there.
In last week’s issue I shared more about a Narrative-Driven Business.
Re-sharing and connecting it to the above, below.
Have a great week.
Jamie
The 3 Pillars of a Narrative Driven Business
Environment
Most businesses inherit their stories rather than deliberately create one. Typically an amalgamation of origin myth and founder DNA, “brand” decisions, and how its culture has developed over the years it becomes hard to leverage these when they are disconnected.
The narrative environment instead, is the distinct context from which decisions and priorities flow.
Where the business (and its leadership) proactively create its own environment by having a clearly articulated set of beliefs, principles, perspectives and position that separates it from the competitive landscape.
Choices become self-evident in this world. You know where you stand and what you are here for.
The interconnection and alignment across departments and functions, creates a coherent sense of ambition towards the future and desired goals.
Direction: Both, And.
In terms of where, but also how. Communications are direct and to the point and speak to the customer in a way that only that business can. Taking a stand and position in the narrative environments attracts others seeking to be a part of or sharing in your ambition. The pathway becomes clearer as you are not everything to everyone and the coordination efforts of investing in your narrative, allow greater focus, commitment and determination to succeed.
Alignment
There should be harmony between the front of house and back of house. There’s a damaging gap in contemporary business where what is promised externally is disconnected from what’s happening internally and poses risks to not only perception, but to questions of quality and talent. What you signal across the board determines whether people will back you - and that could be the market and your customer, partners and employees. Alignment comes from clarity and trust in the narrative inside and out.
What I'm Working On
Partnering to offer four distinct approaches: Foundational Narrative work for leaders at critical inflection points, Strategic Consulting for senior operators driving growth or change initiatives, creating Communications Systems that deliver compounding value over time, and delivering an Influencing Change training that helps specialists transform knowledge into organizational impact.
Learn more at Narrative.Work.