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The stories people tell are critical to successful change, both on an individual and organizational level. Here are 4 reasons why they are so important.
1. Stories reveal the internal realities of the storyteller. The way people construct their reality is critical to their capacity for change. The kind of stories that are important here are ones that reveal people's worldviews and their fundamental beliefs about reality. People are unlikely to come out directly and reveal these fundamental beliefs in a neat little story - they are more likely to weave them into many of the stories they tell. Stories follow patterns with reoccurring themes that are held together by stable beliefs. An example of a recurring theme could be a man who tells many stories about how he has been treated unfairly in different areas of life. He didn't get the promotion at work because the boss had it in for him; he got fired because of something another worker did; his relationship ended through no fault of his own, etc. The issue here is not whether these stories are true. The issue is that the storyteller reveals a consistent truth about himself - I am a victim, I suffer because of what other people do, I can't control what happens to me. Change may be very threatening for someone who believes that outcomes depend on other people's choices, not his own.
2. People create and embed their reality as they tell their stories. In the example given above, the more the person tells his hard-luck stories the more he believes he is a victim. As he tells his stories, he brings into the present things that occurred in the past, along with the feelings and attitudes associated with them. He does this because he is continuing to create and sustain the worldview he has. Suppose something else happens to him - say, he loses his accommodation because the landlord puts up the rent. Again he is the victim of someone else's choices. His new experience strengthens h is stable belief about himself. For such people, change may appear fickle and beyond the ability to control. If he ran into obstacles, he may see these as another way in which people make life hard for him.
3. People influence others as they share their stories. When people tell stories that reveal and construct their fundamental beliefs about reality, they often look for supporters. They want people who will get enthusiastic with them, complain with them, get angry with them, or get working with them. It's not only the stories that are infectious; the beliefs that underpin the stories can spread from person to person. These beliefs make it either easier or more difficult for change to occur, especially when they gain supporters.
4. Stories connect with and shape other stories. Stories don't exist in isolation; they interact with other stories, and as they interact, they shape each other. The stable personal story ('the decisions I make don't affect the outcomes") may encounter a stable organizational (cultural) story ("the company expects us to take responsibility for our actions"). Such a confluence will most probably cause problems for both the individual and the organization: it may further entrench each of the stories, or it but it may cause changes to the stories and the beliefs that underpin them.
Stories, and the realities that support them, are the domain of change leaders and managers. Since the kind of stories I am referring to are supported by worldviews and belief systems that are often unconscious, they can be resistant to change. However, for change to be successful, they must be addressed and handled carefully and thoughtfully.
Steve Barlow PhD is a change management and organizational development consultant and change readiness specialist. Steve is Director of Redequip Pty Ltd.
For more information, visit our company website at http://www.redequip.com.au/, or email me today to see how we can save you time and money.
Steve Barlow
steve@redequip.com.au