using storytelling in change management

USINGSTORYTELLINGINCHANGEMANAGEMENT

JasonLittle

Nomatterwherethetechnologygoesinthefuture,thebasicsdon'tchange.Storytellingisaprimitive

tribalfunction.Theelderssataroundthefiresandtoldthesestoriesasawaytopassonthe'dos'andthe'don'ts.'Thatwillneverchange.

-MichaelSchultz

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ATALEOFTWOHIERARCHIES…

THEINFORMALHIERARCHY

Carpool

CorporateHockeyLeague

CafeteriaEaters

THEINFORMALHIERARCHY

Carpool

“Hey,theguyonmyhockeyteamheard

that…”

CafeteriaEaters

“Someguythatcarpoolswithabuddyofmine

said…”

storiesspreadinformallythroughnetworks

THE“OFFICIAL”HIERARCHY

Officialmanagementmeetings

OfficialDepartmentmeetings

Watercoolertalk

theofficialhierarchysynthesizestheinformation

Everythingwehearisanopinion,notafact.Everythingweseeisa

perspective,notthetruth

-MarcusAurelius

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inthepast… andwelikeditbecause… butthenoneday…

andthatcaused… sowewantto…

Createalignmentforchangethrough

stories

INTHEPAST…

ANDWELIKEDITBECAUSE…

BUTTHENONEDAY…

ANDBECAUSEOFTHAT…

SOWEWANTTO…

WE’LLSUPPORTTHISBY… WENEEDHELPWITH… SOFARWE…

REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS EASY TO GET STUFF DONE? WHAT WAS THE ‘WAY THINGS WORKED AROUND HERE’ LIKE?

DESCRIBE THE EFFECT THAT WAY OF WORKING HAD ON CULTURE, MORALE, AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

MAYBE IT WASN’T ONE DAY…MAYBE OVER TIME EVENTS HAPPENED THAT CHANGED THE “WAY THINGS WORK” AROUND HERE.

WHAT IMPACT DID THAT HAVE? LOSS OF CUSTOMERS? LOWER MORALE? ‘BAD’ CULTURE?

MAKE THIS CHANGE…

COMMITTING TO THESE THINGS THESE UNCERTAIN THINGS ARE GETTING QUICK WINS…

CREATEASTORYTELLINGCANVAS

WEALLHAVEASTORYTOTELL…

OrganizationalPerspective

ManagementPerspective

StaffPerspective Causeandpurposearemorecompellingthan‘urgencyforchange’

SHAREPERSPECTIVEBETWEENPEOPLEACROSSALLLAYERS

howareourstoriessimilar?

howdoourstoriesdiffer?

what’simportanttoyou?why?

what’simportanttous

asanorganization?

why?

5 tips for organically guiding change WE’VEWRITTENOURSTORIES…NOWWHAT?

what I can do to support this?

what help do I need?

5 tips for organically guiding change MAKEYOURCHANGEVISIBLE

MORETIPS

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Run a storytelling workshop at all levels Use small groups in each workshop, one group per section If possible, host an all company open space

Use Lean Coffee to share stories and bridge gaps Make the change visible Retrospect monthly across the entire organization

Use Google OKRs to measure the change Do not push metrics on anyone from anywhere Do not centralize the change team Stop focusing on resistance

Peoplearemuchdeeperthanstereotypes.That'sthefirstplace

ourmindsgo.Thenyougettoknowthemandyouheartheirstories,andyousay,'I'dhaveneverguessed.'

-CarsonKressley

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Readstoriesfrompeoplewhoareusinginnovativeapproaches

tochange:

http://leanchange.org/stories

http://leanchange.org

http://twitter.com/jasonlittle