Monday, May 28, 2012

Narrative Breakthroughs




We are very pleased to announce an in-house programme in partnership with Change Designs. Please be in touch to explore how this consciousness-embedding programme can be adapted to your unique requirements.


Narrative Breakthroughs

Breakthrough story-telling, listening and witnessing to change the person, change the organisation, and change the world.
We are all hardwired for story and metaphor, and we are all in the throes of continual change. Narrative Breakthroughs is a two-day experiential workshop that brings together
  • story, anecdote, metaphor

  • & change, transition, awareness

in order to raise consciousness and uncover new possibilities at three levels: personal,
organisational, world.
The workshop is offered as a customised in-house programme – so that the learning is directly related to the organisation and its people’s specific issues and challenges. The programme is competence-based. Enquiries to: centserv@iafrica.com

Module 1: Setting the scene

The power of stories
• Why and when stories, anecdotes, metaphor work
• What happens when a story is told
• How story differs from other communication techniques (cognition)

The elements of story
• Players and roles: teller, listener, witness, the story
• The story journey. Mindfulness and imagination
• Anatomy of story: pattern, process, shape
• Words and metaphors

The intention of story
• Ethics
• Expressing and impressing
• Raising consciousness

Module 2: Personal breakthroughs

Who you are and who you want to be?
• Motivational fingerprint, personality, roles, identities, relationships
• Developing your story confidence and competence


The heroic journey
• What is change? The transition cycle
• Types of changes that stories could help people though crisis, loss, confusion
• A call to adventure, the discovery of meaning

Writing your new story
• Choices and change resilience

  • Reframing, midrash, active imagination and the archetypal hero within
    • Resonance and influence

    Being a character in another’s story
    • Listening, witnessing, story-catching
    • Assertiveness, emotional and social intelligence, charisma
    • Use of stories by coaches, team leaders, carers, friends

    Module 3: Organisational breakthroughs

    The Business Case for Story

Expanding usage via various types of story
• Effectiveness of springboard stories, scenarios, vision, war stories, personal stories, stories to enliven learning…..

Useful techniques that go beyond current practices
• Anecdote circle research
• Metaphor elicitation
• Observation, deepening mindfulness, consciousness - raising
• Sense-making
• Emotional connection in selling
• Sensory and dialogue branding

Impacts on performance
• Open culture (listening, questioning, sharing, innovating)
• Reinforcement of shared values
• Smoothing transitions
• Improved narrative competence
• Mindfulness and imagination stimulate innovation

Changing the World

Stories and metaphors that have changed the world
• Stories from business, religion, government, medicine………

How the change happens
• The nature of influence
• Butterfly effects
• Belief systems

Organisation challenges and possibilities
• Social, environment, business integration: people, planet, profits
• Change and responsiveness
• Being part of a bigger picture
• Becoming great

Enquiries to: centserv@iafrica.com