The Strategic Narrative Workshop
Course Content
Module 0 – Overview
- Why alignment is critical to success
- How to create more impact
- Why traditional business storytelling isn’t working.
- The difference between story and narrative.
- The five powers of a strategic narrative.
- Ten principles to mobilize people.
0.1: Lecture
0.2: Homework
Module 1 – Fundamentals of Strategic Narrative
-
Story Vs. Narrative
- An integral view: Strategic Narrative Canvas
-
Examples of successful strategic narratives
1.1: Lecture #1/2
1.2: Resources #1/2
Here are few articles that you might want to read to gain even more perspective about the concepts presented in the lecture:
Story vs. Narrative? And Why it Matters
A Difference That Can Change People’s Lives
1.3: Homework #1/2
Between now and the next meeting of this workshop, think and write about one simple question:
What is a strategic narrative that has affected you?
Sign up for a presentation slot in next week’s meeting to share your work.
1.4: Lecture #2/2
1.5: Resources #2/2
Related article:
1.6: Homework #2/2
Between now and the next meeting of this workshop:
#1 – Find the four stories in an article about Volvo.
- Please make your own copy of the Google document containing the article by Douglas Bell. To do so, go in the “file” menu and selecting “make a copy”.
- Read the article. It’s a five-minute read.
- Using the highlight tool in the menu, highlight each of the four stories with the highlight color specified in the table. Please don’t use any other color.
- Take a look at my suggested answers after you’ve tried by yourself.
#2- Pick your own “victim”. Find the four stories in a piece of your choice, about a company of your choice.
- Pick a company of your choice.
- Choose a piece or a series of pieces of communication about this company.
- Make it easy on yourself. Find an example with a lot of information available for you to work with.
- Do the same, highlight, circle, or cut the content you find relative to each of the four stories.
Volunteer to present what you’ve found: please consider signing up for a presentation slot in next week’s meeting.
Module 2 – Your Origin Story
-
The regenerative power of your origin story
-
Identifying the opportunity others don’t see
-
Structuring and writing your origin story
2.1: Lecture
2.2: Resources
If you’d like to explore the concept of the Origin Story even more, here are few articles that you might want to read:
Tip To Write Your Origin Story
2.3: Homework
Between now and the next meeting of this workshop:
Start writing your origin story
- Start ASAP. Don’t wait until the last minute. Write a little bit every day.
- You may be surprised by how fast you can write it.
- Or you may realize that it takes a lot longer than you thought.
- Volunteer to present your origin story!
Volunteer to present what you’ve found: please consider signing up for a presentation slot in next week’s meeting. Let us know on Slack.
Module 3 – The Opportunity Story
-
Elements of the opportunity story
-
Selling the opportunity to your community
-
When to use the opportunity story
3.1: Lecture
3.2: Resources
Here are few articles that you might want to read about the Opportunity Story:
The Story You Don’t Want To Skip
3.3: Homework
Between now and the next meeting of this workshop:
Think about and write the elements of your opportunity story.
- What are they today?
- What could they be in the future?
- If needed: reflect, brainstorm, research, or have a conversation with your colleagues and peers.
- Volunteer to present your work!
Volunteer to present what you’ve found: please consider signing up for a presentation slot in next week’s meeting. Let us know on Slack.
Module 4 – The Perspective Story
-
Challenging common wisdom
-
Business & organizational implications
- Creative methods to enact your perspective story
4.1: Lecture
4.2: Resources
Here are few articles that you might want to read about the Perspective Story:
18 Reasons To Think Differently
4.3: Homework
Between now and the next meeting of this workshop:
Write your perspective story.
It could be:
- A small manifesto of 3 to 5 key ideas,
- Or, a real customer case with the key points of your perspective,
- Or, something that you already wrote,
- Or, a list in chronological order.
These are just ideas. Feel free to create something unique, something that says who you are, and what you believe.
Volunteer to present what you’ve found: please consider signing up for a presentation slot in next week’s meeting. Let us know on Slack.
Module 5 – The Product Story
-
Why you need to sell your product last
-
The five attributes of the product story
-
Product development trade-offs
5.1: Lecture
5.2: Resources
Some articles related to the product story, so you can keep exploring this topic:
5.3: Homework
Write your “work backward” product story as a press release:
- Imagine that you are launching or relaunching your product.
- Follow the template.
- Fill in the blanks and keep it to one page maximum.
- Keep working on it until the outline for each paragraph flows.
- Write the press release in what I call “Oprah-speak”.
Volunteer to present what you’ve found: please consider signing up for a presentation slot in next week’s meeting. Let us know on Slack.
Module 6 – Strategic Narrative Activation
- The seven sins of the strategic narrative builder
- Moving from project to practice
- Stages of evolution
6.1: Lecture #1
6.2: Resources
6.3: Homework
Between now and the next meeting of this workshop:
Wrap up the construction of your strategic narrative.
6.4: Lecture #2
6.5: Resources
Related articles:
When your Team Builds the Pitch Together: Alignment and the Power of Collaboration
The Seven Sins Of Strategic Narrative
Activating the “ME”:
Activating the “WE”:
Activating the “US”:
When your Team Builds the Pitch Together: Alignment and the Power of Collaboration
What Does Building A Strategic Narrative Really Mean?
Activating the “IT”
6.6: Homework
Between now and the next meeting of this workshop:
Start building a simple plan to activate your strategic narrative:
- Think about what practices and tools would be suitable to activate your strategic narrative.
- Look at each of the four areas of activation – emotional, informational, behavioral, and material.
- You don’t have to build the practice or the tool yet totally.
- You may decide to start somewhere less conventional than you initially thought.
- Build a simple list of practices.