A story told in a business or organisational context has to have a reason, a purpose, a clear objective and a deliberate intent to evoke a particular emotion or response. It is often created to persuade an audience / group that has become blunted to conventional communication. Story is also used to make a difficult change easier to understand, integrate and accept. Story can also be used to sell a dramatically new idea to stakeholders, investors or prospective business partners.
Stories don’t drop fully-formed out of creative space. Pulling together a story doesn’t take place in an arbitrary manner. Stories are developed around a solid factual skeleton or launched from a solid, factual springboard. Before creative thinking there must be rational preparation to set agreed upon parameters and guidelines, almost like defining the necessary arena in which creative play can take place.
To develop a potent story requires great honesty, sincerity and courage from everybody involved. It requires understanding of what constitutes a concept (which takes time to develop), as distinct from easily-changed details.
Developing a story is made almost impossibly difficult if there is poor feedback, ego issues, dissent and muddled strategic thinking. Knowing exactly what you want and what you want to say creates a magnet which attracts and guides a powerful story onto the page.
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