See a photo of Michael, a link to his bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, and Part 3.

Q&A with Michael Margolis (Question 4):

Q: In an interview with you on the site of the 2008 HANO Conference, at which you were the keynote speaker, you said: “Look at any organizational challenge through the lens of narrative; I guarantee you will discover new insights and solutions.” Can you give an example in your own work/experience in which you’ve gained new insight into an organizational challenge through this narrative lens?

A: One of our clients is the leading membership association for women in Hawaii. Even with 100+ years of proven legacy, the organization was struggling to maintain its relevance. Now this is a common problem facing almost every membership organization today. The old storylines no longer hold up to the complex modern world we are all trying to reconcile. Our client decided to adopt a radical new business model that would require both change and innovation.

In order to identify the new Brand Story, we conducted a set of narrative-driven focus groups with women who represented the target “new member.” We didn’t ask questions about our client’s services, but instead listened to these women and their life stories. We wanted to know how they integrated the various identities of work, family, community, and self into a cohesive whole. The insights that we gathered for our client gave them the confidence to break out of the mold. Through continued consulting we helped our client reposition their flagship facility into a Downtown Women’s Club, with a mission. The new Brand Story is opening up countless new opportunities and growth for the organization.