Sometime last year, I started a protocol of listing story-related events on an inside Story Events page instead of here on the main page of A Storied Career. Recently, though, I’ve broken that protocol and listed story events here. I’m afraid I let the Story Events page get horribly outdated. In the meantime, I’ve been posting some events helmed by story practitioners I know. I know — and can heartily recommend — the folks involved in these three events:
Storytelling QuickStart Program, led by Michael Margolis (pictured at right), is a 4-week TeleCourse that starts Thurs, Feb. 18, and is limited to 25 participants, ideally, Michael says, “individuals with a big story to tell — visionaries, change-agents, business owners, solo-preneurs, and innovators.” Here’s a partial description from the page for the course
, where you can also register for/purchase the course:
This 4-week course will give structure and guidance for how to apply the principles of my storytelling manifesto directly to your work. Each 90-minute session will include: ~ 20 minutes of presentation, ~ 25 minute of facilitated exercise, and ~ 45 minutes of group coaching. This program is limited to 25 participants to ensure individualized attention. You will also benefit from worksheets and HW exercises in between sessions. I’ll be experimenting with new modes of delivery in this program — and you’ll benefit with lots of bonus value-adds. You have to be willing to truly participate and give feedback throughout the program.
The Basics of Organizational Storytelling is exciting because it kicks off International Storytelling Weekend in Washington, DC. This workshop, led by my colleagues Thaler Pekar (pictured at left) and Svend-Erik Engh (pictured at right) on Thurs., April 15, 6:30 to 9 p.m., is sort of the “pre-show” of the weekend. Register here. Here’s the description of the event, from the Smithsonian’s Resident Associates site:
Storytelling has become an essential skills for managers and
organizational leaders because it aids in establishing trust, articulating values, sparking innovation, inspiring action, sharing knowledge, building community, and generating followers and new leaders in organizations. Many leaders, however, have no background in storytelling and are confounded by how and when to share stories. In this seminar two individuals who have worked extensively in the field of organizational storytelling teach participants the basics, including the elements of an organizational story, when and how stories can be most effectively used in organizations, how stories told within an organization differ from stories told outside an organization, and how a story should be crafted to achieve specific goals and objectives. The seminar is led by Thaler Pekar, founder and principal of Thaler Pekar & Partners, a consulting firm specializing in persuasive communications, and Svend-Eric Engh, author of Tell a Story: Be Heard, Be Understood, Get Action (Fokus).
Then, the next day is the all-day seminar Smithsonian portion of Storytelling Weekend, Organizational Storytelling–A Tool for Transforming the Workplace. Organizers recommend that novices attend the preceding Basics of Organizational Storytelling the previous evening to get the most out of the Friday event. (The third part of Storytelling Weekend, the Golden Fleece Conference, to be held Sat., April 17, is not yet open for registration). Here’s the description of the Friday seminar. Register here:
Storytelling is a powerful and underutilized professional business tool that can be used to help achieve a myriad of organizational objectives, from generating new ideas to fostering strong work teams to sharing knowledge and transmitting values. In this seminar led by experts in the field of organizational storytelling, participants explore how narrative techniques can be used to ignite innovation and change in the workplace for the benefit of the organization, the people doing the work, and the clients and customers whom they serve.
Matthew E. May, chief strategist for MBox Design, former advisor at Toyota, and author of In Pursuit of Elegance (2009) and The Elegant Solution (2006), examines the stories used to inspire continuous innovation at Toyota, an organization that implements more than one million ideas per year.
Mary Poppendieck, retired 3M manager and co-author of Implementing Lean Software Development (2006) and Leading Lean Software Development (2009), discusses the characteristics of successful leaders and explains how stories can create a context where employees are motivated to perform their best and work as a team.
Steve Denning, former head of knowledge management at the World Bank and author of The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling (2005) and The Secret Language of Leadership (2007), talks about how some companies are re-inventing the workplace using storytelling to inspire continuous innovation, productivity, job satisfaction, and client delight. He also discusses the role of storytelling as part of the seven basic principles of continuous innovation.
Elizabeth Woodward, a software transformation consultant with IBM and co-author of The Practical Guide to Distributed Scrum (2010), discusses how teams can create the change they envision by focusing on prioritization of needs in the form of user stories, continuous feedback from stakeholders, and consistent delivery of high-quality, valuable short-term wins.
Seth Kahan, an independent consultant with a specialty in change management, and author of Getting Change Right (2010), shows how leaders transform organizations from the inside out by getting people on board for bold new ideas.
Madelyn Blair, CEO of Pelerei, Inc., an organizational consulting firm, explains the concept and principles of radical learning and how it can be used to develop strategies for maintaining focus and achieving results.
Coffee and pastries are served 8:30 to 9 a.m. Lunch is from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.; participants provide their own lunch.