Company leaders often wish for an organizational culture change, to make their companies more agile, innovative and growth-oriented. What many forget though, is that culture is deeply rooted in the organization’s DNA and unique history. That can make company culture as difficult to change as an individual’s personality.
Many established companies struggle immensely with the concept of becoming more agile. On the one hand, they wish to react quickly to unforeseen circumstances by creating innovative opportunities. On the other hand, they fear that their size, level of establishment and need for structure might get in the way – or simply – that chaos will break loose if they even try.
Organizational storytelling is a new buzzword in the world of organization development. While for decades, nothing but quantitative data and process orientation mattered, we are now finally paying more attention to less tangible factors such as organizational culture and storytelling.
Robert Galvin, former CEO of Motorola, once said he used to listen into daily life and conversations at Motorola as if they were a symphony. Entering the building, he would aim to understand how the musical masterpiece unfolded around him, noting the dissonances and the harmonies.
How Organizational Narratives Can Influence Organizational Life.
A powerful way to understand an organization is to look at the stories it tells about itself as a collective.