Storytelling as a Manager Coaching Technique LO9288

Clarro@aol.com
Tue, 20 Aug 1996 22:58:14 -0400

Replying to LO9252 --

Collegues,
In my work as teacher-consultant for work teams, I've discovered that
storytelling, with a focus , has been helpful in understanding the individual
and common cultural characteristics of seminar participants. I've also found
that employees are excited and energized by the process of telling their
stories, as individuals and as teams. In one activity on role conflict &
confusion, each team is asked to create and present a 10minute story (in the
form of a skit) which visualizes the problem-in-motion and visualizes how a
healthy team might go about addressing it. This activity serves to help each
team learn more about the problem (through reflection and then the creative
process of writing and acting out a skit) and turn each team into a teacher
of the others (by presenting theire view of the problem with solution).
I have not observed managers using storytelling in any fashion but I do
encourage them to ask for and listen to the stories that employees can and do
tell about what they see and experience at work.
I hope I have responded appropriately to the question.
Regards,
Claire Smith
Teacher-Consultant: Org. Cjange; Work Process Design & Teams

-- 

Clarro@aol.com

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