Tribal storytelling is alive and well within your workforce. Often, the best stories in your organization are hidden away, deep within departments.
Yet, these stories often are told by nameless, faceless employees who remember the way it was. Then again, these storytellers understand the way it is, today. And, they know how to make things happen and just whom to contact to make things happen.
Do you know who your tribal storytellers are?
However, many organizations view tribal knowledge as information-hoarding. So, they try to establish information repositories, allegedly accessible to the entire workplace.
Yet, how successful are these initiatives? And, at what cost? At the end of the day, the stories behind the information are key to workforce development. Consider where your tribal stories go, after the information is gathered and filed away.
Hidden pockets of tribal storytelling inspire and guide the workforce.
First, who are your tribal storytellers? Often, these folks have the greatest workforce longevity. Yet, their longevity often is perceived as a negative. Are these employees truly obscure, out of date, out of touch?
Consider that long-time employees witness the transition and transformation of the workplace from Industry30 to Industry40. First, their stories showcase struggles, successes and failures. Then, their tales chronicle the plate tectonics of machines, automation, software, processes and people, crashing into each other, over time.
After all, their stories are about the unrelenting velocity of change inherent in digital transformation of the workplace. And the resilience and determination of the workforce to survive and thrive.
Are you capturing your tribal stories as part of your human capital strategy?
Every organization has a story and a history. In order for organizations to grow, expand and sustain themselves, consider the value of developing a storytelling culture. When current and future employees feel they are part of an ongoing story, and history, they gain greater sense of purpose and place.
Then, take these next steps.
- Planning your next team, corporate or association meeting? Engage me to present one of my Storytelling for STEM Professionals and Left Brain Thinkers speaking programs, workshops or moderated facilitation services. Contact me here.
- Download my new checklist and worksheet: Six Professional Development Targets to Hit each Month.
- Subscribe to my blog. Share your email address in the red box in the right column of this blog. Never miss another insightful post.
Babette Ten Haken’s One Millimeter Mindset® Storytelling for STEM Professionals and Left Brain Thinkers speaking programs leverage purpose-driven value differentiation through storytelling, to create and retain successful employees and clients.
Find out more about Babette’s professional story here. Babette is a member of SME, ASQ, SHRM and the National Speakers Association. Her playbook of communication hacks, Do YOU Mean Business? is available on Amazon.com. Babette’s speaker profile is on the espeakers platform. Contact Babette here.
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