How can we be sure that we are moving towards our desired future? By simulating, through the creation of stories, going towards a heaven or hell situation and identifying all the actions that could lead in that direction. It is a methodology that we use in our workshops because it allows us to visualise the possible scenarios in a clear, distinct way.
We ask the participants to describe heaven or hell stories which could really occur in their working lives. And then we invite everyone to ask themselves which concrete actions, events or activities would lead to one scenario rather than the other.
Trying to design hellish working situations and not excluding them a priori is important. This part is normally the most difficult: visualising the actions that lead to an undesirable situation brings out awareness of what apparently harmless behaviours we put in place every day that can, without us realising it, take us where we absolutely do not want to go. Choosing not to repeat certain habits, rather than imposing bans, helps the choices and innovations that we decide to implement to take root.
For example, if a person says: “If I continue to make decisions without involving my staff, their motivation for the project will be less strong”. What comes to mind is: “I hadn’t thought about the fact that the way I make certain decisions directly affects the extent of my employees’ involvement, so from now on I want to invest time in involving them in certain decision-making processes”.
At Peoplerise, we often use micro-narration in workshops because stories are personal and can be a point of entry for accessing complex issues, a little at a time and in a simple way. Stories activate the connection between the interior world of the individual and the exterior world of the organisation. They allow us to observe the past and the present, the micro and the macro. And they allow us to make decisions and take the necessary small steps, which, when added up, lead to a concrete transformation that brings us closer to our desired future.
To do this, we work alongside people in designing far-reaching scenarios to define how to act in the medium and short term, creating a connection between what we do today and the impact it will have tomorrow. It’s an approach that creates awareness and willingness.
