the power of small stories

An interesting away-day on Saturday. This is an annual event for a small but growing cancer support centre, for all staff, volunteers and Trustees that I have often facilitated over the years. I had a feeling that the Centre had reached another growth point, where something different might be going to happen, and so the away day itself needed a different feel from the one we have generally had.

We decided in the planning to start the day with various little stories that carried a question, a buzz or some vivid significance. The criterion was that the story had to be small, in some sense surprising, and carry some learning or food for thought. The person involved told it briefly without no decoration. Although knowing how important these kind of stories can be, I was still thrilled at the power they had for everyone and at the really developmental discussion they generated.

This is something that all managers can do - notice an incident that has that kind of poignancy, vividness or better still surprise. Tell it to yourself and your staff and look for responses. "What does this tell us?" "What can we learn from it?"

Very often these moments are a kind of 'straw in the wind' - an indicator that something is about to change in a significant way that we need to be aware of and ready for.