Use Story Metaphor for Managing and Leading the Well-Living Workplace

Why … because the story metaphor provides a way to remember more than facts.

About a story
E M Forster said
A fact = the queen died, the king died
A story = the queen died, the king died of a broken heart

Story-sharing via a story metaphor guides those who lead
to frame their individual context through enthusiasm
from an emotional connection.
Similarly, story-sharing guides those who manage
to frame the workplace culture through encouragement
for an emotional connection.

More About Story

A story is like a symphony – there is a synthesis of many wholes playing together, each instrument contributing to the bigger picture

A story has empathy – there is a feeling for someone else, the listener

A story involves play – there is living, laughing, loving, leveraging, listening involved

A story makes meaning – there is recognition of a pattern (there is learning-for-knowing)

Use of Story Metaphor

Metaphors are a storied way for staff, volunteers and customers
to experience something and thereafter connect the learning taken
from the metaphoric experience to the well-living workplace.

When using metaphors to gain insight into work experience,
the managers and leaders must be aware
that some images may or may not be known
by all participants.

Both the manager-leader and participants
must understand the image of the metaphor for it to work.

For example … using baseball versus cricket.
While there is a bat and ball,
and hitting and running involved,
the manner of play is different.

Using metaphors supplied by the participants
can be helpful to support ongoing dialogue around
learning from the shared experience.

Partcipants’ metaphors are a reminder
of the learning taken from the experience
until the participants accept a new and/or improved metaphor
that serves as a springboard for new learning.

In Closing

Always and in all ways we’re committed to keeping it simple and consistent.

And we’re open to your suggestions …

Let’s have some fun together sharing stories with metaphors to create your well-living workplace.

Make it a wellthy day,

Moving Forward Together

Here is an invitation to
download and read the free 21-page book:
9+1 Insights for Living From Your Life and Leadership Legacy