Strategic Storytelling

STRATEGIC STORYTELLING:
Maximum Impact in a Digital World

May 23–25, 2023 (in person)

Delivered in partnership with Columbia Business School 

Storytelling has always been central to human experience – it's how we explain and make sense of the world. But in today’s digital environment, as media-savvy audiences tune out ad-type come-ons while seeking ever-more-immersive experiences, it’s also become the most effective way businesses and professionals can communicate. How do you move from a didactic, “buy-me-now” mindset to one that engages your audience through stories?

Neuroscience shows that we respond more readily to a story than to a set of facts—even if we’re told in advance that the story is fiction. It demonstrates that the more immersed we are in a story, the more likely it will change our thinking. Yet many people—business executives, leaders at nonprofits and educational institutions, entrepreneurs and independent professionals—think that if they just keep telling us what to do, we’ll do it. They behave as if we’re “rational actors,” despite all evidence to the contrary. And when they do try to engage us with a story, they often come across as inauthentic or out-of-touch. They don’t understand narrative structure. They disregard the key elements that make a story compelling.

But you don’t need to be a professional screenwriter to tell a good story. Strategic Storytelling, led by best-selling author Frank Rose, shows how stories have been used effectively by organizations as varied as Warby Parker, Burberry, the Walt Disney Company and recruitment campaigns for the British Army. It introduces the concept of “narrative thinking,” which applies the tools and techniques of professional storytellers to the challenges leaders face. Participants leave not just with a clear understanding of the importance of storytelling but with a set of frameworks and case studies that will enable them to tell better stories today.

For a sense of the faculty’s thought leadership, download Frank Rose’s strategy+business article “The Power of Immersive Media.”

Please contact our Program Director Lila Elias at [email protected] to learn more.

For additional details on the program and to register click here.

 

 

"I tell stories to jurors in the context of representing business people accused of serious federal crimes. I cannot begin to say how much you taught was directly applicable to my work environment.”

John Lauro, Defense Attorney