WORKSHOP

The Blended Art ofLeadership, Narratives, and

Aligning Purpose

Richard CullomProduct Camp

September 10, 2011

Agenda

• The Value of Narratives in Culture• Leadership, Narratives, Alignment of Purpose• The Structure of Business Narratives • Finding and telling the Inner Truth• Stakeholder Specific Narratives

– You – Your Team– Your Organization– Your Customers

We are Narrative People(Complex and Messy)

• We thrive in gooey mess of complex, personal

relationships that change over time

• We like rules, when they apply to other people

• We fear change yet we hate tedium

• We are masters of situational ethics

Choice

• People choose their level of participation

• Why is the most important question of this century

• “Because I said so” no longer works

Leadership, Narratives, Alignment of Purpose

Build your narratives to provide leadership on WHY

Structure: For the Team

• In this current state, a cry is heard among the people• Something is wrong• A group of committed individuals recognizes the problem• They realize they are the only ones who can help• They form a team and begin work• They work long and hard, with great purpose and urgency• They bring the solution to the distressed• The distressed are able to free themselves of the shackles

• And there was much rejoicing!

A bond was formed, between the team and the people, which could not be broken.

Exercise: Breaking it Down

The Current State has a Problem that affects the Community

The solution we are providing solves the problem

We are the only people who can solve this problem

We must solve it now because people are not fulfilled in some way

When we provide the solution, the State of the Community changes

And there is a Happy Ending

Exercise: Community

The People (characters) who are suffering in the current state

Exercise: Current State

The environment (setting) where the people in the community live

Exercise: Solution

Describe the journey (plot)

Add the “why” for your team (theme)

Exercise: Villains

Describe the enemy CompetitorsTimeBugsDisease…

Exercise: Happy Ending

People want to be part of something bigger

People want to matter

People want to make a difference

Tell them how

Exercise: Putting it together

• Community in a current state

• Needs a solution

• We are the only ones who can do it right

• When we provide it

• The community has a happy ending

Organization

Organization

Team

Team

Rings of Belief

You

Convince yourself FIRST

Exercise: Find Inner Truth

Start with a theme

Give it time

Keep learning

Understanding People

• The elevator pitch – what do they want to know?

• The boss (1-3)• The lead architect (3-6)• The person selling the system (6-9)• One of your best customers (9-15)

• Story + Inner Truth + Personal Need + Corporate Impact – Time = Elevator Pitch

Exercise: Elevator Poetry

My TeamIs developing a Solution (the x project) To help a community Do something better,That gives them a happy endingSo they buy more from us,

trust us more, hate us less

Theme: Doing this makes us money

Embrace the Elevator

Go Tell Your Story!

Thank You