Anecdote circles are like dinner parties…

Posted by  Mark Schenk —November 24, 2006
Filed in Business storytelling, Communication

We often describe anecdote circles as being a bit  like dinner parties, with the exceptions that we try have just one conversation at a time, and there is no wine. Well, last night I facilitated an anecdote circle that was exactly like a diner party…

SMS Management and Technology, an Australian consulting company (that both Shawn and I worked for in a previous life), is holding a series of dinners to get new starters and account managers together so the new starters can share their experiences and background and the account managers can share stories around the values of  the company. Last night was a fantastic experience. In ending the session I asked them to reflect on how they felt and there were three distinct themes. One was that participants felt privileged and humble for people to have shared their stories. Another was concern about a decline in the humanity in our organisations and how events such as last night were fantastic at providing a forum where people could connect at a meaningful level with each other. The third was that the event reinforced to the new starters that they had made a good career choice.

This is an example of how narrative approaches can be used in creative ways to restore dialogue and humanity in 21st Century organisations.

Mark Schenk About  Mark Schenk

Mark works globally with senior leadership teams to improve their ability to communicate clearly and memorably. He has been a Director of Anecdote since 2004 and helped the company grow into one of the world’s leading business storytelling consultancies. Connect with Mark on:

Comments

  1. Nerida Hart says:

    Mark
    What a simple and elegant method of facilitating knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer. Also, I imagine many new starters would find this type of engagement both non threatening and inclusive.
    Nerida

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