Change your organisation one word at a time is a book developed by two global management consultants. It's principles are applied to project management in this storyboard. Part 2 will follow soon.

2. Exercise
Read through this storyboard
Please let us know what is important to you
We may be able to help further if needed

3. Does your organisation suffer from any of these
symptoms in managing difficult projects?
• Talk substituting action
• Upward delegation
• People admiring the problem not solving it
• People working to different agendas
• Push back, push back, push back
• Misplaced use of internal competition which
suppresses cooperation
• Blame

4. Brilliant project plans created by heroes don’t work
Carefully planned, deliberate and deliberated
small steps that recognise the changing
opportunities and constraints inherent in the
Business.
Steps taken by people who are confident and
competent and are prepared to take a team
approach works.

5. We are talking about a different approach to
project planning
TYPICAL APPROACH
• How life ought to be
• Focus on Outcomes, no
distractions
• SMART Objectives
• Clear, detailed information
• Telling people ‘what to do’
• Monitor them closely
DIFFERENT APPROACH
• How life is
• Embracing different stakeholder
views
• Writing a story to create
meaning
• Co-creating the story with others
• Making sure everybody
understands: Why, How, What
• Giving people freedom to deliver

6. We would like you to commit to giving our approach a try
Part 1 Outcome (this presentation)
Outcome - Using stories to ENGAGE people so that they get involved in the
project and the change agenda – WILLINGLY
Part 2 Outcome (next presentation)
Giving people the DIRECTION and FREEDOM to do their bit successfully

7. More about Part 1 outcomes…
Understand stories; what are
they for and how they work?
Write stories; use a template
to create powerful stories
Understand how to engage
through stories , share stories
with others
Getting complex projects
done!
Engaging with
Stories

8. More about Part 1 outcomes…
GETTING COMPLEX PROJECTS DONE
Writing and telling stories is a skill that can be
learned but it needs practice

9. We’ll move to writing & telling stories…
…that engage hearts and minds
…that give projects meaning
…as a cause of something; move toward outcomes
…that deliver project results
…that are not merely passing on information

10. Exercise
What is a story?
A good place to start is our current thinking
about stories
Do you have any working definitions of a
story?

11. So, what is a story?
Using stories effectively requires raising awareness of 3
areas
• A story is an edited account of reality – are you clear what
you are leaving in and out?
• A story is told to share a moral or point - are you clear
what you are leaving in and out?
• A story has value to the hearer - are you clear the story is for
them and not about you?

12. By the way….
Nobody can disprove your story with facts
They will need a better story

13. All stories created to a structure
This is the most basic
MESS TURNAROUND SUCCESS

14. Writing a story | Star Wars Example
MESS | A young farm boy, who dreams of adventure, lives in a galaxy torn by
rebellion and war. He is pushed into the conflict after his aunt and uncle are
killed by the Empire for the droids he possesses….
TURNAROUND | …An old master Obi Wan Kenobi trains him in the ancient
warrior ways called the Force and with the help of a rogue pilot Hans Solo,
Luke tries to destroy the death star in a star fighter but the machine fails and
all looks doomed but then he remembers the lessons of the Force and hits the
right spot and…
SUCCESS | …the Death Star is destroyed, and they all live to fight another day
(and in another movie)

15. Exercise
Think for a moment about a story of your project
Where is the BUT ONE DAY…?
And, the THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER?
Where’s the drama, the threat, the emotion?
Why not have a go at writing the story of your project?

16. Writing your story | A better template
Current Situation
Prompts for Action
Consequences and Complications
Outcomes
Key Domino

17. Writing your story | Template – Star Wars
Current Situation | A young farm boy, who dreams of adventure, lives
in a galaxy torn by rebellion and war
Prompts for Action | He is pushed into the conflict after his aunt and
uncle are killed by the Empire for the droids he possesses….
Consequence & Complications| An old master Obi Wan Kenobi trains
him in the ancient warrior ways called the Force and with the help of a
rogue pilot Hans Solo, Luke tries to destroy the death star in a star
fighter but the machine fails and all looks doomed but then he
remembers the lessons of the Force and hits the right spot and…
Outcomes | …the Death Star is destroyed
Key domino | …they all live to fight another day (and in another movie)

18. Exercise
Now is a good time to have a go at writing the first draft
of the story of your project.
How do bring your project to life and deliver results?

19. You are now at a point of crisis!
You have written your story and are ready to tell it.
Ask yourself:
Why are you telling your story?
(By The Way: There is only one reason!)

20. The reason!
> You don’t want your audience to listen to your story
> You don’t want your audience to appreciate it
> You don’t even want your audience to live it
You want your audience to share your story!
That’s why it needs to clear and well written

21. Engaging “…With Others”
We want to move our thinking
• From Tell - to Share
• From Have to - to Want to
• From Discussion/Debate - to Involve/Engage
And
From ‘audience as enemy’ - to ‘audience as co-creator’

22. How most people think about telling stories:
Story Teller
(Transmitter)
Audience
(Receiver)

23. Try this way of thinking…sharing not telling
Story Teller
Audience

24. Taking the lead BUT…
Co-creating the story with the audience
Circular breathing when playing a wind instrument
It’s a bit like…blowing and breathing at the same
time
Sharing = telling and listening at the same time

25. Time for reflection
Let’s bring it all together
Our intentions were:
• Understand stories – what are they for and how they work
• Write stories – use a template to create powerful stories
• Engage through stories – share not tell stories with others
We want to bring our projects to life; give meaning
By sharing it with others we can talk it into existence

26. We want to write and share
 Stories that engage hearts and minds
 Stories that give meaning
 Stories as a cause of something
 Stories that deliver results
Using stories to deliver results in your project

27. And finally….
Why not have a go at writing or rewriting a story for a
project and send it to us for review?

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