Workshop
Organisational Crisis and Storytelling
Dr. Edmund Chow
Most audiences love a good story with a twist. But what happens when an organisation enters a crisis and finds itself deeply entangled in knots? Will stakeholders anticipate the fall of a leader and the demise of the organisation, or will they stand in solidarity to protect its reputation and witness an emergence from ashes?
According to management and sociology scholars Stephen Fineman and Yiannis Gabriel, they assert that stories “tell something of the myths that an organisation preserves, along with its heroes and heroines, and deeper-seated conflicts and anxieties” (1996). Especially in the metaphors people use, stories reveal complex relationships and nuanced meanings, as well as feelings, inside organisational life. A leader interested in improving working relationships and managing conflicts will therefore have to learn to decode the embedded meanings in their colleagues’ lived realities – the emotions, memories, and experiences. To manage some of these narratives means to gain better control as a leader.
In this experiential workshop, participants will first understand the psychology of storytelling, identify the different types of narratives, and write stories of personal and corporate leadership. The latter half of the workshop will focus on crisis response strategies and tools to reframe narratives and metaphors to inspire vision, reconcile differences, and mobilise people towards collective action.
This workshop is drawn from research and case studies, which has direct relevance to managers and executive leaders who have influence on direct reports.
RECOMMENDED FOR:
Corporate Sector, Leadership & Organisations, Educators, Management & Administration Sector
HIGHLIGHTS:
What can participants expect?
- Compose stories that can be used for different organisational purposes
- Experience the emotional terrain of narratives, roles, metaphors, and frames
- Apply Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey to organisational stories
- Adopt Timothy Coombs’ crisis response strategies from Situational Crisis Communication Theory
- Evaluate and assess responses with the Crisis Intervention Matrix
- Experience collective storytelling of a crisis
SKILLS:
At the end of the workshop, participants will:
- Understand the psychology of storytelling
- Write a corporate story and personal story using Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey
- Identify types of crises within an organisational life
- Adopt Timothy Coombs’ crisis response strategies
- Apply the principles of INTERIM to reframe narratives, roles, and metaphors
Note
Photography & Video Recording Rules:
- Unauthorised video and audio recording of this workshop is strictly not permitted for this event.
Admittance Rules:
- All patrons are required to purchase tickets for admission on Zoom.
- Each patron must have their own ticket.
- Patrons will be admitted at each session using the name and email address provided when purchasing tickets.
- The workshop will be recorded for archival purposes and may be used as marketing for future editions of the Festival. All recordings will remain with the Festival and not available for dissemination.
- The workshop is a one-time livestreamed event. Recorded versions of completed livestreamed events will not be made available to patrons.
- Latecomers will be admitted at suitable intervals to minimise disruption to the workshop.
- No refunds, no exchange of tickets.
Recommended
- Use a laptop or computer (rather than a mobile device) for a better experience.
- Please be in a quiet area with minimal background noise or disruptions where possible.
Dr. Edmund Chow (Singapore)
Dr. Edmund Chow is a published scholar and a TEDx public speaking coach. With an MA from New York University and a PhD from the University of Manchester, he completed his Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at INSEAD Business School where he developed the executive MBA curriculum on leadership and communication using storytelling and improvisation. He is currently the programme leader in MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice at LASALLE College of the Arts.