Story of place
Photo Courtesy of Helen Fox
Last October I had the privilege of keynoting the UCM Research Festival, a gathering for researchers to explore ideas shaping the Isle of Man and its people.
I owe a huge thanks to Gail Corrin, who curates this annual event, for persisting—it gave me the push I needed to start to structure nearly 30 years of thinking on a subject close to my heart. Twenty of those years were spent working with the world’s biggest commercial storytelling organisations; and the past ten, exploring how story underpins collaboration, innovation, and growth.
At its core, I explored why the stories we tell ourselves as communities determine whether we flourish or fail, how we can craft better ones, and what infrastructure we need to sustain them. Below is a quick overview of the core concepts I covered, and if you’d like to dive deeper, you can watch the full talk below (starting at 6:25, after the gracious introduction by Deputy Chief Minister Hon. Jane Poole-Wilson MHK).
Narrative Alignment: Why story matters
So since the dawn of humanity, we’ve told each other stories; stories to help us make sense of the world, pass on knowledge, and, crucially, learn to collaborate. Early survival depended on it: the more cohesive the tribe, the better our chances of surviving the next saber-tooth attack, or as a town, the next onslaught of the barbarians. We quickly learned that the level of cohesion would determine whether we would flourish or fail.
In the talk, I speak about this idea of narrative alignment and the fact that cohesion exists on a spectrum. At one extreme, there is seamless collaboration built on shared values; at the other, chaos and disunity. A bit like a jazz ensemble, if the different instruments are out of tune and the musicians don’t know what they’re meant to be playing, the result is cacophony. But when there’s a sense of unity, they’re able to improvise, adapt, and create something remarkable.
SOAR: How to craft a better story
Despite what it sometimes might feel like, we are not passive participants in our stories —we can choose to craft better ones, particularly at a community and team level; and a great way to start, is by asking better questions.
In the talk I unpack a framework called SOAR which I’ve written about before. Rooted in Appreciative Inquiry - a methodology developed by David Cooperrider in 1987 - unlike traditional problem-solving which focuses on fixing what's broken, SOAR builds on what works.
It asks about…
Strengths: What are we truly good at? What assets do we already have?
Opportunities: What possibilities exist? Where can we improve?
Aspirations: What is our shared vision for the future?
Results: How will we measure success? What does "winning" look like?
…and so, like the sunflower turns to the light to help it grow.
Storytelling Infrastructure : Sustaining the narrative
But change is an endurance sport. A better story is just the beginning. To create real impact, it must be sustained over time.
That is why in my talk I explore this idea of storytelling infrastructure, which consists of three key elements…
Customs – Rituals and rhythms that reinforce the story over time.
Concrete – Landmarks, symbols, and artifacts that make the story tangible.
Community – The people who sustain and share the narrative collectively.
No different to if you want to get fit. It’s about the time of day or week you exercise, the shoes you wear, the friends who keep you accountable.
That’s why successful societies, companies, and movements build infrastructures that make their narratives resilient. Just like the big religions… some of the most enduring stories ever told.
The Isle of Man: A unique opportunity
I then circled back in my talk to the Isle of Man where, having spent over six months listening, asking questions, and learning about the island, I see incredible potential, but one that could benefit from a far more cohesive and compelling story, one that drives true collaboration, innovation, and growth.
This is why gatherings like the UCM Research Festival are so important. They bring together people who are passionate about asking better questions with the chief story tellers of place - politicians, the media and other key stakeholders; and create an opportunity to start to explore better narratives.
If the Q&A after the talk was anything to go by, those in hall started to do just that which was great to see.