Issues & Observations

The Narrative Lens and Organizational Change

Nick Nissley and Stedman Graham

What do a CEO and a six-year-old child grieving over the death of her pet dog have in common? More than you might think.

Recently a friend told us a story about her daughter, who after the death of the family's chocolate Labrador said, “I wish we could just give Woody a pill and make him a puppy again.” It reminded us that when people's health fails them, they often seek prescriptions. Our friend's daughter was hoping for a drug remedy to restore her dog's health and vitality.

Later that evening we attended a client engagement in San Diego, where we listened to the organization's CEO speak to more than a hundred shareholders, telling them the ...

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