The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative, Revised and Updated

Chapter 8. SHARE KNOWLEDGE: Using Narrative to Transmit Knowledge and Understanding

We value stories because they are like reports of research projects, only easier to understand, remember, and use.

—Gary Klein^[]

Contrary to conventional wisdom, much of what we know is composed of stories. We have a certain amount of abstract understanding of the world—theories, principles, processes, and heuristics useful for dealing with recurring, repetitive tasks: thus, airplane pilots follow checklists to make sure they don't forget a crucial step on takeoff. We also have a certain amount of tacit understanding, which we acquire through experience and may be able to articulate explicitly: thus, we may be able to ride a bicycle or perform a complicated surgical ...