Whether it’s you or your organization – unless you are living for something or going after something, your existence might be pretty mediocre.
Whenever I prepare to facilitate an executive offsite, I’m always questioning the most creative way I can foster learning and growth. Since I’ll be in Boston in a few days for one such event, my creative juices have been flowing. In particular, I’ve been thinking about the concept of story.
Story is in the fabric of all we do. Whether it’s how you are living your day or it’s the product you want to buy, story is everywhere. Joseph Campbell wrote a book called The Hero with a Thousand Faces in which he noticed that all great stories follow a pattern.
- The Call to Adventure
- The Challenge of Moving Beyond the Status Quo
- The Hero Conquering His Fears
- Gaining the Treasure
- Repeat
What difference does this make? Well, if you can discern where you or your organization intersect with these points, then you gain a lot of clarity. In particular, knowing your story helps you know why you are setting out (#1), what you are leaving behind (#2), what obstacles you will face (#3) and what you hope to gain (#4).
Take a few minutes and learn a little about story below. Then work through the exercise above to get your story back on track.