Some models to help you develop your narrative.
There are several approaches and models available to help you discuss and develop your narrative.
Play with a few and use the one that best fits your organisation’s personality and culture (or starts changing the culture).
Ideal for small groups to discuss and work through the headings, filling in responses and using these as the structure for both individual stories and the basis for scaling up to the big picture narratives.
Container approach to story – worksheet
1. List the big themes in your council /local government
Pick one theme and decide on a moment that illustrates it.
2. Why does that matter?
What does it say about why we need localgov? And why is it important to you?
3. Why should we care?
The belief or theory about society (and us as humans) that underpins our view of why it matters. The healed version of us.
4. Pick a couple of characters or a small gang to tell this story
What kind of voice/s would work? (serious, friendly, objective?)
5. The relationships /emotions are really important
How do the characters (and you) feel about this?
6. History
Anything that shows where we’ve come from.
7. Where’s the rub
The conflicting views of the world, the challenge or grit?
8. A magical object – get one!
What are its properties?
What does it tell us about you / or the story?
9.The shape of the container
The context. What else holds this story / or sets its borders?
10. What does that say to the wider world about local gov?
Completed container exercise
1:Think of some of the big themes around local government.
Choose one (or more) and a moment (or moments) that illustrates it (them)
2: What's the big life question?
Why we think local government is there
3: Why should we care?
What's the healed version of ourselves? The belief or theory about society or us that is underlying this?
4: Pick a character or two. A gang, who tell the story.
Make it real and personal. What's their voice? Where do they live? Do they get on?
5: The relationship/emotions
Don't forget this. How do they - and you - feel in this story?
6: History
- anything that shows where we've come from (in relation to this)
7: Where's the rub in the story?
Conflicting views of the world
8: A magical object - something that you value, related to you or the story.
What are its properties? What does it say to you?
9: The shortage of the carrier bag, the vernacular context
What else this story holds or is bounded by.
10: What this story says to the wider world
A quick exercise in which you interview each other. Take it in turns. The person asking the questions makes some notes. Take 15 minutes each.
Gathering stories worksheet – pairs exercise
Storyteller’s name and Initial story title:
Pick a story – tell us the short version of what happened?
Tell a story of something important that happened at work?
Can be a small or big thing; can be good or bad. What matters is that its memorable to you and says something about how things are where you are.
Give us a couple of specific details – an image, a colour, or a smell? Something that’s visual, unusual, interesting, or important to you?
Engage your senses… tell me how were you feeling?
And maybe a metaphor?
What was the obstacle you had to overcome in this story – a challenge or struggle?
We need to know the grit! (most important)
How did it end up?
Please say why you think it ended like that?
Did anything change or maybe you learned or reflected on something?
What does it say about us?
Any hopes for the future?