February 27th, 2025

NOTICING AND WONDERING

I've been thinking a lot about the role of stories and narratives in organizational culture lately. Stories aren't just entertaining - they're fundamental cognitive tools that humans use to make sense of our experiences and connect with each other. Our brains encode information more deeply when shared in story form.

I notice that the most cohesive teams often have rich, shared narratives about their identity, purpose, and experiences together. These stories act as powerful cultural anchors in ways that formal mission statements never could. Stories are the color between the words. They differentiate one team from another. When I observe struggling teams, I frequently find an absence of narrative or, even worse,  competing stories that create friction and misalignment. A real life example in a tech startup is - the product team sees AI innovation as top priority while sales thinks usability is #1, causing friction. Without a shared narrative, misalignment stalls growth.

I wonder why organizations invest so heavily in data-driven decision-making but comparatively little in developing their narrative - crafting, sharing, and evolving meaningful stories that unite people around common purpose? It allows us to understand more deeply and operate faster when there is a well-articulated mission, vision, and purpose, at the very least. 

According to a study by Gallup, only 27% of employees strongly believe in their company's values, while just 23% can apply them to their work (Gallup, 2022). This disconnect suggests a failure in organizational storytelling. In Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling (HBR, 2014), it was found that information delivered in narrative form is 22 times more memorable than facts alone, yet many leaders still rely primarily on data presentations and bullet points to drive change.

What might change if we viewed storytelling as a core leadership competency rather than a "soft" skill? How would team dynamics shift if we explicitly made space for narrative development alongside our strategic planning and operational reviews?

A QUOTE TO THINK ABOUT

A DEEP-ish QUESTION (or Three)

1. What is the dominant narrative that shapes how your team understands its purpose and identity? Who authored this story, and who maintains it?
   

2. How do the stories you tell about failure and setbacks influence your team's approach to risk and innovation?
   

3. If you were to write a compelling "future story" about where your team is headed, what elements would be essential to include to inspire collective action?

SOMETHING TO TRY

Try "Storying the Team Journey." Create a timeline on a whiteboard representing your team's history. Ask members to identify key moments, transitions, challenges overcome, and victories celebrated. Give each "chapter" of your team's story a meaningful title (e.g., "The Foundation Years," "The Pivot," "The Growth Explosion").

Once the timeline is complete, facilitate a discussion about the overarching narrative these chapters create about your team's identity. What themes emerge? What core values have remained constant? What transformations have occurred? Where are we going?  Work together to craft a 2-3 sentence "team story" that captures your collective identity and purpose. This exercise helps teams develop a coherent, shared narrative that strengthens connection and provides direction for future chapters. 

ANNOUNCEMENT

Build Your Organization or Team’s Narrative with Groops

Want to harness the power of storytelling to strengthen your team culture? Groops offers a focused workshop that helps your team identify, articulate, and build your story. Our organizational psychologists will guide your team through exercises designed to uncover dominant narratives, identify story gaps, and develop a compelling shared story that aligns with your strategic goals. You'll receive a customized playbook of storytelling practices tailored to your team's specific dynamics and challenges. Elevate how your team communicates and connects - in less time than a typical quarterly planning session.

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Thanks for reading and keep on connecting. :)

Best,

Bobbi

Bobbi Wegner, Psy.D.
Founder and CEO of Groops​: helping teams feel and function their best
Lecturer at Harvard University in Industrial-Organizational Psychology

If you are curious about a workplace dynamic or issue, send me an email at drbobbiwegner@joingroops.com and I will anonymously post it and respond. If you are thinking it, others are too. We can learn from each other. Also, if you are curious about the cohesion and health of your team, book a complimentary 30-minute consultation HERE with one of our Groop Guides.