Shorts The Impact of Storytelling in Organizational Communication [00:03 - 02:06] Dave Toole discusses the foundational role of storytelling in human communication. Emphasizing its increasing presence in internal communications, he shares its efficacy in enhancing employee engagement, customer awareness, and team performance. He references major brands and introduces a webinar series on narratives. The talk culminates with an introduction to Dr. Joel Brown Grant, an expert in storytelling and knowledge management. The Transformative Role of Storytelling in Knowledge Organizations [02:06 - 04:15] Johel Brown-Grant acknowledges Dave and MediaMobz, detailing his introduction to Dave via LinkedIn, their shared interest in storytelling’s organizational impact, and the evolution of their collaborative conversations. He emphasizes the potential of storytelling in knowledge-sharing and enhancing organizational communication. Storytelling as a Catalyst for Knowledge Management [04:15 - 06:08] Johel Brown-Grant elaborates on storytelling’s role as a knowledge management method. He outlines its structure, its relation to tacit knowledge, and its collaborative power in organizations. He emphasizes the universality of storytelling and underscores its potential to foster diverse voices within a corporate structure. Johel also suggests that all organizations inherently have storytelling capabilities but may vary in their application and sophistication. Storytelling Maturity Assessment in Organizations [03:08 - 11:10] Johel Brown-Grant introduces the “Storytelling Maturity Assessment” to gauge an organization’s storytelling prowess. The model, spanning from ‘incipient’ to ‘consolidated’ stages, evaluates three areas: formulation, implementation, and socialization of stories. It serves as a roadmap for organizations to integrate storytelling as a knowledge-sharing and communication tool. Delving Deeper: The Components of Storytelling Maturity [11:10 - 12:40] Johel Brown-Grant further explicates the three areas of the “Storytelling Maturity Assessment”: formulation, implementation, and socialization. Formulation focuses on crafting and content creation; implementation on planning, resources, evaluation, and training; while socialization emphasizes relationships and stakeholder management to promote storytelling within the organization. Visualizing the Storytelling Maturity Assessment [12:40 - 13:32] Johel Brown-Grant introduces the visual layout of the “Storytelling Maturity Assessment.” It consists of three “swim lanes” (socialization, implementation, formulation) which intersect with columns for maturity levels. Each intersection has benchmarking descriptors to evaluate an organization’s storytelling capability. He promises a detailed view in the subsequent slides. Exploring Maturity Progression in Storytelling [13:32 - 17:00] Johel delves deeper into the “Storytelling Maturity Assessment,” focusing on the formulation swim lane. He details content creation progression from disorganized stories to a comprehensive content strategy. In the socialization lane, the emphasis shifts to marketing, explaining how storytelling awareness evolves from rudimentary methods like emails to sophisticated marketing strategies. Determining Maturity Levels in Storytelling [12:00 - 18:20] Johel elucidates the process of gauging an organization’s storytelling maturity. Using the formulation swim lane as an illustration, he showcases a scoring system. Organizations benchmark themselves, tally their scores, and the result indicates their maturity level, such as “rising”. Importance of a Storytelling Maturity Assessment Tool [18:20 - 19:29] Johel emphasizes the value of the storytelling maturity assessment tool. It not only gauges an organization’s storytelling capability but also aids in aligning stakeholders, devising action plans, and allocating resources. The tool becomes evidence for crafting a storytelling strategy./p> Storytelling Maturity Assessment Journey [19:29 - 20:47] Johel outlines the Storytelling Maturity Assessment Journey: it begins with an initial audit, followed by a scoring phase and a Maturity Report. The aim is to progress from the current to a desired future state. He mentions available templates that aid in advancement and the option of customized solutions. Conclusion and Acknowledgments by Johel [20:47 - 21:32] Johel sums up by listing the materials connected to the assessment and expresses gratitude to Dave and MediaMobz. He emphasizes the potential of his project to bolster storytelling and refine internal communications. He invites questions and provides his contact details.

Abstract This talk delves into the transformative role of storytelling in organizational communication and knowledge management. Beginning with Dave Toole’s introduction to the topic, the conversation deepens with Dr. Johel Brown-Grant’s comprehensive discussion on the “Storytelling Maturity Assessment.” This assessment serves as a methodological tool to help organizations evaluate and advance their storytelling capabilities, promoting enhanced engagement, knowledge-sharing, and internal communication strategies.