The World's Premier Organizational Storytelling Event: Smithsonian Symposium

The annual Smithsonian symposium on organizational storytelling is just around the corner and this year there is a dynamite roster of speakers from all around the world. As in the past, there will be a Friday event at the Smithsonian on April 21 and a Saturday event on April 22 hosted by the Golden Fleece Group.

If you want to sample some of the top class speakers who'll be there:

Linking the organizational story and the personal story

Jim Stuart will be a keynote speaker at the Smithsonian storytelling weekend in Washington DC on April 21, 2006. Jim is the former president and CEO of Val-Pak, founding executive director of The Florida Aquarium, and co-founder of The Leadership Circle, will examine how the organizational story” and the personal leadership story” are similar and different in thei”r impact on the collective. One builds vision alignment; the other trust. Both are essential capacities in an effective, humane enterprise. I talked to Jim recent and you can read his interview here:

http://www.stevedenning.com/slides/InterviewWithJimStuart.pdf

Some tidbits from Jim's interview:

·      "They were each in some way thought to be impossible to do, but they both were done.”

• “The story never goes away.”

• “This domain is what gives access to emotions and spirit.”

Can storytelling be turned into a business?

Ashraf Ramzy founded a consulting firm based on narrative in The Netherlands in 2002.  Ashraf will be one of the international speakers at the Smithsonian storytelling weekend in Washington DC on April 21-22, 2006. (He speaks on the Saturday.) Ashraf talked with me recently about his experience to date. Here are a few tidbits from his interview:

• “Too many clients came in with a briefing, but no story to back it up or to sustain it.

• “I learned that organizations suffer the most from the shadow of their strengths and resist the hardest what they need the most.”

• “Our identity is the source of our action and, without knowing who we are as people and as a business, we have no real grip on our strategy and actions.”

Listen to Ashraf Ramzy at:

http://www.stevedenning.com/slides/InterviewAshrafRamzyMar06.pdf

What’s happening in organizational storytelling in Scandinavia?

What’s happening in organizational storytelling in Scandinavia? Svend-Erik Engh launched an organizational storytelling business in Denmark in 2000 and has since been active throughout Scandinavia.  Svend-Erik will be one of the international speakers at the Smithsonian storytelling weekend in Washington DC on April 21-22, 2006. (He speaks on the Saturday.) Svend-Erik talked with me this week about his experience to date.

You can read the full interview at:

http://www.stevedenning.com/slides/InterviewSvendErikEngh.pdf

Here are some tidbits from Svend-Erik’s interview:

• “Be both King and humble servant in the same person.”

• ”When I ask myself: ‘What did I do that day?’ and when I think about it, I have to admit: ‘very little.’”

• “These imaginary characters became living people with us in all our work – the stories were feeding the other side of the brain.

• “Actually this is one of the biggest secrets of my art. That you listen while you tell.”

The Smithsonian storytelling weekend is a remarkably diverse, international event, with speakers hailing from UK, Denmark, Netherlands, Austria and Canada, and from within the US, from Philadelphia, California, Colorado as well as Washington DC. So if you want to get a quick overview of what’s happening in organizational storytelling around the world, this is where to get it.

The event is filling up fast. So don’t delay - register now!

For the Friday April 21 event, go to:

http://residentassociates.org/otoapr/storytelling.asp

For the Saturday April 22 event, go to:

http://www.goldenfleececon.org/

For details of both day’s events: go to:

http://www.stevedenning.com/Smithsonian06-r2.html

To watch a short video (3 megs) on the event, go to:

http://www.stevedenning.com/slides/Smithsonian2006.wmv

To download a brochure (96 kb) that you can share with colleagues and friends, go to:

http://www.stevedenning.com/slides/Brochure-Smithsonian-06.pdf