by Allison Cox © 2000

Because of my firm conviction that stories convey important information to others in ways that few other forms of communication can accomplish, I use storytelling in my work as a Public Health Educator. The tradition of storytelling is ageless and known to most cultures as an experience vital to the health of individuals, the community and the environment. During storytelling, listeners let go of defenses and relax into the known, safe environment of story. A shift in consciousness takes place. Those who listen, actually live the story adventures in their imagination. The audience is offered a chance to measure their own experience in the light of the immortal tale... immortal because people often forget important details of their lives, but will remember a story they heard as a child.

Story lends narrative structure to events that might otherwise seem random and meaningless (which is a common affliction among clients that I talk with every day). Storytelling is a profound medium through which change can be enacted by changing the way one views their personal history. The storytelling experience invites people to draw upon their memories and allows them to add new information to the old memories when listeners view their life in the context of the story.

Storytelling can be designed to offer survival tools to an increasingly complex society. By using sensate description that matches peoples' everyday experience, rapport is established and stories become real to the audience. Metaphors can be offered, containing embedded suggestions to the listeners that "you can survive... there is hope... you can succeed in making your world a better place... and here are some ways..."

As a prevention tool, storytelling is a time tested craft that can tackle the challenges confronting our culture (such as racism, sexism, violence, drugs,...). Because story has proven throughout time to be a vehicle for the mind to make sense of the world, it has been used by humankind through the centuries as a means of transmitting important cultural, sociological and moral information from one generation to the next.

As part of my job, I am often called upon to train others in the use of storytelling for health promotion and disease prevention. While the health professionals I work with must overcome their hesitancy to attempt storytelling, storytellers have to make a similar leap regarding feeling competent in designing a therapeutic story program. The following suggestions may help in taking the first steps.

If you receive a request to tell stories at a shelter for battered women, a residential treatment center for teens, or even a meeting for substance abuse recovery... do the same thing you would always do when someone asks you to perform... ask alot of questions. Besides the normal queries of "How long should the program be?", "What age and how large is the audience", ask the prospective client "What are the issues or interests for this group?" You will probably get a response of broad topics such as violence, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, homelessness, etc. Don't stop there. Continue to interview the client. "What do you hope the audience will know/feel/think as a result of hearing stories on this subject?" Sometimes getting the details of the expectations involved helps to decide which stories would be appropriate for this particular event.

The next step is crucial. Pare down the topic into achievable components. A favorite example of mine is when I was requested to share stories about Breast Cancer at a conference. I asked my local librarians for ideas and they suggested autobiographies of women who had fought their own battles with breast cancer. I read several, learned alot, but felt that I could not tell the personal stories of others. So I called back the person making the request and asked what she hoped people would learn as a result of listening to my stories. She responded "I think it would be important for them to hear about taking responsibility, not letting a problem go till it gets too big, facing your fears and offering support to each other." Well, there I had it! I was able to find folktales, legends and literary stories on each of these subjects. Sometimes those making the request are unable to be this specific and will say "Well, you know..." and simply repeat the same broad topic without offering any details. Then it's time to do your homework, (a good idea anyway). Go to the library and look up the pieces of this particular puzzle. For example, a search regarding the issues surrounding domestic violence may reveal that stories on this subject need to contain elements such as isolation, control, safety, chaos, verbal harassment and shame, as well as violence.

After the story is over, I usually ask simple questions such as "What images in the story stood out for you?" and "What memories or feelings did you experience as you listened to the story?". I know that there are some who feel that stories should never be discussed, but I am not one of them. When the story brings up issues for my audience and I am in a setting such as a classroom or a group therapy meeting, I feel that it is my responsibility to bring the listeners back home safely, by offering a space between the tales to reflect, react or share with others. People will often switch from 3rd person to 1st person in mid-sentence when responding to a story. I do not push people into this transition (and a moment of silence can be equally important), but I do invite sharing when and if my listeners feel safe. Often, I work with someone who knows the group and I may let them ask more questions regarding "Tell me how this story relates to your own experience." Seek out a therapist or counselor to confer with while planning your story program.

Timing is very important. Once I tried to introduce a very serious text and slide show from "The House That Crack Built" (a book for youth about crack cocaine use) to a group of 5th graders. I had worked with these kids for 2 school years, twice a week, and I felt we were ready to explore this issue. But I forgot to consider that it was the end of our time together and these children were having a hard time saying goodbye. This was not the right time to introduce a heavy new subject and it didn't go over well at all. These kids let me know in no uncertain terms that they didn't want to talk about cocaine at that time. Instead, they needed to hear stories about departure and holding onto good memories. A storyteller once told me he was asked to tell stories to young cancer patients and their families at Christmas time. He told a story about death and was surprised when, later, the hospital contact was hesitant to reschedule another storytelling event. Families coping with such intense loss need to be led gently into such topics. Suicide hot lines get inundated with calls at the Christmas season due to the huge differences between expectations and reality regarding the holidays for some folks, so this is not generally a good time to introduce heavy subject matter. Sometimes, what these families need the most is just a few good hours, a good day... some time that they can remember, to laugh, to sing, to simply smile. Those are big gifts and if you can offer them that initially, then you can go back later and tell them the stories about a parent who felt angry or perhaps a child who overcame her fear of the dark. Trust the metaphorical language of stories to powerfully speak to the unconscious mind and bypass the conscious, skeptical filters of your audience.

Remember, none of us are Super Human Storytellers. If you get to the venue and see it is not what you had expected, in any storytelling situation it is always a good idea to regroup as to which stories to tell, where to tell or even if you should tell at all. One storyteller shared with me that she had been asked to tell in the hospital burn unit. All throughout her stories, people were screaming in pain in the background. When she was finished, she hurried out to the parking lot and wept. Take control of the situation as best you can. Remember and learn from this teller's experience and even say "No" if no one agrees to help change the situation. Sometimes we find our own limits through our mistakes. I have moved my event out to the front steps to get away from a practicing church choir, or even out to a shade tree when I could see the children were suffering from sun exposure in the bleachers of the arena. Both you and the audience need to be comfortable to have a good experience. Gather some all purpose stories for those surprise moments when you suddenly need to change directions from the original plan. I have a few favorites tales that seem to bring a generally good response and have a broad enough range that I can get many topics accomplished through these tales. For example: "Not Our Problem" from Margaret Read MacDonald's "Peace Tales" or "Bundles of Troubles, Bundles of Blessings" from "A Piece Of The Wind" by Ruthilde Kronberg and Patricia McKissack both get lots of mileage in my work as a Health Educator.

Last thoughts about finding appropriate stories- don't overlook the old favorites. For example, for child abuse, try "Hansel And Gretel" (who were abandoned by their parents and attacked by a seemingly kind stranger) and "Cap O' Rushes" (whose father threw her out because he didn't like her answer as to how much she loved him.). A favorite follow-up activity that I use with children of a wide range of ages is to brainstorm a "Child's Bill Of Rights" on the board (I got the idea from Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope, New Society Publishers, Philadelphia, 1992). Then we talk about what is most important on the list and which things need to wait 'till they are older (ie. stay up late, drive a car). Usually the children participate enthusiastically and proudly display their compiled list in their classroom. This exercise always elicits ideas for future story topics with that group as well.

Remember, whenever you take your first steps into uncharted territory, you may feel that you're fumbling a bit at first. When babies are born- they didn't come out tap dancing. They had to learn to roll, crawl, stand and then walk. Just take it a step at a time. Ask lots of questions, research your topic, discuss ideas with a professional in that specific field, consider the time and place and above all, trust that story crosses over all boundaries for it speaks the language of the heart.

I work as an educator and often get requests from teachers, so there are literary references in this list as well. I suggest to storytellers that even if they cannot always use these books, to read them to see what components to look for in a book about dealing with the topic. Or- write and ask for permission!

Books About Therapeutic Storytelling

Annie Stories by Doris Brett, Workman Publishing, New York, 1986. Basic text for parents and therapists alike for designing stories to aid children in coping with fears, loss, pain, siblings and other challenges.

Earth Tales, Storytelling In Times Of Change, by Alida Gersie, The Merlin Press, London, 1992. This book contains seven story sections of folktales about the relationship between people and the natural world. Each section includes many original group activities for adults or children to help explore the story. This book is hard to find but worth all the effort.

The Healing Art Of Storytelling, A Sacred Journey Of Personal Discovery by Richard Stone, Hyperion, New York, 1996. Stone uses exercises to elicit personal stories that will heal the wounded heart through the telling.

Sacred Stories: A Celebration Of The Power Of Stories To Transform And Heal edited by Charles and Anne Simpkinson, Harper, San Francisco, 1993. These 22 collected essays include storytellers, therapists, politicians, and poets views on the important role of stories in our individual and communal lives.

The Spirituality Of Imperfection, Storytelling And The Journey To Wholeness by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham, Bantam Books, New York/Toronto, 1992. An Anthology of wisdom stories from around the world, centered around the issue of alcoholism.

Tell It By Heart, Women And The Healing Power Of Story by Erica Helm Meade, Open Court, Chicago, 1995. Combines myth and personal story to create a mosaic of healing and human possibility.

Therapeutic Metaphors For Children and The Child Within by Joyce C. Mills and Richard J. Crowley, Bruner/Mazel, New York, 1986. Wonderfully written book based in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, illustrating approaches in therapeutic storytelling that can be used with all ages.

Women Who Run With The Wolves, Myths And Stories Of The Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ballantine Books, New York, 1992. Wonderfully potent words and images that inspire, instruct and empower women.

Leaders can tell stories to paint a vision or strategic direction, share a lesson, convey values or

illustrate desired behaviours. Stories also have an ability to forge deeper connections between

people, so inspiring them to focus their attention and take action. As Terrence Gargiulo said,

“The shortest distance between two people is a story.”

Stories work for leaders as a successful communication and engagement technique for several

reasons.

Firstly, stories convey emotion effectively, and emotion united with a strong idea is persuasive.

We remember what we feel. And our emotions inspire us to take action.

Secondly, stories are concrete and have the ability to transport us imaginatively to a place

where we can visualise the events being recounted.

Thirdly, stories are memorable: we are up to 22 times more likely to remember a story than a

set of disconnected facts (such as presentation dot-points).iii

Lastly, stories represent a pull strategy, unlike the push strategy used when we argue in a more

traditional way. Stories engage the listener, pulling them into the story to participate in the

conversation, rather than telling them what to think.

View the full story here

Kevin Byron is an active member and creative leadership practitioner within the international Creative Skills Training Council.

He has sent us the story below that provides an interesting insight into creative thought, conversations, success and other attributes that can be learnt. Education through the power of words is a very important tool used in executive coaching.

It is interesting that many of our planets most successful leaders are also fantastic storytellers...

Fish Ears

There was once a chef who owned quite a successful fish restaurant in a busy city. He didn't make a fortune from his business, but earned a decent living by making a few popular dishes of the time. He was always asking his customers what they thought about his food. He was somewhat obsessed with fish and had fishy thoughts most of the time. From time to time he would come up with a new fish recipe that attracted those extra few customers that made his livelihood worthwhile, and when word got around his business would enjoy a temporary boost.

But because in the city there are so many choices for diners and so much competition, eventually the numbers attending his restaurant would fall back to the average level again as the diners sought novelty elsewhere. At other times it seemed like the business would fail when the number of people eating out for some unexplained reason would drop to a low level. At these times he used to philosophise about what it was that made a recipe special - "What is the magic formula, the perfect dish that would fill my restaurant ?" he would ask himself at these quieter times and with the spare time available he would experiment until he found his next good idea. But he never seemed to find that one really great recipe that would enable him to change direction completely and seek out his other unfulfilled ambitions in life.

One day he was idly sitting in a nearby café where he took his daily break. He was day-dreaming about fish and about his future and wondering if they were inextricably linked. He was also feeling concerned that he hadn't had a really good fishy idea in months, when his introspection was halted by a conversation on the far side of the café that drifted over to his table. He couldn't hear much but listening, he distinctly heard someone - a rather distinguished looking business-woman saying to the group of younger people that were hanging on her every word - "....the secret to success is the right combination of Thyme and Plaice and..." He had heard all he needed to hear through his fish ears because being an expert in this business this was a big 'Eureka' moment to him. He hurriedly jumped up, paid his bill and rushed out to buy the magic ingredients.

He came back to his restaurant with a big bunch of fresh Thyme and some quality Plaice that had been freshly caught that day and he feverishly began to experiment with a new recipe. He worked for hours creating wonderful sauces with the thyme and testing different ways of cooking the plaice and then pouring the sauces over the fish and tasting them. But nothing seemed to work - nothing that is that made him believe this was the magic recipe that could change his life.

Eventually he looked at all the different sauces and the huge amount of cooked plaice and wondered what on earth he could do with them. It was soon going to be time to open up the restaurant. He certainly couldn't offer one plaice dish because he had cooked all the fish and had a range of sauces but not enough sauce to offer a consistent dish on the menu. He decided the only thing left to do was combine them all into one dish and that would have to be a soup - "Soup of the day maybe !" - he thought to himself . So he added a little extra water and let the mixture simmer very slowly over a low heat whilst he got busy preparing all his other standard dishes.

Very soon people started to drift into the restaurant but as he wandered outside the kitchen to see who was there he noticed a very delicate scent in the air and his customers noticed it too "Mmm ! - they said that smells delicious ! - I'll order that please !" they said to the waiters. Soon the scent had drifted outside and along the street. People who were on the point of going into a neighbouring restaurant suddenly turned and followed the scent. Before you could whisper "Lobster Thermidor !" the restaurant was full to capacity with people eagerly chatting and sharing their unique descriptions of the wonderful aroma of delicious cooking.

The chef meanwhile had gone back to the kitchen to locate the source of all this interest and lo and behold he discovered it was the large saucepan of his newly invented 'Thyme and Plaice' soup. "Thank goodness !" he thought to himself that he had done so many experiments with the vast quantity of fish and huge amount of thyme that he had purchased. He had made enough soup to serve everyone that came into his restaurant that night. Everyone loved it and every last serving was consumed. The chef went home that night and though quite exhausted had a lively skip in his step, a big smile on his face and enough energy to occasionally try and punch the Moon.

The next day he had hardly got out of bed after a very pleasant night's dreaming about fish when his head waiter was on the phone informing him that it was only 10.00am and the restaurant had already been inundated with telephone bookings for the next few weeks ahead. The chef rushed out to the fish market and bought even bigger quantities of plaice and armfuls of freshly picked thyme. Back at the restaurant he set about re-creating the recipes he had invented the day. He then combined them in the same way by adding water and making a most wonderful and flavoursome soup. It worked every time - full to capacity night after night his restaurant was soon the talk of the town and everyone wanted to dine there just to experience the taste of 'Thyme and Plaice.'

This went on for many months and the chef enjoyed every material benefit with his newly acquired wealth that his great fish soup had brought him. But in living his success it wasn't long before he was no longer wondering about his future and about his unfulfilled dreams. He was no longer asking questions about what it was that gave that extra something to a recipe. He was no longer curious about being creative with new ideas - for the fame that his soup had brought seemed sufficient to please him.

But what he also hadn't noticed was that every time he prepared the recipe for his wonderful soup he was adding a little more water than the last time. The soup still tasted wonderful and its delicate scent still twisted and turned its' way down the streets outside his restaurant seducing the nostrils of passers by. But each day the distance it travelled got less and less as little bit by little more and more water was being added to the recipe.

It took a while before the head waiter pointed out that for the first time in months the restaurant was not full. It didn't seem a big enough problem to mention though because the takings were still well up on the year before. But after a couple more weeks the restaurant was emptier still and business started to go rapidly downhill. The chef also noticed that very few people were ordering his wonderful soup but just choosing his standard fare.

He had also received quite a few complaints from people who tried it before and said that it was now just a shadow of what it used to be, but he wasn't listening to them like he used to. He believed he had been preparing the soup in exactly the same way. But because he had been adding more and more water a little at a time each day what he couldn't see was that he was now creating almost clear water. It had virtually no taste let alone nourishment and as for the delicate scent that had vanished too. Weeks passed and eventually there was just the usual handful of faithful customers in the restaurant that he had had in the leaner times before his great fish soup creation. No-one amongst them was the least bit interested in experiencing the 'Thyme and Plaice' anymore.

To stay in business the chef had to downsize his newly acquired life of luxury brought about by his fish soup and it was then that some of his earlier thoughts about what makes a successful dish started to slowly arise in his mind again. He soon realised that he had lost something somewhere after dining out on one good idea for too long. No sooner had he realised this when his creative skills were activated once again as he felt the desire to experiment again and to listen to what people around him said about his dishes. He also recognised that his whole life had been determined by fish and he began to think that there might be other things he could cook up in his imagination.

With these thoughts he gradually restored his business to its earlier satisfactory state before the great soup discovery and managed to occasionally win a few more customers with his new creations. But most important of all his curiosity returned and was now extending in different directions. He was still puzzling though over what it was that made a magic recipe - he thought he had found the secret but on reflection realised he may have found something but lost many other things that were far more important.

It was whilst he was musing over these interesting thoughts that he just happened to notice someone he thought he recognised seated in the corner of his restaurant. It was that same distinguished looking lady he had seen in the café many months earlier. Again she was surrounded by another group of younger people their glistening eyes staring at her with rapt attention to catch her every word.

Then there appeared one of those unexplained lulls that occur sometimes in a roomful of people. He was no longer listening with fish ears. He heard what he maybe should have heard all that time ago before he discovered his soup as the lady said ".... the secret to success is the right combination of Time, Place and..... People !"The chef smiled inwardly - somewhat wiser he continued to experiment in his modest way but not just with fishy ideas now but with how he thought and he also remembered to listen more carefully to what those around him were really saying.

K.Byron

"A solved problem is like a broken sword on the battlefield"

Proverb quoted from 'The Dermis Probe' by Idries Shah

http://www.octagonpress.com/titles/books/depr.htm

Stories, Storytelling, Story-Selling in Business

Truth Stories

The first type, Truth Stories, are those that convey timeless messages and universal truths. Homer’s

Iliad and Odyssey were the first Truth Stories. These are the epic stories recounting the Trojan War

and the journey of Ulysses. They were stories about heroes and their roles in epic events.

Originally the stories were only conveyed orally, sung by traveling bands for centuries, and in the

process of communication, these stories were doubtless enhanced and extended. They also had

many authors over the centuries, who often added their own small twist or turn to the original story.

The Message is the Point—Maybe Not the Truth

These epic tales were “Truth Stories” because they contained great moral lessons. Some of the

content may have even been true, but including what’s literally true into Truth Stories is beside

the point.

The Message(s) is the Point—Not Necessarily the Facts

 

Achilles, Hector, Ulysses, Ajax, Paris, even Helen of Troy and the Trojan Horse may never have

existed. Many have wondered whether Troy itself ever existed. And, even though there must have

been a first initiation of at least some of the story, some wonder...

“Who was, or were, Homer?”

“Did he even exist?”

But what if the bigger question to be asked is really “Why does it matter?” In the case of Truth Stories,

they are not dependent upon whether their characters, events, or even their author were ever true.

Their real value to society and the culture is in the Truth, or the meaning, of their message and the

lessons offered—not their truthfulness.

TruE Stories

True Stories, by comparison, do attempt to tell what is literally true.

The first of these True Stories were history stories formally written (not told) by Herodotus.

He is, therefore, known as the Father of History.

Begin with Inquiry

The word history itself gives us insights into their intent. The word history (historie) in Greek,

of Ionian origin, meant inquiry. We may speak of Homeric epics, though there may never

have been a Homer, but true history begins with historians. It is they who make the inquiries

that uncover the facts that they report as histories.

From There to Eternity

 

Their stories are intended to be formally stated True Stories. Ideally,

they may also contain eternal and universal Truths—or moral

lessons. If so, they can become eternally admired, regularly quoted

and retold stories as well.

Herodotus began his history with these words:

“These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, which he

publishes, in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the remembrance of what men have

done, and of preventing the great and wonderful actions of the Greeks and the Barbarians, from

losing their due mead of glory; and withal to put on record what were the grounds of feud.”

So, Herodotus formally wrote his history. That way, his history would not be subject to the ongoing

changes that a verbally communicated message always tends to experience.

Why is This Important in Business?

Now more than ever, we are experiencing a story like never before, even during the time of

the Depression.

Many of us are faced with layoffs and cutbacks and the stress of waiting for the other shoe to

drop. We have CEOs each week in front of Congress asking for a bailout. Perhaps they are

searching for a way, even while it’s happening, to rewrite the ending to a story that seems so

inevitable by all accounts.

In the days of Homer, soldiers were known by their

armor and the shields they carried. At present, CEOs are

known by the failing bottom line numbers, how many

jets they own and how many pink slips they’re sending out.

The most prevailing story in our current situation is filled

with lesser heroes and tentative, fragile deals that one

can only hope will empower the economy and its workers.

No matter what the time, or the arduous challenges

faced—in business, as in life—the stories that last the

longest are the ones that give employees, customers

or our families meaning. They are inspiring, engaging roadmaps to follow for generations to come,

because they bring meaning to what we all do.

How many of you have recounted a story once heard in business school about Jack Welch, or

Peter Drucker? These stories, passed from professor to MBA candidate or CXO to CXO, remind us

of the battles they fought and won against the competition, the naysayers and sometimes even

their own clients and partners.

All Truth Stories are stories of the human spark of spirit, compassion, love and understanding.

Those are the epic pieces of any hero’s journey. Truth Stories contain great moral lessons.

So do great company Truth Stories whose moral lessons were gained through difficult and arduous

journeys in the marketplace, and with stockholders (in the case of public companies).

It was Bill Gates who said, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking

they can’t lose.”

Peter Drucker said, “Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous

decision.”

For real success in business, you have to be a supremely courageous communicator, and you must

know what story you are building about your company.

Businesses need Stories, Storytellers and Story Sellers to succeed in the market. We’ve lost our

idealism and hopefulness in this downturn and naively replaced it with quick fixes and denial about

what is happening in our world.

The best communicators are the storytellers that grab you by emotion, seize your mind and prompt

you to action. They take you on a magical journey, if only for a moment.

We’ve lost the ability to tell the epic story or the true story in exchange for more social media

and less real handshakes over coffee. We’ve stopped sharing stories with our customers and clients,

and are too often focused on only the bottom line and how it’s dropping out.

A Vanishing Skill

Stories hold us together in symphony during battle, just as those battle songs held the Trojans

together during their epic battles.

Unfortunately, the importance of the values and ideas of Stories,

Storytelling and Story-Selling may not be as well understood by many

of us. Nor may all of their many implications and possibilities be

fully realized and appreciated by all of us to the degree they deserve.

Even during the most daunting times, stories held center court and

helped buoy the spirit—in heroic efforts of battle and peacetime.

Stories serve us through hard and lonely times. Stories resonate through

all human beings in all cultures, and have throughout time.

Difficult Times Demand New Stories:

 

I believe that a good change of focus, a good use of our time—now, while we’re wading through

the heroes and villains of the current economic downturn—is to revisit our stories.

When was the last time you took time to think about all of the events and experiences with

which you may be involved, or have seen or heard about, that would make good stories to help

your business?

Now more than ever, we need to be able to tell stories that will enlighten, inspire and empower

our employees and our businesses. These stories too will serve to keep the spark of purpose lit

for winning the battle.

You don’t have to write them yourselves if you feel uncomfortable about it. Find someone in your

company that will support your efforts. There are storytellers in your business somewhere, or

your business wouldn’t exist. Provide them with your story ideas. They can be True Stories or Truth

Stories—though, ideally, they would be both.

Timeless and Timely Business Lessons: Our Stories

Having just marked a 40th anniversary in the software business, two of the lessons learned from

our 40 years of business are timeless and timely—essential and eternal. Pathways through rugged

and trying times.

I pass them on to you to, like Herodotus said, “in the hope of thereby preserving from decay the

remembrance of what people have done,” but also so that they may help the reader as they pursue

their own successful ideas and ideals for the next 40 years.

Long Ago and Far Away

Long ago and far away (from Silicon Valley anyway) in September of 1968, a radical idea for a new

product and a new company was born in a Cincinnati basement—an idea that took seed with $600,

a card table, and a dream.

The challenges of the dream were daunting: create, market, and sell a product that one of the biggest

companies in the world (IBM) was giving away for free.

No Product, No Customers, No Industry

 

That dream also included no venture capital; no one would finance it.

Why?

Because no one understood it. Software or softwear? What’s that, clothing? One bank actually

thought it was clothing. Why? This was seven years before Microsoft was founded in 1975.

Nine years before Oracle was founded in 1977. And, this was in Cincinnati, Ohio, not Silicon Valley.

Forty Years Later?

Forty years of pioneering, advancement, and leadership in a turbulent and unforgiving software

industry followed from this company and its employees. Governors, President Ronald Reagan,

Former British Prime Minister Heath, the Smithsonian Institute and Harvard Business School among

many other prestigious organizations have recognized their efforts.

Built to Last on Two Simple Concepts

 

The company? Cincom Systems.

On September 29, 2008, Cincom marked its 40th year in the software business. Though the

Cincom dream was daunting, risky and ,some thought, impossible, Cincom built that dream to last

on two simple concepts: Create and Serve.

Create

Cincom employees create software and services products that solve real business problems,

and they have been doing so since 1968. These products create customers.

Serve

Serve the customers as well as the employees who create the products.

Peter Drucker said, “The purpose of a business is to create a customer,” and “The purpose of business

is to create and keep a customer.”

Without customers, there can be no service. Without service, there will be no customers. Without

our story over the last 40 years, we would not as easily remember how difficult the challenges were

and continue to be.

I believe, that in most companies, what is required in the story is no longer just simply what

Jim Collins termed, “Built-to-last,” but rather what companies must do is make their new stories’

foundations imbibe the message of “Create and Serve.”

Companies must choose to write new stories based around how they will create what works best

for the customer, and then serve the customer’s story as well as their own.

Companies must be willing to play a larger part in the success stories of their customers, not only

in the singular success of selling a product or service to a customer. We all must work together to

create new stories out of the current downturn.

These stories will be epic because they will be about leaders who did

not travel to Washington in private jets, but rather leaders who

stayed the course and, despite the challenging battle, worked hand

in hand with their employees and customers to maintain the field

and not lose their place in the globally competitive race.

Drucker said, “Rank does not confer privilege or give power.

It imposes responsibility.”

What stories will our employees tell of our bravery in the face

of all that has fallen? Will they be stories of epic proportions, or stories of retreat?

“A generation of men is like a generation of leaves; the wind scatters some leaves upon the ground,

while others the burgeoning wood brings forth—and the season of spring comes on. So of men

one generation springs forth and another ceases.” -Homer, The Iliad

Then Ulysses said to his companions, “Be brave, my friends, for the time is come for us to be

delivered from this prison.”— Homer, The Odyssey

What will be your company story be in the decade to come?

Will you take the challenge and start writing it today?

About the Author

Thomas M. Nies is the founder and CEO of Cincom Systems, Inc. Since its founding in 1968, Cincom

has matured into one of the largest international, independent software companies in the world.

Cincom’s client base spans communications, financial services, education, government, manufacturing,

retail, healthcare, and insurance.

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Born on date

 

This document was created on February 11, 2009 and is based on the best information available at that time.

Check here for updates.

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