People-focused knowledge management

Stories Are Unsurpassed for Effective Communication
In many societies stories are listened to time and again, and the
mental models are internalized, becoming stronger and better under-
stood with each repetition. They build the mental models that
become part of what is firmly believed. This is also why we often say:
“Oh — I should have known that” when we discover or are told
about an overlooked aspect of a situation with which we are well
acquainted. In these cases we may know all the details but have not
been able to envision all implications or consequences. The power of
stories is evident in such cases as how to diagnose and correct prob-
lems of a particular machine by delineating specific aspects and rela-
tionships — some as being important and others of less importance.
The story not only provides us with a categorized structure, but it
also identifies major issues and ways of approaching the situation.
Personal experiences of many kinds are encountered or communi-
cated effectively from one person to another in the form of stories.
People use stories to recount how to handle complicated problem 
situations, take advantage of opportunities, deal with dilemmas,
observe moral and ethical principles, avoid conflicts, and many other
aspects of business, social, and personal life. Stories are also used to
communicate how to apply methodologies and practices to deal with
a host of small and large challenges including Problem-Solving and
Implementation of large projects. As is well known, stories are useful
for communication of metaknowledge and metaphors.
Denning (2000) reminds us about the importance of using stories
in the effort to change enterprises. His experiences in the World Bank
deal with considerations that are of great importance in enterprise
communication (Denning 2000). He emphasizes two important
aspects in enterprise communication. (1) Storytelling is highly effec-
tive for sharing perspectives among employees throughout the enter-
prise. From effective knowledge management perspectives, stories
that provide shared understanding among employees is a major
success factor for competitive enterprise performance. (2) Storytelling
has great value for transfer of visions. In such cases, uses of real, but
simplified, stories can make key individuals throughout an enterprise
build visions when understanding how selected principles and con-
cepts should be considered for different contexts. Denning explains
how the use of expertly crafted stories can make people exclaim:
“That principle also pertains to my operation!” even though the story
illustrates a different context. These stories must, Denning explains,
be crystal clear and must spell out the nature and function of the
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People-Focused Knowledge Management
target principles. They must not be too detailed because that empha-
sizes the story’s original context and hence will detract from the
transfer of vision.