Moderated by APMG International’s Mark Constable, the webinar, one of a series from APMG International in which ELS learning-and-development specialists provide thought-leading expertise, discussed ideas in the recently published "business parable" book by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber, "That's Not How We Do It Here! A Story about How Organizations Rise, Fall – and Can Rise Again".

The webinar discussed change-management-related issues including silos, learning culture, and dealing with adversity, within the context of organisation leadership and management. It concluded that to help make change happen successfully, every organisation needs to allow everyone within it to, at times, be a leader.

According to Cath Convery, Kotter and Rathgeber’s book deals with changing organisational culture via the use of storytelling.

She added, "It looks at the barriers to change that can be erected and suggests ways of overcoming them. It also examines the balance between management and leadership in an organisation, along with the various types of leadership that can, and should, be displayed in an organisation."

Agreeing that the biggest block to a change initiative is often the culture and attitude of the team involved in it, Cath and Julie discussed how to reconcile the tension between the need for change, including rapid innovation, and the need to continue "business as usual".

"Basically, effective change-management skills are something that all managers should have," commented Cath.

Citing the results of research by anthropologist Robin Dunbar, which contends that some two-thirds of all our conversations are stories, Julie commented, "Storytelling helps reinforce the principle of stakeholder management. Telling stories helps you win 'hearts and minds'."