The Storytellers are delighted to announce their partnership with Benchmark For Business in hosting 'A conversation with Charles Handy' on 17 April 2012.

I very much enjoyed Fast Track's blog on Culture vs Strategy. It highlights the need for a strong, believable strategy to underpin the success of a business, regardless of how great or strong the culture. Bob Frisch gives a number of examples where companies have gained competitive advantage as a result of a great strategy, making the point that while culture reinforces the strategy (and indeed can be a critical success factor when it comes to the winners' stakes), culture can't be depended upon alone to make a company great.

The Storytellers went on air today to talk to the world of creativity, business and brands about the power of Storytelling. Thank you Monocle 24 for hosting the session, during which our very own Tom Grass (Creative Director) and Scott Garrett (CEO) explained why we do what we do: galvanise an entire organisation to unite behind a single vision and move the business forward with momentum and consistency, completely aligned to its strategy.

While Tom and Scott were talking so eloquently, we were pondering back at base, as we so often do, on what makes us so different from any other consultancy, and what it is about our approach that creates such magic. Here goes...

I heard a few weeks ago, then read about, the debate over whether or not electric vehicles represent a road hazard.  It's the noise they make, you see. Or rather, it's the noise they don't make. There have been a couple of incidents lately where pedestrians have been injured by electric vehicles in situations that, it is adjudged by the government body responsible for such things, may not have arisen had the vehicles been conventionally powered.

Welcome to 2012!

Whatever the year ahead holds for you, embrace every opportunity. Fill your glass so that it's half-full, not half-empty, every day of every month. Stare austerity in the face. Be creative. Have courage. Step out of your comfort zone and learn new things about yourself and those around you. Have resolve. Welcome change.

Ever been deep in work, concentrating hard on a serious task, when your computer announces the arrival of a new email to your inbox?
Often, the temptation to check the contents of the email is too much to resist: you stop what you're doing, switch over to your inbox only to find that the email is a message from a friend, a FaceBook update or a humorous video.
By the time you've read or deleted the pointless message, your head is on things other than your original task and concentration needs to be re-established. 

For those who missed or are interested in the webinar recently presented by Simon Robinson (Nationwide) and Alison Esse (The Storytellers), you can listen to it again here.

The Storytellers are pleased to announce their latest webinar (Wednesday 23 November at 14:15), in conjunction with World Trade Group and led by Simon Robinson, Head of Internal Communication, Group Operations at Nationwide.

Nice article about The Storytellers in Director magazine this month, featuring Scott Garrett and Alison Esse. The piece talks of how introducing a new Chief Executive to a company run by its owners has helped prepare the business for change and growth.

Have a read!

At The Storytellers one of our guiding principles is that stories shape our beliefs and our beliefs shape our behaviours. I was therefore fascinated to hear Kate Fox, a social anthropologist, on Radio Four last night talking about her work on the cultural aspects of alcohol consumption in the UK.