Visionary stories

Disciplines > Storytelling > Storytelling in organizations > Visionary stories

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Visionary stories tell about a desirable future that inspires and motivates people to work towards that future.

They are usually couched in very positive terms and may well be told from the viewpoint of the future, where the desirable state has been reached.

Example

Imagine it is five years from now. Imagine GBL products being sold worldwide. Imagine them in every outlet from New York to New Delhi. This is not fanciful. We have the greatest research and the greatest products. I now want to build the greatest sales and marketing organization that will make our products known and desired around the world.

Discussion

Stories about the future motivate by giving hope and meaning, setting clear goals and giving people reason to work together.

Visionary stories also say much about the person who is telling the tale, showing them to be imaginative and positive.

Visionary stories are a common tool of leaders (and indeed the term 'visionary leader' is quite common) who use them to motivate people to work together towards a common goal that extends beyond the everyday 'doing the business'.