Customer Reviews

The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations (KMCI Press)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are impatient, narrow-minded, and opinionated (or overly enamored of your own opinion), don't buy this book. I bought it and eventually read it because someone I respect very much recommended it. I would not have bought it at my own initiative, and part of the my purpose in writing this review is to persuade you to take a chance on this book, whose title, while accurate, may be off-putting to those that think they are serious, action-oriented, "just the facts" get on with it types.

The author has done something special here, and it is especially relevant to those of us on the bleeding edge of change in the information and intelligence industries, each trying to communicate extraordinarily complex and visionary ideas to the owners with money or the bureaucrats with power--neither of these groups being especially patient or visionary.

The book accomplished three things with me, and I am a very hard person to please: 1) it compellingly demonstrated the inadequacy of the industry standard briefing, consisting of complex slides with complex ideas outlined in excrutiating detail; 2) it demonstrated how a story-telling approach can accomplish two miracles: a) explain complex ideas in a visual short-hand that causes even the most jaded skeptic to "get it," and b) do this in such a way that the audience rather than the speaker "fills in the blanks" and in so doing becomes a stakeholder in the vision for change; and 3) finally, provides several useful appendices that will help anyone craft a "story" with an action-inducing effect.

The footnotes and bibliography are sufficient to make the point that this is not just a story, but a well-researched and well-documented real-world experience of great value to any gold-collar revolutionary struggling to overcome obstacles to reform.

Think about it. Who are among the greatest storytellers throughout history? My own list includes Homer, Plato, Chaucer, Aesop, Jesus, Dante, Boccaccio, the brothers Grimm, Confucius, Abraham Lincoln, Hans Christian Andersen, and most recently, E.B. White. Whatever the genre (epic, parable, fable, allegory, anecdote, etc.), each used exposition, description, and narration to illustrate what they considered to be fundamental truths about the human condition. In this volume, Denning focuses on "how storytelling ignites action in knowledge-led organizations" and does so with uncommon erudition, precision, and eloquence.

His narrative covers a period of approximately three years during which he used what he calls "springboard" stories to "spark organizational change" at The World Bank. More specifically, to forge a consensus within that organization to support the design and then implementation of effective knowledge management, first for itself and then for its clients worldwide. How he accomplished that objective is in and of itself a fascinating "story" but the book's greater value lies in what he learned in process, lessons which are directly relevant to virtually all other organizations (regardless of size or nature) which struggle to "do more with less and do it faster" in the so-called Age of Information. Maximizing use of their collective intellectual capital is most often the single most effective way to do that.

There are several reasons why this book impressed me so much. Here are three. First, Denning allows his reader to accompany him during the process by which he eventually overcame rigorous but subtle internal opposition to what was perceived to be a threat to the status quo at The World Bank. Second, he shares with his reader the profoundly important realization -- well along during the process -- that he needed to use a "springboard" story to win over his opposition. That is to say, practice what he had been preaching but without (until then) much success. Finally, he provides just about anything his reader needs to know inorder to use storytelling to achieve the same objectives within her or his own organization: forge a consensus of support, design and implement an internal information management program, and then extend participation and benefits to all other stakeholders, especially customers or clients as well as strategic partners.

The comprehensive narrative (which really increases in pace and impact after Denning's "profoundly important realization") is supplemented by six appendices: Elements for Developing the Springboard Story, Some Elements for using Visual Aids in Storytelling, Elements for Performing the Springboard Story, Building Up the Springboard Story: Four Different Structures, Examples of Springboard Stories, and finally, a Knowledge Management Chart. The Bibliography which follows is brief but more than adequate. The footnotes are conveniently provided within each chapter to facilitate correlation with Denning's text and indicate the nature and extent of his erudition.

Although Denning could probably hold his own during a workshop conducted within the highest of ivory towers, I value even more (much more) his immensely practical approach to accommodating all manner of realities such as the aforementioned opposition to his efforts within The World Bank and the importance of telling the appropriate "springboard" story to an external audience. For example, the same story which was enthusiastically received by his audience in London was met with polite silence soon thereafter by another audience in Bern.

In this review, I have only begun to indicate the nature and extent of the invaluable wisdom and practical advice which Denning provides. Why Five Stars? Because a higher rating is not available.

For whatever reasons, only in recent years has there been an awareness and appreciation of the importance of the business narrative. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Annette Simmons' The Story Factor, Doug Lipman's Improving Your Storytelling, and Storytelling in Organizations co-authored by John Seely Brown, Denning, Katarina Groh, and Laurence Prusak.

The reason that The Springboard is such an important book is that the story it tells of business transformation at the World Bank deals with the missing link in the knowledge communication chain between knowledge transmitters (teachers) and knowledge receivers (learners). The link has been missing since computers made hyper-access to information possible without making it hyper-easy to assimilate. (Many would say that computer accessed information is actually more difficult to assimilate, than traditional books and journals.)

One of the many virtues of The Springboard is that it practices what it preaches. Nearly everything is communicated as a story. It is the story of Stephen Denning's personal odyssey as he recounts in slightly bemused wonderment how his discovery of storytelling forged a vital link in the knowledge communication chain at the World Bank, fostering many new enduring, cross-functional communities of practice. It is written, as all stories should be, in a way that makes the reader want to know what happened next.

Stories permit listeners to suspend belief - enter the realm of the make believe - for a period of time, enabling them to assimilate and resonate with new stories, instead of having first to judge the truth of what they are being told, according to personal principles and beliefs about what is true or false, or right or wrong.

The power of storytelling begins with the invitation to imagine. This invitation is so much more alluring than the prospect of being told what to believe. A well-told story is never an effort to understand. Rather, it is a pleasure to follow and to discover its meaning.

In Stephen Denning's words, "When a springboard story does its job, the listeners' minds race ahead, to imagine the further implications of elaborating the same idea in different contexts, more intimately known to the listeners. In this way, through extrapolation from the narrative, the re-creation of the change idea can be successfully brought to birth, with the concept of it planted in listeners' minds, not as a vague, abstract inert thing, but an idea that is pulsing, kicking, breathing, exciting - and alive".

Stephen Denning is to be roundly applauded for re-opening the book on storytelling as being at the rightful centre of human communication, knowledge transfer and consequent decision making. His Springboard story is a very specific story-form, honed to be effective in the context of 21st century organisational change.

For inspiration and understanding the concept and power of storytelling, Dennings book is excellent. As a guide on using storytelling in your daily work - it is somewhat less so.

Still, the book has a very valid point. Storytelling really works. If you do not know the concept - get this book! Along the way Denning has several interesting points on why storytelling works. He also offers some advice on how you can build your own stories.

Amazingly, his first story reflects excatly my own first try at using storytelling to bring about major change in the face of stiff opposition. In short top-mangement asked me to prepare and present Plan A within a week. Looking into it I quickly became convinced that Plan Z was the only way to go. Having read about the power of storytelling I placed my bets. At the next meeting I simply told my story of Plan Z - and it was accepted on the spot. No-one even mentioned or asked about what happend to Plan A! It was a defining moment in my career. Today I teach storytelling both within my own (large international organisation) and to professionals from several other organisations.

Because Denning clearly is a "self-made-man" within storytelling he misses some important points. He is not the only one - and far from the first - to use storytelling as a strategic tool.

Denning and I had our first professionel succeses with storytelling at about the same time. However, back then I already had a clear vision of storytelling as a powerful tool - ready to test the rough waters of reality. IMD in Switzerland was teaching storytelling, and I had looked into storyboarding for presentations. I had read studies on which environments and situations that are esspecially favorable to storytelling. and heard about why visualisation sometimes is essential to the story. As well as studying how storytelling - once mastered - can be used to ensure short, crisp and winning business writing. Denning does not cover these aspects.

Stephen Denning has an important story to tell, but it should have been kept much more to the point. He seems so much in love with his own succes at storytelling, that he "must" give us the full unabridged version of his own story - and frankly very few professionals have time for that.

To sum up, the basic story and main point is good, the writing is bad and the end result ugly - because it could have been so much better than it turned out to be.

I learned about this book after hearing author Steve Denning describe how he used story telling to inspire the World Bank to make knowledge management and sharing with clients a central part of its business model. Captivated by his powerful story, I wanted to learn more. I started by reading The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, which every leader should read and apply. That's a great book.

I noted at the back of the book that Mr. Denning offered to start conversations with his readers about storytelling. I quickly crafted a first attempt at a Springboard story and sent it to him by e-mail. I was delighted when Mr. Denning took the time to thoughtfully consider my story and raise questions to help me improve the story. From his questions, it was clear that I didn't really understand yet what a Springboard story is.

One of his suggestions was that I consider writing a book like The Springboard, so naturally I had to read this book next. Before completing the book, I found myself with a much more thorough understanding of Springboard stories and how to use stories to launch and achieve organizational change. If I had read The Springboard before crafting the first draft of my Springboard story, I could have avoided many of the errors he so kindly and gently pointed out to me. While The Leader's Guide to Storytelling has all of the elements about Springboard stories in it (along with many other types of essential stories that leaders need to tell), you need more context to appreciate what a Springboard story is. The Springboard gives you that context.

I highly recommend that you read The Springboard, and that you read it before you read The Leader's Guide to Storytelling. You'll make faster progress if you do.

The book has many valuable sides. You learn why stories work well both in terms of how listeners respond to them and the ways in which stories better capture reality than linear, abstract data. You also learn to craft a Springboard story and replace that story as your organization's performance improves in the Springboard subject area. That was one of the important lessons I had missed. My subject for the Springboard story is encouraging people to create 2,000 percent solutions. Yet that activity has gone so far that I need to describe it differently than I did when I first began talking about the subject in the 1990s. I need to build on where it is today as a mainstream activity creating billions in value and improving millions of lives around the world, rather than as the hope for the future based on limited experience that I originally used to describe it.

For most leaders, this book will teach you more about effective leadership than most MBA programs will. Don't miss it!

Here's why. In most organizations, the leader finds it hard to get anyone to do anything differently. The best method is for people to decide that they like the change and want to spearhead it themselves as though they thought of it first. A Springboard story is one of the very few methods for creating that psychological reality. Otherwise, you have to follow the advice of all those management theorists who tell you to hide innovation and change on the periphery and simply repeat yourself constantly hoping someone will eventually get the idea.

If you have to choose between reading Leading Change and The Springboard, take The Springboard.

If you are involved in knowledge management, this book has a second benefit. It describes successful ways of dealing with the many challenges of defining, creating interest in and delivering a helpful knowledge management process into a large organization.

As you read this book, realize that Mr. Denning is describing a special kind of story telling that isn't like what you are used to hearing around the campfire. Think of these stories as more like mini-cases in 50 words or less that point out an advantage that the hearer can quickly appreciate and seize. Once captured in the listener's mind, the listener then fills in the details in a way that makes the idea the listener's own. In this sense, storytelling isn't far removed from the psychology of subliminal suggestions . . . except that there's no subterfuge with these stories.

Here's the point of the book: in business meetings and hallway conversations, skip the data-laden PowerPoint slides and tell a story that brings your idea to life. You'll be surprised at how few people do this well, and further surprised at how effective and memorable it is.
I wish the author could follow his own advice--he took a boring subject like his personal experiences with KM and made it truly excruciating to read.

Storytelling is an effective way to communicate ideas and gain buy-in, but the story has to be compelling enough to capture and hold attention. This book fails to capture and hold your attention because the author's writing style makes his story of discovering the positive impact of storytelling uninteresting.

There are some positives in the book. If you are involved in knowledge management, you may be able to follow the story a little better. Also, the appendix tells you the essential elements of a springboard story and takes stories in the book and dissects them into those elements. Finally, the book touches both on crafting the story and delivering the story, though neither is treated with a lot of depth.

If you already have experience with storytelling and want a reference on how to apply to business, this book could be useful. However, I would first look for a used copy to purchase.

The Springboard belongs on any short list for best business book of its year. It is an essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone, executive or consultant, who is concerned with the management of change.This is a book that I will keep with the half dozen or so to which I constantly refer.

The context of the book is the introduction of knowledge management into a very large organization - The World Bank - but its relevance extends to any and every aspect of the change process.

The form of the book is an extended story about storytelling and the impact of a particular type of story in engaging the attention and commitment of people to necessary change. It is written directly, simply and with a poet's precision of language, which makes it immensely readable. Many of the books that I review, I skim for points of value. This one I read from cover to cover, and enjoyed doing so.

The thesis is a simple one and the extended framing story about the development of knowledge management within The World Bank, which makes up the book, proves the thesis. Change is driven both by the logic of the relationship of the organization to its environment and by the interaction of human hopes, fears and preferred perspectives (mental models) with the 'objective' situation. When new departures are needed, an appropriate story can engage the imagination and creative powers of the audience, where analysis and logical argument may only engage the critical faculty. A story can provide the means of circumventing an unacknowledged fear of change and built-in defences by enticing the audience to participate in the creation of a world that overcomes problems which affect all of them. Denning's thesis is not that a story is all that is needed; it is that the initiating power of stories has been neglected in our culturally preferred analytical approach to problem definition and problem solving.

I happen to have been working with an organization that seeks to do on a smaller scale some of the things that The World Bank does on a very large scale, and is currently experiencing many of the issues that Denning describes in The Springboard. Both his diagnosis and his prescription ring absolutely true. In every chapter I found explanations, ideas and suggestions that are immediately useful and helpful, not only to that situation, but to any change management situation.

There are five invaluable appendices summarizing aspects of the development, presentation and performance of springboard stories, structures for building up a springboard story and examples of stories with explanatory marginal notes on the role of each part of the story. These provide an extremely useful ready reference for the practitioner.

Stephen Denning describes in a more or less chronological way how he discovered the power of storytelling as a tool to change people's views and decisions. Of course, storytelling has been a (if not the) major means for transmitting wisdom and knowledge throughout the generations since the dawn of time. What Denning has done in this book, however, is both to popularize storytelling as a management technique suitable for contemporary change agents, but also to provide some analysis as to what constitutes a "springboard" story--one that is effective in effecting change. His appendices provide some matrixed data to support his analyses and guide the reader in implementation. Some of the factors making "springboard" stories effective are intuitive. A true story is more effective; a story involving one's own organization is more effective... This book is not a cookbook for devising/using these stories, rather it is more descriptive and represents more of an initial foray into the value and use of storytelling. It could use a sequel and, perhaps, a statistical analysis. Furthermore, it can be less than an exciting read. Indeed, one wonders if there is too much detail or too much autobiography in parts. Nonetheless, it is a fundamental classic of present-day Knowledge Management and provides an ingress into the fascinating world of applying human psychology in organization management.

As someone involved with leading change in my organization as well as knowledge management programs, I found this book really helpful. It is not a "how to" book, although the author does give you some step-by-step guidance with the appendix, but rather a "why you should" type of book.

It advocates the use of storytelling for leading change and it uses the World Bank as the example. The comparison with greek philosophers and other classic works may sound a bit boring at first but it just gives you more food for thought on why storytelling has been used for such a long time. And it also gives more credibility to the text, you know that this guy is not a hot-shot consultant who is just trying to sell an idea.

One of the best things about the book is that the author also shares what went wrong and what he should have done differently. Very difficult to find such a thing among other business books (they all seem to be claiming to be the silver bullet).

Finally, it is a great eye-opener and can give you some insights on how to use storytelling in your day-to-day activities. If you're into knowledge management, this is a must-have.