Narrative Strategy: So You Want to be a Narrative Strategist?
What I study and apply in my own work
First things first - here is my obligatory plug: you can download my Narrative Strategy: Storytelling for Outcomes white paper for free(!!!) AND I have a recorded Intro To Narrative Strategy webinar ($48) that walks through my framework with key models and tools for you to start playing with.
— ok back to our regular schedule programming
It’s finally happened. “Narrative Strategy” and ‘Narrative Strategist” has entered the mainstream vernacular. We’re seeing people talk about, write about, post jobs about it — all types of activities to signal that yes, narrative strategy is a thing! A real thing! Not one of those fluffy made up marketing terms that make us feel a little less ordinary. I mean, it can also be that…
And I’ve been meeting many people interested in learning about my practice, how I came to this strange and beautiful work and what advice I have for them - so I thought I’d share some of the recurring ideas and bodies of work I use. This post is less “Ari’s origin story” and more, “what informs my approach”.
So let’s begin.
Behavior Change
Behavior change is a funny thing. We know it’s important, a huge lever for achieving new results, but it’s not a simple and straightforward science. There’s a lot of theories on what makes behavior change stick, everything from incentives and nudging to deep psychological work like hypnotherapy or EMDR . I found two main theory of behavior change that resonate with my work: Self-Determination Theory and the role of self-belief.
Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan beginning in the 1970s, identifies three basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When these needs are supported, people tend to show stronger intrinsic motivation and more self-directed forms of motivation, making it easier to sustain meaningful behavior change.
I apply SDT in narrative strategy, using stories that fulfill an individual or group’s psychological needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness. In fact, story is an exceptional mechanism for SDT to be experienced. When we tell stories of competent protagonists, who find their able to act on their own accord (autonomy) and feel they are a part of something greater (relatedness), we invite listeners to imagine themselves in these stories, and start living these stories as their own. (More on SDT and storytelling here and here. )
For narrative strategy to be effective, it must translate an idea into reality - a tangible outcome. This requires motivation and behavior change, something which we struggle to apply repeatable processes to. Blending SDT with storytelling is one method to translate thoughts into things and craft the futures we want.
Additionally, I’ve taken my own experience with EMDR therapy and the role of self-belief and applied to it narrative strategy. EMDR uses eye movement to reprocess old memories that created negative self beliefs. Experiences like being a child who was taunted by classmates can result in negative beliefs about one self, contributing to behaviors that get in the way of what an individual wants or doesn’t want. It’s been the most effective treatment I’ve received for my own mental health and has given me greater appreciation for the role of belief.
Narrative strategy shares some overlaps with belief systems and the psychological complexities our species possess. Whenever I’m engaged with a client, I’m paying special attention to what beliefs are shared and how they show up in the stories in their environment.
Yet these approaches don’t always guarantee the desired outcomes. Behavior change is not an computer program you can simply press a button and run. Like most human activities, it’s messy and interdependent on many factors. Yet SDT and self-belief in the context of narrative strategy has proven useful to me, and perhaps it can help you.
Participatory Design
I’ve had an interesting experience with design work. I honestly thought all design was relegated to the world of fashion, art and home interiors. But thanks to some influential books and good design mentors, I know that design is more than just pretty things. It’s a method for creating with intention, an approach to problem solving that is thoughtful and thorough.
This is especially true when we use narrative strategy. Strategy and Design are siblings, each informing the other in order for us to achieve what we desire. So when I work with my clients on narrative strategy, I’m not just talking in “what ifs” and hypothetical scenarios that typically live in strategy decks and documents — no we are designing for results. Because participatory design is where the strategy takes form, an ebb and flow of insights from the stakeholders as we stretch the strategy approach into new forms of reality. I use participatory design when we craft our narratives . This looks like a series of participatory design sessions, where our stakeholders each get to write, edit, question and discuss the narrative we’re building. The narrative itself is an artifact, and we iterate upon it until we’ve created a North Star Narrative that resonates with all stakeholders. What I deliver to my client is a Narrative Bible, one that’s been designed by participants.
I’ve found that participatory design enables stakeholder buy in and ownership, reducing the friction of traditional strategy execution for more effective results.
Systems Thinking
Systems thinking gets lots of attention. And I’m glad it does. It’s super useful. But I do think we can get lost in the maps of systems and abstract ideas that come with an eagerness to solve complexity. This is where storytelling comes in handy.
For me, any story is about “what you want and what gets in your way”. Stories are driven by desire. And when we start looking at systems as many parts driven by desire, I think we gain steadier footing. What does each part or participant in the system want? What’s in their way?
This makes systems thinking more relatable. It’s less of a stationary, mechanical artifact and more of a living context, one that we can better relate to. When we orient systems thinking around stories and desires, I find that we are bolder in our efforts to create new narratives and better functioning systems that go with it.
To be a Narrative Strategist
I can’t prescribe you one dogma or singular “right” approach to narrative strategy. But I hope that by sharing what informs my work, you find some direction in building your own narrative strategy practice.
For me, I’m committed to learning and embracing what emerges in my work. I find guidance and inspiration from many fields and practitioners, and I encourage you to follow your curiosity. Whatever you desire, may it lead you to strange and wonderful things.