Most of us, and by that I mean the 21st-century office employees, are “creative workers.” Given that we live in the Age of Knowledge, a less sexy label would be “knowledge workers.” Nowadays, we literally hoard information to make ourselves smarter. Access to information is so easy that knowledge has become a commodity. And… I don’t like that. The man on the street might be more informed than a billionaire of the past century, but does that make him wiser? Does information come with a handbook that teaches us how to connect the dots? Or could it be that the more knowledgeable we get, the less wise we become?
I believe what we need is not more knowledge but more wisdom. Actually, I think humanity is craving for wisdom. Have you ever wondered why does the movie industry exist? Why do people glue themselves to the screen to watch TV series? Or, why do we idolize sports heroes? It is because they all tell stories, and storytelling is basically passing wisdom. The way our brain is wired, something “emotional” is more memorable than something “factual.” And, a story is nothing more than a fact wrapped in emotions.
Not surprisingly, to me, everything is a story. More importantly, I think everything should tell a story. That’s why when I look at brands or organizations; I try to feel the storyline. Time and time again, organizations tell me nothing more than an elaborate note. That’s my cue to do alchemy and spark story-based change. I do it by drawing parallels between branding and depth psychology. Between management and systems thinking. And between places and mythology. I enjoy uncovering the theme of an organization, identify its antagonists, and dig up its protagonists. Thinking about organizations as stories… That’s what I do. That’s what I love.