Narrative Organizations by Christine Erlach & Michael Müller

Author:Christine Erlach & Michael Müller
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783662614211
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

How Do Companies Benefit from Learning Histories?

By focusing on events, people, and experiences, learning histories can offer organizations a long list of benefits. Of particular importance is the participating employees’ boosted sense of trust and appreciation. Even those who previously felt left out or ignored get a chance to have their voices heard with the method. The workshops and discussions about the experience document enable a collective reflection on experiences that are relevant to everyone, and the employees are able to talk about their fears and can build stronger relationships with one another. The palpable increase in trust transforms an organization into an environment that encourages employees to learn together and perceive their work as meaningful (Kleiner and Roth 1998). As the demand for skilled employees continues to grow, companies that manage to cultivate this feeling stand out from the rest.

Another advantage is that experience stories may address topics and issues that are not usually the center of attention even though they might strongly influence the inner workings of an organization. With its anonymous quotes and thought-provoking commentary, the method can facilitate an open discussion without exposing the participants.

Learning histories are moreover a central building block of the knowledge management in an organization. They make knowledge transferrable between different groups (Kleiner and Roth 1998). Instead of copy/pasting “success stories” or “lessons learned” that have nothing to do with their lived experiences, the readers of learning histories can learn more about the concrete contexts that have led to certain events and situations in their own company. These insights are much more relatable and easier transferred to their own situation.

On top of that, learning histories may even initiate or analyze change processes because they can lead to a dialogue about the processes and behaviors in an organization—and this dialogue can in turn uncover new potential for change.

Learning histories can have the following effects on companies:Increased trust in the company and stronger commitment

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