Identity and culture: a corporate story shows who you are
Ask five employees what makes your organisation unique, and you'll get five different answers. The website tells a sixth story, and new colleagues only discover after a few months what it's really like to work there. This often happens after a period of growth, a merger or a new strategic direction: the identity is still there, but it has lost its sharpness.
“The story we have now is truly the story of all of us, the very soul of the MBO Raad.”
A corporate story brings that identity back together in one story. It shows what you stand for, where you want to go and what makes working with you special. That story becomes the anchor for your corporate communication, your recruitment, your partnerships and your internal communication. With the core values that grow out of it, you can then make the desired behaviour visible too.
What a corporate story does for identity and culture
A corporate story shows the unique superpower of your organisation. It gives pride and direction, it connects people and invites them to take part. Because stories touch people's emotions, they play an important role in motivation and behavioural change. They make the mission and vision something people can feel.
A good corporate story shows the connection between the inside and the outside world, and what it takes to make the shared dream come true. It reflects both the strategy set by the board (the upper current) and the recognition and experience on the shop floor (the undercurrent). It's precisely that combination that makes the culture visible: not how the organisation works on paper, but how it feels to work there.
A corporate story is the starting point and touchstone for:
Corporate communication: The corporate story is the anchor for all external communication: the website, press releases, annual reports, mailings and campaigns. Everyone who writes about the organisation starts from the same story. That makes your identity recognisable, whoever is speaking.
Employer branding and recruitment: The corporate story shows what makes working with you unique, and forms the basis for an employer story: for job ads, the careers site, employee stories and the onboarding of new colleagues.
Internal communication and organisational development: Internally, the corporate story gives direction to messages on the intranet and in team meetings. It is also an inspiring foundation for organisational development, such as a leadership programme, team development and dialogue sessions.
“Thanks to thorough preliminary research, StoryDiggers chose exactly the right approach. Right before our eyes, it became clear what we do across the entire organisation: ‘helping entrepreneurs and government move forward’.”
Our approach in three steps
Writing a corporate story is a process in which we first search for the core of the organisation. We look at its history, but just as much at the present and the future. What is the connecting factor that people recognise, that inspires them and gives direction? We look at the field of forces the organisation operates in through a storyteller's eyes, and search for story elements such as heroes, monsters, treasures and helpers. To do this, we use our Storytelling Canvas.
1. Finding the story
First, we dive into all the strategic documents and hold interviews. We want to understand the history and see how people look at the future. That way, we build on the current mission, vision and strategy, and get a first impression of how the strategic direction and the culture are experienced.
In a one-day workshop, we work with a cross-section of the organisation to find the right story elements. Together, we visualise, experience and enrich the corporate story. We have developed methods to get people out of their heads and switch on imagination and emotion, such as story constellations, metaphors and The Hero's Journey. Because the core of a story is always about something that moves people.
2. Creating the story
We turn the insights from the workshop and the preliminary analysis into a compelling corporate story. A story that makes clear what the organisation fundamentally stands for, what its ambition is, what makes it distinctive and relevant to customers, and what makes it special to work there. From that story, we define the core values, or recalibrate them.
To make sure both the upper current and the undercurrent come through, we organise fine-tuning sessions with different layers of the organisation. If desired, we then develop the story into a visual pitch deck or a corporate story film.
3. Bringing the story to life
Now that the story exists, it's time to tell it and share it. Together with a core team, we draw up an implementation plan, ideally with people from communication, HR and organisational development. We look at which channels and formats will bring the story to life best, linking up with existing initiatives wherever possible.
How can management convey the vision through leadership stories? How do employees find and share their own story, based on the corporate story? How do we translate the story to the website, the careers page and onboarding? Which actions will reinforce the story? After the session, there is a concrete plan that everyone supports.
From corporate story to core values and behaviour
A story alone doesn't change a culture. That's why the corporate story is often the start of a next step: the core values that grow out of the story make clear which behaviour belongs to your organisation. Externally, they show what makes you unique. Internally, they make the desired behaviour visible, in leadership, in teams and in HR processes such as recruitment, onboarding and performance reviews. Read how to approach this in Bringing core values to life.
“The story helps enormously. Wherever we show it in the organisation, it is immediately recognised and embraced.”
The movement starts before the story is even finished
The process of creating the corporate story is at least as important as the result. In the conversations, workshops and fine-tuning sessions, employees become increasingly aware of where the organisation stands and what is needed for the future. This often leads to new initiatives before the story is even finished, because people start looking at the way they work and the behaviour they show with fresh eyes. In that sense, the process is also a powerful start to the desired organisational development.
Story constellation during a corporate story workshop
What a corporate story process delivers
One core story that both the board and the shop floor recognise themselves in.
Core values that grow out of the story, rather than out of a brainstorm.
A foundation for the website, press releases, job ads, the careers page, conversations with partners and internal communication.
If desired, a pitch deck or film to tell the story.
An implementation plan that everyone supports, created with communication, HR and organisational development.
Movement, connection and enjoyment in the organisation, often already during the process.
“Yesss, this is it!!!! Sitting in the sun in my garden, I read this story in one go. It touches you, it grabs you, it makes me sit up straight in my chair, and my cup of coffee stayed hanging halfway in the air, because I had no time to take a sip… I had to finish reading this story first.”
Examples from our practice (in Dutch)
“There are so many spot-on layers. The more you read it, the more it grows on you. It certainly flows with a consistent message. Love it!”
Ralph Poldervaart (founder)
Ready to dig?
Writing a good corporate story isn't a copywriting job. It's a strategic and creative process. It calls for reflection, courage and sharp questions.
We help you find that story, put it into words and translate it into action. So that your organisation doesn't just say what it does, but shows why it matters. We're ready with a fresh pair of eyes and a sturdy spade!