Corporate stories

Should internal narratives, and the philosophies they generate, be among the guarded proprietary info within a company¹? The stories the company tells the outside world are more about marketing and serving a purpose. Not those stories.

In particular, the stories the company tells itself to generate the culture and conditions for its success (or not). How it really happened, and what does that mean for where the company is now? They’re not exactly running to the press to tell the story².

Te scar tissue, what caused it, how that’s reflected in the process today? That’s guarded info, not eagerly shared in blog posts and conference talks. At least, not the entire truth.

Granted, many stories are used for building an image and marketing. To investors, competitors, potential hires, professional communities, etc. Or even to help teams internalize the purpose and goal of what they’re building today.

There’s a term for the people who’ve been around to witness these events and craft these stories — the old guard. They’re almost literally guarding the stories or narrative, but also guarding the way of working that made those stories a success.

These stories are often divorced from the reality of how the much bigger company now operates!

Narrative is powerful. Makes sense to guard it³. Both for alignment, but also for preserving myths that hold that purpose up. Myths that come from true stories. Myths that were constructed/embellished for marketing or aiming throughout the company’s existence.

Tall tales and fables by the campfire: now for corporations, too!