A Narrative Approach to Change Management

Change projects put a high demand on people’s ability to change mindset. It requires motivation and commitment to take on another perspective than the existing one. Common methods like BPR, and TQM, tend to fail in motivating and engaging people sufficiently to reach the goals. In this paper we outline an alternative method for driving change management. We propose the use of myths, tales, and stories as triggers in change projects in order to create a creative and dynamic atmosphere in which change can be achieved. Even though there is by now a rather substantial literature on narratives in organization theory, very little research has focused on narrative as a vehicle for change and organizational development. Myths are interesting because they serve as a tool for formulating and recapturing a worldview; they integrate people into organizational culture and they can guide people in their individual psychological development.