One of the most important ways in which Caplor Horizons works with our partners is by helping them to tell meaningful stories. Over the years we have supported many different types of organisations to renew their strategy: this involves telling powerful stories about who they are, why they exist (their mission and purpose), what they have learnt, what they believe in, where they are going, and how they are going to get there (their values, beliefs, culture, vision, goals). See our "Essentials of Strategy" here. This work often includes a focus on strengthening individual, team and organisational resilience.
In a fascinating article, writer, therapist and story-teller Jude Treder-Wolff explains that stories can help us to be more resilient – defined in her article as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress”.
There are many different ideas about what makes an individual or organisation resilient. These include:
The courage to accept what is (the reality that one is facing),
An ability to improvise and be creative in the face of adversity,
Responding to challenges by identifying strengths, assets and opportunities, rather than dwelling on problems, lack and threat,
A sense of humour or ability to see light in dark times
As Diane Coutu writes in an article on resilience for Harvard Business Review – one of the most important is "a deep belief, often buttressed by strongly held values, that life is meaningful".
Viktor Frankl’s writing on the human search for, and ability to find, meaning in the face of extreme adversity (the concentration camps of Nazi Germany) is a very poignant expression of this. His work shines a light on how finding meaning in adversity is central to resilience, as well as demonstrating the power of story to build connection, empathy and shared meaning through the sharing of experience. He writes:
“One evening, when we were already resting on the floor of our hut, dead tired, soup bowls in hand, a fellow prisoner rushed in and asked us to run out to the assembly grounds and see the wonderful sunset. Standing outside we saw sinister clouds of ever-changing shapes and colours, from steel blue to blood red. The desolate grey mud huts provided a sharp contrast, while the puddles on the muddy ground reflected the glowing sky. Then, after minutes of moving silence, one prisoner said to another, “How beautiful the world could be!’”
Treder-wolff states that "the first building block of a person’s resilience is crafting a meaningful story". Recently, Caplor Horizons has been privileged to work on a strategy renewal process with the Irish Association of Social Inclusion Opportunities (IASIO). In partnership with a number of state agencies, IASIO provides a wide range of supports including access to housing, social welfare, training and education for people who have been marginalised because of their criminal convictions.
Crucially, IASIO’s work is about much more than service provision. At the heart of their approach is a profound belief in the restorative power of ‘Hope’ – one of their core values. IASIO helps people in prisons or on probation rebuild their lives by telling more meaningful stories (to themselves and others) about who they are, what they have learned, where they are going and how they are going to get there. One client, serving a two-year sentence with limited employment history, no training and a long history of addiction explains what it means to find hope and meaning in their lives by ‘telling a different story’:
“I always wanted to work, but really felt I would never be able to achieve it, having made so many mistakes and bad choices. I thought that was it for me…I think I had resigned myself to being somebody that would keep ending up in prison. When I first started working with IASIO I thought “I want to change,” but deep down I didn’t think it was possible for me. I started the training and things seemed to snowball from there…I kept reminding myself of what the goal was…I got an interview, and I made sure I was ready. Before I knew where I was, I was working, I was getting up every morning going to work”.
Re-framing the narrative and telling powerful stories about how and where we find meaning (including our values, vision and purpose) – lies at the heart of individual and organisational resilience, and it is an essential ingredient of all the work that Caplor Horizons does with our partners, like IASIO.
Kemal (Shaheen) with the Board and Leadership Team of IASIO during the strategy renewal process
Change maker of the week
Best wishes
Ian, Rosie, Lorna, Kemal and Iain