Essay XXI:  Generativity Three: Consecrating, Gathering, Preserving Values, Story-Telling

One of our four Featured Players, Lisa, sums-up the essential role played by story-telling during her Sage project interview. She comments on her own interest in becoming a story-teller, particularly in organizations of which she is a member:

When asked what my purpose is in wanting to become a skilled story-teller, I say that I have seen Out of Africa, and that I can get Robert Redford! I really want to be a good story-teller; it is simply fascinating, and listening to good stories just warms the heart. I want to bring this skill to my work with the nonprofits here in our community in order to help them tell their stories well. It’s about engagement, in telling their story so well that the story-teller gets a strong reaction and connection between people and their organization. When this happens, they really “get it” and want to learn more about the organization and become part of it.

We observe that story-telling might be particularly challenging for men and women who do not come from or live in a verbally-oriented society. So many contemporary societies are print oriented. We spend little time sitting around a campfire or fireplace recalling our family or organization’s stories. At best, we save the stories for reunions, birthdays, or special holidays. Unfortunately, we often need one of the other Generativity Three acts to find a reason and proper venue for the story-telling.