The Next Next Common Sense
4. Responding to narrative crises with authentic stories rather than defensive positioning
Patagonia demonstrates this narrative resilience beautifully. When environmental activists (including some of their own customers) criti- cized aspects of their supply chain, Patagonia didn’t issue defensive de- nials. Instead, they integrated this feedback into an evolving narrative about their environmental journey—acknowledging imperfections while recommitting to their fundamental values. Measuring Narrative Coherence How do you know if your organizational narratives are creating coher- ence or confusion? Traditional metrics like message recall or brand senti- ment provide limited insight into narrative effectiveness. More meaning- ful measures examine narrative coherence across multiple dimensions: The Narrative Coherence Assessment Framework This structured framework helps organizations evaluate narrative coherence across five key dimensions, using both qualitative and quan- titative measures:
1. Strategic Narrative Alignment
This dimension assesses how well organizational narratives align with strategic direction:
• Consistency Rating : Score on a 1-5 scale how consistently nar- ratives across channels reflect strategic priorities • Message Penetration : Percentage of employees who can articu- late the organization's strategic narrative in their own words • Decision Influence : Evidence that strategic narratives inform decision-making across organizational levels
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