The Next Next Common Sense
Organizations that anticipate these developments will be better posi- tioned to leverage narrative intelligence as a core competitive advantage, creating meaning and alignment in increasingly complex environments. The Ethics of Organizational Storytelling With the growing recognition of narrative’s power comes increased responsibility for using stories ethically. Powerful storytelling techniques can be employed to manipulate and deceive as well as to illuminate and inspire. Ethical organizational storytelling requires: Truthfulness : Stories should represent reality honestly, even when that reality is uncomfortable. This doesn’t mean including every detail, but it does mean not distorting facts to serve preferred narratives. Multiple Perspectives : Ethical storytelling acknowledges diverse viewpoints rather than presenting single authoritative versions of reality. This is particularly important when stories involve groups with different levels of power or privilege. Narrative Consent : When sharing stories involving real people (em- ployees, customers, partners), organizations should respect individuals’ ownership of their experiences and obtain appropriate permission. Clear Framing : Ethical storytelling maintains clear distinctions be- tween established facts, reasonable interpretations, and speculative pos- sibilities. It doesn’t present opinions as facts or possibilities as certainties. Narrative Accountability : Organizations should take responsibility for the real-world impacts of their stories, acknowledging and addressing harmful consequences even if they were unintended. In the digital age, these ethical considerations become even more important as stories spread far beyond their original contexts and AI tools make sophisticated narrative manipulation increasingly accessible.
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