Springboard

Program director for knowledge management at the World Bank, the massive international financial organization (it lends approximately $30 billion each year). He contributes to knowledge management and organizational learning publications and presents very frequently at leading professional management conferences.

• Preface; Sighting the Springboard Story; Telling a Story that Rings True; Communicating a Vision; Getting Inside an Idea; A Tale of Two Stories; Co-Creating the Same Story; Another Mode of Knowing; Crafting the Springboard Story; Performing the Springboard Story; Building Up the Springboard Story; Embodying the Idea in a Story; The Medusa's Stare; Appendices; Bibliography

"One of the more interesting and creative management books of the past few years, The Springboard reflects Denning's strong belief in stories as encapsulated knowledge and his own stories about the World Bank are strongly illustrative of his own passion and knowledge. Read it, and learn from it, and enjoy it!"—Larry Prusak, Executive Director, IBM Institute for Knowledge-Based Organizations"For me, reading The Springboard was just that, an amazing spring board for better understanding how to bring strategic change to organizations, how to communicate in ways that impact skeptical audiences and in general, how to rethink knowledge management from a customer perspective. It is also the best thing I have ever read on corporate communication."—John Seely Brown, Chief Scientist, Xerox Corp,Co-author of The Social Life of InformationWhat is it that makes up such a springboard story? The author vividly and openly shares with us his experiences within the bank and outside as the new knowledge management processes are supported, developed and embedded. He includes other springboard stories and, most importantly for his readers, the nature of effective springboard stories is generalised. You will find yourself working up your own and trying them. Here is a powerful tool for managers of change.Professional ManagerOne picture is worth more than a thousand words. A well-told springboard story jump-starts the actions that reports fail to inspire. Stephen Denning has given managers a new way to make things happen.Professional ManagerThis is how all management books should be: creative, informative and entertaining. It is a compelling read for anyone involved with change or anyone who just likes a good story.Sheila Bullas(director Health Strategies Ltd), for The British Journal of Healthcare ComputingStorytelling is a powerful and formal discipline for organisational change and knowledge management. Explains how organisations can use certain types of stories to communicate new or envisioned strategies,structures, identities, goals /7 values to employees, partners & customers. Personnel TodayStephen Denning is to be roundly applauded for re-opening the book on storytelling as being at the centre of human communication, knowledge transfer and consequent decision-making. His Springboard story is a very specific story-form, honed to be effective in the context of 21st century organisational change.Knowledge Management