There are a number of broad categories of story which are of especial significance in a corporate context. These include:

• Myths of origin – The stories about how an organisation came into being, its founding fathers, its principles, its first struggles and triumphs. Many of the values of an organisation will be derived – consciously or unconsciously – from these myths of origin.
• Corporate prophecies – The predictions made about an organisation’s future, which often reference stories from the past or stories about other organisations. Frequently a gap exists between the prophecies of senior management and those of observers, whether inside or outside the organisation. When this gap is too large, a crisis of credibility ensues. This can be extremely damaging.
• War stories – The stories told about the heroes of an organisation, past and present. These characteristically feature individuals confronting a dilemma. How they resolve that dilemma provides a pattern for the rest of the organisation. War stories are frequently referenced during times of crisis to help people establish priorities and make decisions. They are also often used when inducting new recruits.
• Archived narratives – The stories that a company has collected, presented and stored in order to track its history and explain its development. The instability that has characterised corporate life in the past quarter-century has rendered much of this information inaccessible, as companies have changed names and organisational structure and corporate archives have been split up or closed down. Companies wishing to communicate their track record – in safety, for instance, or in equal opportunities policy – need to be able to access and leverage the key stories from the past.
• Gossip and rumour – Don’t say I told you so, but this is the most powerful means of communication in any organisation … An understanding of the rumour mill is essential to the development of any communication strategy. It may be used, it may be deliberately ignored, but it should always be taken into account.