Sandra Erez presents a cautionary tale for compliance practitioners and boards of directors portraying how disarmingly charming “corporate story speak” can win over audiences (internal and external) – sometimes with devastating consequences. If the corporate story doesn’t fly, take it down.
“The proper magnitude of a story is comprised within such limits that the sequence of events, according to the laws of probability and necessity, will admit of a change from bad fortune to good or from good fortune to bad.”
– Aristotle
The Elevator Pitch and the Evolution of Corporate Storytelling
Corporations are forever leveraging the gullible human element to solidify their business case in a rapacious dog-eat-dog marketplace. And, like so many bees around a single pot of honey, they will try and out-buzz any internal opposition with an exotic business new -ism acquired in Silicon Valley boardrooms or randomly overheard in passing elevator pitches. Back in their native offices, treading softly in carpeted corporate settings as to not appear obstreperous, the intrepid executive will spin a tale peppered with funky jargon – either to explain away their recent strategic failure or garner support for their NEXT BIG move. Quick to spout the newly learned catch phrases, the executives are certain that the…
