The Core Files: Negative Narratives, Our Work & an Exercise

When delivering The Core Files masterclass to individuals and teams — there is always one topic that I can depend upon to be quite "sticky". It is a dynamic that affects most of us in one way or another and can affect work life (and team progress) in the most covert manner. It can be silent, yet can speak volumes. Selective, yet voracious. Powerful, yet easily deflated.

It is the notion of a narrative.

Narratives live at the very heart of our work lives. They help us make sense of our experiences and in some cases, protect us from work life harm. Narratives organize our thoughts and help us a build a story to follow. Yet, I have seen them stall forward progress in both a work and a career sense. For an individual, this can manifest in over or under-confidence, opinions that obscure the truth and a lack of vision concerning potential. In teams, I've seen operating narratives within organizations affect customers/clients and limit collaborative opportunities to drive the business forward.

Narratives begin quietly, are at first an uncomfortable growl — but then gain strength.

The process of building stronger work life foundations demands that narratives are unearthed and addressed. Narratives can keep us stuck because we "dwell" on them in a non-productive way; in a manner that they are left in "auto-drive" when we should be pausing and reflecting upon them.

There is no time like the present.

To be honest, narratives are best served cold — and right out in the open.

Here is an excerpt of the question list from my class, to help things get started for you or your team.

The Exercise

Name the Narrative. Our work lives are built upon the beliefs that we (and others) hold about ourselves, our skills, abilities, predispositions and accomplishments. Let’s explore the narratives that you “converse with” concerning your work life.

Hint: Narratives can be ANY of the following:

1. personal narratives affecting your own work

2. personal narratives that could affect your team.

3. workplace narratives operating within your team or organizational culture.

Please identify one of the following:

• A narrative that affects you personally as an individual. This narrative could speak to your personal traits/abilities, how you feel about yourself, how you are suited for your role or how you believe others see you.
• A narrative that specifically affects the work — or how the work is completed. This narrative could be about an individual or a team and serve to misinform or even disrupt the flow of work. For example, consider the narrative: “Our team is unable to make quick decisions”, which if left unchallenged could affect team confidence and outcomes.

Answer the following to help you along:

1. What is the topic of the narrative?
2. Can you recall when you first recognized the narrative was active?

Let me know what you uncover. How might you address what you've discovered?

If you would like explore the operating narratives further or bring The Core Files masterclass to your team or organization write me here.

Marla Gottschalk, Ph.D. is an I/O Psychology Practitioner who explores core stability and the dynamic nature of work life. A charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program, she speaks to teams & organizations on how to build stronger foundations through the practice of core stability. Her thoughts on work life have also appeared at the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, BBC Work Life, Quartz and The Huffington Post