Does your organization have a story? Put another way, I believe every organization has a story to tell, but few know how to tell it properly. Or, worse yet, every individual within an organzation tells different versions of "The Story," based on their specific viewpoint, needs, prejudices and (lack of) information. An organization's story is the narrative outgrowth of its positioning and messages. Positioning is what results from an analysis of the convergence of a company's aspirations, its current reality, and its competitive environment. Messages support that positioning -- credibly and creatively -- and answer a variety of fundamental questions that all lead to one answer: why should anyone care? Taken together these elements will form a framework for how an organization talks about itself to most any audience via every communications medium. Building the foundation of "The Story" is not as easy as it sounds, but the most difficult part of telling the tale is enrolling all of an organization's executives and other spokespeople in "sticking to the script." In no way does that mean a purely robotic regurgitation of the party line, but in a communications age that is hallmarked by a complete lack of boundaries between audiences, the core of the story must be consistently delivered. In my career, I've been a part of the story/positioning/messaging development process countless times. At the end of the process there is always universal agreement among the executives, communications professionals and other stakeholders that what has been created is good, true, compelling and inspirational. The excitement is palpable, as the company begins to convey its shiny new story to its various audiences. The story tellers are eager to talk, the audiences eager to listen. Then someone staggers through the "so what" portion of the story or a listener poses a tricky (read: thoughtful) question and all hell breaks loose. It takes time, practice and compassionate correction for most stakeholders to fully absorb and understand the positioning, marinate in the messages, and get completely comfortable telling "The Story" in their own voice and in a dialogue. The ability to impartially monitor and coach executives through the storytelling process is one of the great values a seasoned communications pro brings to the table. Which is why I've packed a taser and airhorn in my PR toolkit for years -- just for compassionate correction, really....