The stories running your culture (and how to rewrite them)

What if the narratives running through your organization are shaping performance in ways you've never noticed? In this episode, Maddie and Kate explore the power of storytelling at three critical levels: the stories we tell ourselves, the stories around us, and the stories organizations tell.

From growth mindset to system traps, from medieval fairs to Patagonia's environmental activism, we unpack how deliberate storytelling can transform individual performance, team dynamics, and organizational culture. Plus, we share why appreciation matters more than you think, and what a housekeeper's trip to Hawaii can teach us about company values.

In This Episode

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

• How self-narratives become self-fulfilling prophecies
• The power of reframing and conducting a "story audit"
• Carol Dweck's growth mindset research: why praising effort matters more than praising intelligence
• Practice makes progress: shifting from fixed to growth mindsets

The Stories Around Us

• The Pygmalion Effect: how expectations shape performance
• System traps and the "drift to low performance"
• Why the nine-box grid might be reinforcing the wrong narratives
• The emotional bank account: why specific appreciation beats generic praise
• How to escape the vortex of negative organisational narratives

The Stories Organizations Tell

• Why leaders need to repeat messages until they're sick of saying them
• How to honor organisational heritage while driving change
• The Ritz Carlton's $2,000 laptop story and what it teaches about culture
• Patagonia's environmental activism narrative and paying legal fees for protesters
• Crafting change narratives that connect to existing organisational stories

One Thing to Try

If you're a leader running a project or implementing change, try writing the story of your initiative. Don't just focus on the what and why—think about:

• How does this link to the past?
• How does it build on existing organizational narratives?
• How does this help evolve those stories?
• What future are you trying to create?

Write it out, then share it with people and see if it lands differently.

Referenced in This Episode

Books:

• Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows
• The Future of the Responsible Company: What We've Learned from Patagonia's First 50 Years by Patagonia
• Time to Think, Nancy Kline

Research & Concepts:

• Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset research (Stanford University)
• The Pygmalion Effect (Rosenthal and Jacobson)
• System traps: "Drift to Low Performance" and "Success to the Successful" from Thinking in Systems, Donella Meadows
• Gallup workplace engagement studies
• Nancy Kline's work on appreciation and thinking environments

Watch:

• Ted Lasso (Apple TV) - A masterclass in building culture through storytelling

Connect With Us

Got a question for our Agony Aunts episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your workplace dilemmas, leadership challenges, or organizational puzzles to: hello@acuriousspacepodcast.com

About the Hosts

Maddie Fox is the founder of Madfox Group, working with organizations on leadership development, culture change, and coaching.

Kate Nicholroy is the founder of The Good Ideas Agency, specializing in innovation, systems thinking, and organizational development.

Credits

Music: Richard Flindell
Producer: Tim Fox

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Coming Next Episode: Building cultures that enable belonging—and why you'd want to.