This document contains notes from a communication strategist discussing the role of strategic storytelling in changing the future. Some key points discussed include: - Crafting compelling, consistent, and believable strategic stories that incorporate both history and the future is key to changing collective action. - Strategic stories should focus on challenges and be part of a larger, interconnected system of stories at different levels (e.g. country, industry). - Science and technology can provide rich sources for strategic stories by cultivating knowledge, curiosity, and responsibility. They are also central to Europe's priorities and investments. - Communication needs science to create deeper and more meaningful stories through systematic research across various fields like cognitive science, social networks, and

1. @zz_zigurds
Zigurds Zaķis
Communication Strategist
Science & Technology
TEH NORDIC-HUB meeting
Cēsis
21/02/2020
between Industrial Past and the Future
http://www.zigurdszakis.lv
Tw: @zz_zigurds
FB, LinkedIn, SlideShare

2. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020
Repurposing
abandoned buildings
for arts, culture and activism
People,
Arts and
Buildings
Connecting
Supporting
Advocating

3. @zz_zigurds
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(Arts & Culture)
(Actvism)
Science & Technology
Industrial
History
Future,
Sustainable Development
People,
Arts and
Buildings
Connecting
Supporting
Advocating

4. @zz_zigurds
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Science
History Future

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Can we change the Future? How?
What's the role of History?
Science & Technology: Why & How?
How to make it all work together?

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● Our own ● Our craft ● Our company ● Our industry ● Clients ● Our Country ● Europe ● The World ●
Changing with the time/opponent?
Predicting future?
Building the future

7. @zz_zigurds
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How do you change the future?

8. @zz_zigurds
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You change the story
people tell themselves about the future
they will live in!”
Brian David Johnson,
INTEL, futurist
How do you change the future?

9. World 2030*

10. @zz_zigurds
Rīga 2030

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Tallinn 2030

12. @zz_zigurds

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Make sense of the world
Are key to social and group belonging
Make us feel safer
Articulate aspirations and expectations
Provide direction
Motivate / mobilize / recruit
Are key to changing collective action
(via Interests, Beliefs, Attitudes & Shared Meaning)
Why
stories:
Essentially, a story expresses how and why life changes
Nowadays: too much of information, to few important stories

14. @zz_zigurds
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“Designer (leader, marketer, politician) is master
storyteller whose skill is measured by his or her
ability to craft a compelling, consistent and
believable story (narrative)”
“Change by Design” Tim Brown, IDEO
!
To craft
a story,
not just to provide
more information or
arguments
The key to changing the future

15. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020
“Designer (leader, marketer, politician) is master
storyteller whose skill is measured by his or her
ability to craft a compelling, consistent and
believable story (narrative)”
“Change by Design” Tim Brown, IDEO
!
Compelling,
consistent
and believable
strategic story
(narrative)
The key to changing the future

16. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020
What's the role of History?
History Future
It's not that any story will change the future

17. @zz_zigurds
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Today
Where are we going?
What is important to us?
What are our key challenges?
What do we stand for? Against?
How does the World (the System) works?
Good Story (Narrative)
Where are we coming from
Who we are?
Where are we now? Why?
What are key challeges?
Past Present Future

18. @zz_zigurds
2019
Rethinking
the Past
Reimagining
Future Possibilities
Reconsidering
Present Concerns
Creating
New Strategic Narratives
Identity narratives
System narratives
Issue/interest narratives
System narratives

19. @zz_zigurds
2019
Rethinking
the Past
Reimagining
Future Possibilities
Reconsidering
Present Concerns
Creating THE Strategic Narrative
Repurposing
abandoned buildings
for arts, culture and activism

20. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020

21. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020

22. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020

23. @zz_zigurds
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History Future
To create compelling, consistent
and believable strategic story
we need both:
It's not that any story changes the future

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It's not that any story changes the future
Strategic story
focuses on challenge

25. @zz_zigurds
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Next set
of grand-challenges

27. @zz_zigurds
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AI
TEH
Nordic-Hub
Strategic story is a part of AND
interconnected with a bigger system (and its stories)
TEH
Global Challenges
Europe
Country
City
Industry
It's not that any story changes the future
We
Board games
and computers
Cognitive
and computer
sciences

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It's not that any story changes the future
Ideas —> Ideology
Story —> System of stories

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Why Science & Technology?

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Science & technology
History Future
Rich source of compelling, consistent
and believable strategic stories
Creates new knowledge
Cultivates curiosity
Cultivates culture of knowledge
Cultivates responisbility

31. @zz_zigurds
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Science & technology
History Future
Rich source of compelling, consistent
and believable strategic stories
Part of Europe's OS
(Rationality, Reason, Responsibility)
Among EU strategic priorities
(€, resources and agenda)
Investments
(EU, countries, cities, business > STEM etc.)
Basis for sustainable
competitive advantage
for EU, counties, cities, industies
Basis for value creation
via human-centricism and understanding
of people, societies, networks, data etc.

32. @zz_zigurds
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Science needs Communication
Value for society • Role in society • Recruiting •
Science
Literacy
Public
understanding
of science
Public engagement
with science and technology

33. @zz_zigurds
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Communication needs Science
Human-centricism
Deeper understanding of people:
their aspirations, needs, fears, and
motivations
Deeper understanding
of groups and societies:
vulnerabilities and contradicitions;
strenghts and weaknesses; dynamics of
persuasion and behavior change
Deeper and
more meaningful
stories
Scientific approach
Systematic application of
research and knowledge
Cognitive Sciences and Neuroscience
Behavioral Sciences/Economics
Cultural Anthropology
Social networks (Network science)
Data science
System Dynamics and Systems
Thinkng
Simulations and Modeling
Strategy Studies and Decision Sciences

34. @zz_zigurds
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Science & technology
History Future
Building our own future
The only way!

35. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020
You change the story
people tell themselves about the future
they will live in!”
Brian David Johnson,
INTEL, futurist
How do you change the future?
Strategic Storytelling

36. @zz_zigurds
zz 2020
The role of strategist (leader)
is to design conditions that creates
better opportunities (conversations)
to re-imagine our future
better
conversations
Better
future
starts with

37. @zz_zigurds
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better
conversations
Better
future
starts with
Strategic Stories
(Narratives)
Discovering
Creating
Ariticulating
Cultivating
Developing

38. Stratēģija ● Komunikācija ● Zīmolvedība ● Dizains
Dzeltenā Zemūdene
STUDIJA
tw: @zz_zigurds
blogs: www.ZigurdsZakis.lv