US Patent 7136791 Story-based organizational assessment and effect system

We describe here a system and method which makes use of “narrative patterns” to assess and affect the state of affairs within and among given organizations and communities with respect to given issues or objectives. Narrative patterns are conceptual structures that result from common sensemaking around narrative material elicited from the given organizations and communities and relevant to the given issues or objectives. Through the facilitated emergence of such narrative patterns, options for response are formed and evaluated. Response options include the creation and use of purposeful stories, story repositories, and other resources derived from the collected narrative material.