Lunchtime Talk: Yiannis Gabriel, 21 January 2015

How much do we learn by sharing stories? How reliable are stories as a means of sharing knowledge? How can we learn from the stories of others? These are some of the issues that will be addressed in this lunchtime talk. We are now aware that a great deal of storytelling takes place in and around organizations. We are also aware that stories are unreliable, that they often exaggerate or distort facts for effect. In this presentation, I will examine where stories draw their extraordinary strength in an era of information overload and will assess some of their strengths and weaknesses as  means of learning in different communities of practice.

Yiannis Gabriel is Professor of Organizational Theory at Bath Universsity.  Yiannis is known for his work into organizational narratives, leadership, management learning and the politics of contemporary consumerism. He is Senior Editor of Organization Studies. His enduring fascination as a researcher lies in the unmanageable qualities of life in and out of organizations. Yiannis was Associate Editor of Human Relations for a number of years and a trustee of the Tavistock Institute.

Yiannis Gabriel’s talk: Storytelling as sense-saviour in an era of information overload is part of the Tavistock Institute’s Food for Thought series.

If you would like to attend this talk please send an email to talks@tavinstitute.org with your name, the talk date and title.

Every third Wednesday at the Tavistock Institute, staff, associates, trustees and partners have come together for these informal talks. Now as we enter the sixth year of talks we are looking to widen this community and to explore the possibilities for development and new thought through engaging with a wider audience.

You are welcome to bring your own lunch.

For more information on upcoming and previous talks, how to book or get more involved go to the dedicated Food for Thought webpages.