Mission & History --
Telling the 'Deep Story'
Father Bernard Lee, S.M.,
calls it "The Beating of Great Wings"--the deep story that informs the
prominent dates or accomplishments in an organization's history. Lee's
particular focus is helping religious communities develop effective ways to
reinvigorate their charisms--but businesses and secular organizations often face
a similar challenge:
- How do you keep the deep
story alive, particularly for team members who weren't there at the beginning?
- How do you capture a lift
today--from the great wings that first animated your success decades (or perhaps
even centuries) ago?
Click on the links below--to
see how a good writer demonstrates affection and respect for the deep stories
that really matter to an organization's future.
Marianist Province of the
United States -- Alive magazine
Published three times a
year, Alive magazine tells stories of how vowed Marianist brothers, priests and
lay Marianists make a difference in the world. It's always a delight to
interview them and help spread the Good News.
http://www.marianist.com/?page_id=14
- Fall/Winter 2011: "A Place to Honor Mary," "The Comforting Power of Prayer"
- Summer 2011: "Great Expectations," "Prayers of the Faithful"
- Spring 2011: "Sing To The Lord A New Song"
- Spring 2011: "Stretch Pay Loans: An Alternative to Quick-Fix Schemes"
- Summer 2010: "Aging with Grace"
- Spring 2010: "The Formative Years"
- Fall/Winter 2009: "A Good Measure"
- Summer 2009: "House of Belonging"
La Salle Retreat Center,
Glencoe, MO
Each year, well over 1,500
people make weekend retreats at this venerable facility in suburban St.
Louis-- but few know the rich history of its first hundred years of service. To
mark La Salle's 125th anniversary in 2011, John teamed with his wife
Gerri--a staff member at the retreat house--to research and write an account that
pays tribute to the center's Lasallian (Christian Brother) spirituality.
"On This Holy Ground: A
Brief Walk Through the History of La Salle"
http://lasalleretreat.org/lasallehistorybook.html
The retreat center also called upon my talents to write and publish its first Annual Report in 2011. This publication served as the centerpiece of La Salle's annual development appeal.
http://lasalleretreat.org/newsletters.html
St. Anthony's Medical
Center, St. Louis, MO.
Seeking to instill a spirit
of servant leadership among its 4,200 employees, St. Anthony's Medical Center
commissioned a mission and history video in 2006. We drew some parts of the
story from archival materials, but relied primarily on the oral histories of
retirees and the insights of current employees to weave a compelling narrative
around the organization's vision and values for the 21st century.
"Past, Present & Future:
St. Anthony's Legacy"
http://www.stanthonysmedcenter.com/legacy/legacy_past.asp
Shell Oil -- Houston, Texas
Is the 75th
anniversary of a petroleum refinery really the stuff of history? It can be, if
the one who tells the story can see beyond the maze of pipes and columns, or
the dusty annals of dates and statistics. By intentionally taking a broad
sweep, an intriguing image emerges--that of "a manufacturing hub around which a
large chunk of a company was built...an industrial center that played a key role
in a nation's rise to prominence on the world stage...and a major contributor to
a region's economy."
"The Wonder At Wood River:
75 Years of Progress"
http://www.ginny6books.com/?page=shop/flypage&wt=1.00&product_id=44680&CLSN_2995=12946864472995ffaf8e4d7e6b0a5c01
