Start with what is visible. Discover what sits behind it.
A product. A business. A policy. A customer decision. A market. An everyday observation.
What we first see is rarely the whole system.
Behind it sit people, relationships, incentives, behaviours, technology, infrastructure, culture, regulation and dependencies — all interacting to shape what actually happens.
The Stories of Business Framework helps us move from the visible entry point to the wider system — and from deeper understanding towards better decisions and outcomes.
The Stories of Business Framework
Better understanding creates better communication, stronger positioning and better decisions.
When we explore the wider system, we look at:
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People & stakeholders — who participates in or is affected by the system?
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Relationships & dependencies — what relies on what?
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Incentives — what actually drives behaviour?
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Culture & context — how does the environment influence what happens?
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Technology & infrastructure — what enables or constrains the system?
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Behaviour — what do people actually do, rather than what we assume they do?
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Friction & unintended consequences — where does reality differ from intention?
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Opportunities — what becomes visible when these connections are considered together?
What becomes possible?
Start with something as simple as a banana.
A banana on a supermarket shelf looks simple.
Look wider and a much bigger system appears — connecting farmers, labour, inputs, climate, logistics, trade, retailers, consumers, pricing, waste and livelihoods. Different participants experience that same system differently.
The banana hasn't changed. What changes is how much of its system we can see.
Bring the Framework to Life
The framework isn't about making simple things complicated.
It's about making complex things understandable — and useful.
We apply it across:
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Strategic Storytelling
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Leadership Conversations
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Stories of Business Insight
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Systems Thinking Workshops
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Institutional and wider collaborations
From Understanding to Application
