Every team tells a story. Sometimes it’s explicit—captured in mission statements, presentations, and project plans. More often, it’s implicit, told through the way team members show up, the priorities they chase, and the results they deliver.
But here’s the catch: if your team narrative isn’t the same one your stakeholders are telling about you, you’ve got a problem.
That disconnect can quietly undermine your credibility, create friction, and drain energy from your team’s best efforts. On the flip side, when your team and its stakeholders co-create a shared story, you set the stage for trust, alignment, and momentum.
What Is a Shared Team Narrative?
A shared narrative is the co-created story of why your team exists, what success looks like, and how the work benefits the larger system you’re part of—your organization, its customers, and its partners.
It’s not just your team’s version of the story. And it’s not just your stakeholders’ version either. It’s the overlap between the two—the alignment that gives everyone a sense of direction and meaning.
Without such alignment, your team may be rowing hard, but not necessarily in the right direction. With it, you’ve got everyone pulling together toward the same destination.
Why It Matters
Stakeholders matter because they hold power, influence, and expectations that shape your team’s success. I took a team coaching class once from Peter Hawkins, a pioneering systemic team coach who remind us that a team’s role is not only to serve its organization, but also to engage and add value to its wider ecosystem of stakeholders.
When your team and stakeholders share a narrative, you unlock several benefits:
- Alignment of goals. Everyone can point to the same “North Star,” even when conditions shift.
- Trust in intentions. Stakeholders believe your team understands their world and priorities.
- Energy for collaboration. Instead of wasting time reconciling different agendas, you’re able to move quickly and decisively together.
But when narratives don’t match? Stakeholders begin to doubt your team’s relevance. Your people feel unseen and undervalued. And misalignment erodes momentum in ways that are costly but often invisible … until it’s too late.
How to Build a Shared Team Narrative
So, how do you get everyone on the same page? Creating a shared narrative isn’t complicated, but it does require intention. Here are four practices to start with:
1. Start with listening.
Ask your stakeholders how they see the purpose of your team and why your work matters. Don’t correct or defend—just listen. Their perspective is part of the larger system you serve.
2. Compare and contrast.
Have your team articulate its own story of purpose and contribution. Then put the two versions side by side. Where do they align? Where do they diverge? The gaps are opportunities for dialogue.
3. Co-create the storyline.
Work with stakeholders to refine a version of the story that everyone owns. Use the areas of overlap as your foundation, then negotiate the differences until there’s shared language and shared meaning.
4. Keep it fresh.
A narrative isn’t static. Context changes. Priorities shift. Review and refresh your shared story regularly—at least once a quarter or when the external environment changes significantly.
Your Leadership Challenge
Strong teams don’t assume stakeholders know their story. They check, they share, and they refresh. Weak teams assume everyone’s already on the same page—and pay for it later.
Here’s a challenge you can take back to your team this week: Ask one of your key stakeholders to describe your team’s purpose in a single sentence.
Then, ask your team to do the same.
Compare the answers. The space between those two stories is where your shared narrative needs work.
Final Thought
When your team and stakeholders share the same story, you don’t just achieve alignment; you amplify your impact. A well-crafted, co-owned narrative creates clarity, confidence, and collaboration that fuel performance in the midst of complexity.
I help teams uncover the gaps that stymie their performance, including engaging stakeholders to co-create a shared team narrative. Because in today’s environment, success isn’t just about what your team delivers. It’s about the story you and your stakeholders write together.
Keep leading with clarity, courage, and curiosity.