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Description

The New Narratives Workshop: Exploring Collective Imaginaries and Building Alternative Stories

A collaborative workshop to move beyond narratives of abundance and bring desirable futures into view

  • 0.5 days — 3.5 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Conversations about transition run into an obstacle that is rarely named: collective imaginaries. Social success, speed, material abundance — these narratives shape employee expectations long before any figure is presented. Action plans then meet a diffuse resistance that data alone cannot dissolve.

This three-and-a-half-hour virtual workshop shifts the debate onto the ground of representations. Participants identify dominant narratives, measure their influence on everyday choices, then jointly build alternative stories that are both desirable and compatible with physical limits.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the dominant narratives that shape representations of progress and success
  • Analyse the link between collective imaginaries and consumption patterns
  • Formulate alternative narratives compatible with physical limits
  • Compare your own representations with those of the group
  • Translate the narratives produced into concrete actions in your professional environment

What makes this programme different

The workshop is run online on a collaborative board handled by the participants themselves
The narratives produced come from the group rather than from a ready-made corpus
The session closes with each participant projecting the outcomes into their own professional setting

Programme

1The narratives that govern us

Identifying what shapes our aspirations

  • Origins and functions of collective narratives
  • Advertising, entertainment and growth discourse
  • Effects on individual and professional choices
  • Mapping the narratives at work in your organisation

2Deconstructing and opening up

Moving from diagnosis to alternatives

  • Testing dominant narratives against physical limits
  • Emotions triggered by challenging established imaginaries
  • Sources of inspiration from fiction and from local initiatives
  • First fragments of alternative narratives

3Crafting a desirable narrative

Giving substance to what we want

  • Collective construction of a narrative situated in time
  • Criteria of desirability and credibility
  • Presentation and debate between sub-groups
  • Possible follow-up within the organisation

Who is it for

Employees, managers, CSR teams and anyone wishing to open a dialogue on desirable futures within their organisation.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

12 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.