Reputation Lab: Technical Storytelling
Reputation Lab: Technical Storytelling
Your organisation has world-class technology. But if the people who matter cannot understand what it does or why it matters, it might as well not exist. Over four weeks, this virtual programme teaches you to close that gap. You will take one real capability from your own organisation and build it into a tested, multi-audience communications narrative, moving from technical specification to a story that lands with military users, policymakers, investors and prime contractors. You leave with a messaging framework you can use immediately, a team communication guide, and 10 CIPR CPD points.
Four-week virtual programme
- Thursday 15 October
- Thursday 22 October
- Thursday 29 October
- Thursday 5 November
Week 1 - Why brilliant technology stays invisible (2 hours)
The opening session establishes the core problem and gives participants their first real piece of work to carry through the programme. The first hour covers the principles of technical storytelling: why most defence companies get it wrong, the gap between technical truth and audience understanding, and case studies of what works and what fails. The second hour moves into the Discovery phase, where participants begin building a narrative around one real capability, product or service from their own organisation. They leave with a draft narrative structure and a clear brief for their first homework exercise: refine their opening narrative based on the session frameworks and submit it ahead of Week 2.
Homework: Refine your draft capability narrative using the session frameworks. Submit before Week 2.
Week 2 - Find the story inside your specification (2 hours)
Participants arrive having submitted their draft narratives. The session opens with a brief group review of common patterns and challenges from the submissions, then moves into structured peer feedback using breakout rooms. Each participant presents their narrative to a small group, receives feedback, and iterates. The second hour brings everyone back together to pressure-test revised narratives against a non-technical audience standard. Expert guidance runs throughout. Participants leave with a tightened narrative and a homework brief to adapt it for their first audience.
Homework: Adapt your narrative for one audience of your choice: military end user, policymaker, investor or prime contractor.
Week 3 - One story, four audiences (2 hours)
This session builds the messaging framework. The first hour takes participants through the principles of audience adaptation, using the homework submissions as live material. Breakout rooms then give each participant the chance to work through their remaining three audience adaptations with peer and expert input. The second hour focuses on internal consistency: how to get the same story told the right way across a whole organisation, and how to brief colleagues who aren't natural communicators. Participants leave with a draft messaging framework covering all four audiences and a brief to draft their team communication guide.
Homework: Draft your team communication guide: key messages, language to use and avoid, and how to brief non-communicators in your organisation.
Week 4 - The Clinic and your Lab Report (2 hours)
The final session is where the real breakthroughs happen. The first hour is The Clinic: participants bring their hardest remaining storytelling challenge and work through it in breakout rooms with direct expert input and peer perspectives. The second hour is dedicated to finalising the full Lab Report: tested capability narrative, messaging framework for four audiences, team communication guide and personal rollout plan. The session closes with a group debrief. A group check-in call is scheduled for two weeks after completion.