Challenge & Selection

This is about the use of storytelling.

I work as director of a federal court in Brazil. My team is composed by 16 people, all of  them law graduates, and our principal function is to analyse legal actions.

In the beggining of my managment, four years ago, I realized that they wasn’t a united  teamwork. There was no collaboration among the individuals. My challenge was inspire  them to see themselves as members of a United and competent group. To achieve that  goal, I thought that to tell a good story could touch theyr hearts and inspire them to act  in a more collabortive way. My intention was create a cause, something that ignites  people.

Application

I began our first meeting talking about the importance of collaboration to form a  successful  teamwork. I told the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton expedition of  1914, when  its ship, Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and was slowly crushed before the shore  parties could be landed. The crew escaped by camping on the sea ice until it  disintegrated, then by launching the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island and ultimately  South Georgia Island, a stormy ocean voyage of 720 nautical miles. All crew members  survived.

I emphasized the aspects of collaboration, responsability, discipline, loyalty, leadership  and creativity under severe circunstances.

I noted that my colleagues listened the story with great interest and wonder. After that,  they demonstrate much more interest and spirit of cooperation.

Insight & Approach

For me, storytelling is an excelent tool to conect people to certain ideas and values in a  simbolic way. It is very motivotional. I think it had a gret impact on people.

I intend to use storytelling more times in the future, improving more emotion in the way  I present the work and linking the story with  our activity.

