Reflection – Storytelling

Prepared by Fatima Fatima

10JUL20

Challenge

I consider myself fortunate to work for the country’s largest membership-based organization, especially  as it presents the opportunity to take part in cross functional teams from multiple Lines of Business  (LOB). This blessing is also a curse as we frequently struggle with a core brand that eclipses all others  and as a result the other LOB’s, although expected to create big ideas and produce exceptional results, are  not afforded the proper budget and consideration as the core brand. One LOB, our travel division, is the  most overlooked, due to a Member Penetration Index (MPI) that is stagnant at 4% nation wide yet has the  potential to be considerably more profitable than at present state. To quote Ahmed, this is a truly  wicked problem.

Although multiple resources have been allocated to the promotion of this LOB, all projects are  underfunded and tend to be under prioritized, and as a result the department continues to struggle with  awareness not only within the executive team but with Members. I have identified that the largest  challenge with “moving the needle” on MPI is that not all associates/executives within the organization  understand and promote the department’s value proposition, and as mentioned previously, investment  requests are often reallocated to other LOB’s that appear to have a higher ROI.  What is most overlooked  is that the transactions within this LOB contribute to the overall satisfaction with Membership (core  business), and in fact that those Members using this department’s services have a 94% rate of  Membership renewal, significantly higher than any other LOB.

Selection – Storytelling

I am a natural storyteller. Born to an Irish family from the east coast of Canada, I did not learn to get to  the point right away. I was taught to paint a pretty picture, look for the moment of awe and bring people  into my world so they see things my way.  Limerick you say. Spinning a yarn maybe? Yes, this is what I  was born to do. Yet I seem to not have been able to summit the mountain of our core line of business’  priorities in order to shine light on an LOB that I truly believe will be the catalyst of success and  domination amongst our competitors.

The reason I chose storytelling is not only is it a business tool that seems more natural to me, but that the  product this LOB offers to Members is one that directly relates to the customers emotions; therefore,  storytelling appears to be the appropriate choice.  If I can deliver a clear and compelling story, relying on  the emotional connection of this department’s product with overall satisfaction of our Members, then  there is a greater chance of success in obtaining more focus and funding.  Unlike other reflections you  may be privileged to review, this one will be different as I have never purposefully implemented DT nor  storytelling as part of my process in the past. I shall not be sharing an anecdote of past presentations and  what I have learned from them. Not unlike other corporations, ours relies heavily on analytics,  PowerPoint presentations and Excel Spreadsheets. Traditional thinking is no longer working for this  LOB; therefore,  I chose the Design Thinking for Innovation course for a reason, which is the recognition  that we can no longer continue to follow the same processes and expect different results. Status quo is no  longer acceptable and must learn and adapt to succeed.

Application

In the week 2 video “Storytelling Tool”, Pedro Sanchez stated “Every great brand with longevity in the  retail space……has a story.”  As my company has been in business for over 115 years, with a core brand  with a well-known story, it now falls on my shoulders to uncover the story of this LOB to elevate the  awareness of the brand. What I have been able to take from the lessons of Design Thinking for  Innovation, is that storytelling for business requires the storyteller be able to convey a logical message by  understanding the following:

1. Who is my audience (what do they know about the value of this LOB and what is missing from

their current understanding – what do they need i.e./ data)?

2. When is the optimal time to tell this story (are they in the frame of mind to retain such

information)?

3. Can I communicate a clear sequence of events (does the story have an impactful beginning and

does it flow easily and compellingly to the end)? Can I present an intelligent argument for further  investment in this LOB using data from “What is” research?

4. This LOB represents the most emotional connection to our organization, can I describe this in a

way to elicit an emotional response from our executive team?

5. Do I allow for moments of reflection (I need to build in unanswered questions that will engage

the audience to be intrigued enough to look for answers)?

6. Am I prepared to present solutions or ideas to spark solutions so that no question remains

unanswered?

Insight & Approach

Prior to beginning the DT program, I had initiated ethnographic research discussions with our analytics  team who believe it to be too expensive and unnecessary in light of their Environics research. Upon  completion of Design Thinking for Innovation, I do feel that I have the tools to more successfully convey  the message that our access to data (thanks to our Membership base) is unparalleled but lacks the  humanity/empathy that ethnography can provide. As the first part of my approach to overcoming my  previously mentioned challenge, DT has reinforced my belief in that such data will contribute to driving  transformation and essential to understanding the human connection to this LOB, and I will use the  questions listed above to deliver a presentation to encourage investment in ethnography which is critical  to the story of the potential of this particular department.

Secondly, I have come to understand throughout this program that a good story must be relevant and true.  Simple and complete. This is what I have been missing in the past.  Upon reflection within this reflection  I have been able to pinpoint the fact that I have been providing my audience only with the “wow”  information, listing the benefits of the LOB, but not supporting with data, context nor opportunities for  the human connection and given no time for digestion of what this LOB truly has to offer to the  organization as a whole. I believe that by effectively telling the story of this LOB, the team will be able to  speak with a unified vision, working together to uncover the untapped potential that this LOB can have  on the overall growth of the organization.

