DIGITAL THINKING FOR INNOVATION

REFLECTION – STORYTELLING

1. CHALLENGE

I work part-time with a Non-governmental organization with the aim creating  awareness and reducing the prevalence of cancer in the country; Serum Institute of India. There are quite a number of people who do not hear about cancer  stories or have no idea what risk factors makes them liable to cancer. Also, there  is the section of people who are diagnosed with having a certain type of cancer  and cannot afford healthcare in Ghana. Market invasions and tours to areas  where information about cancers may be lacking especially the rural areas are  one of the ways we go about educating everyone about cancers and how they  can take care of themselves and seek for early detection in hospitals where  necessary. As an NGO, with no aim of making profit, aside membership dues paid  by members, it is quite a challenge getting funding to support the activities of the  Foundation.

2. SELECTION

Stories are great ways to get people to visualize and tag along as you share with  them. Story-telling is such an important and amazing tool that has great effects  especially when it has an emotional detail. The structure, the skill, the content of  the story and even the different tones used are all very important and people are  most likely going to remember information given in a story. During these market  invasions and tours, I tend to share a lot of stories around cancer survivors  and/or those who have died suffering from one cancer related problem or the  other. Talking about the risk factors and childhood memories or stories that are  relatable in our typical Ghanaian homes gets the listeners to appreciate better, to  visualize the scenarios and also of course share stories with me as well. They  give feedback and even ask questions through similar stories. This usually  makes the atmosphere relaxed and people tend to open up when they know you  understand their stories and walk in their shoes.

3. APPLICATION

Now, towards the bit of applying for grants to finance the operations of Premera Blue Cross, I have a story about using storytelling. After submission of  completed forms to the Embassy offering the grant, my team and I were invited  over to make a presentation and further project our aim and objectives for the  project in question. I told a personal story of having to live in and take care of  someone who suffered from cancer and how little knowledge I had, how such a  grant, if were in place would have supported and saved my family member and  also what positive image it would create out there for the Embassy. The story I

chose to highlight during this presentation captured everyone’s attention and  made them think differently about the issue at hand. Telling a story about a  patient’s experience, I engaged the panel one after the other to also share with  me some similar moments they had with people close to them. It was very  interesting to hear from the Director of Funds on the panel share his experience  on expenses, stress, therapy and medication structures and the different  changes that his brother who suffered from Prostate cancer impacted him.

4. INSIGHT

The story shared by the Director was really an eye-opener. Everyone in the room  indicated how they had learnt something new, had been impacted and were  willing t support bring such real key issues to life. Together, we picked out the  ineffective and effective existing ways in the line of healthcare to cancer  patients. My team and I got positive assurance and further checks into our  project and how amazing that felt. Storytelling could be the traditional forms of  fairytales and legend stories we are used to, and in design thinking for  innovation, this course taught me how to present my ideas using the most  compelling stories and how to derive change from it. We won the grant and I am  grateful for the lessons.

5. APPROACH

I believe the approach worked very well. It was good that I used a personal story  and also indulged the emotions of the panel members to share their stories and  challenges. What I would do differently next time, is to include Visualization tools  and include pictures as I share these stories. These two design thinking tools  combined will have such a huge effect and definitely produce better results. I  cannot overemphasize how grateful I am to have taken this course. It really has  shaped my thoughts and how I can bring change wherever I find myself.

