Storytelling Task For Design Thinking

Challenge & Selection

Storytelling forms an interesting part of my work. In my job I process loans for people from all kinds  of different backgrounds living many different kinds of situations. The reasons why my customers  require the loans are also rather diverse. Despite it not necessarily being a part of the job description  I tend to end up listening to people talk about the details of their personal situations, and sometimes  these can be indeed very intimate. I believe that this sharing on the part of the customer is on one  end an unintentional means of ingratiating themselves to a person who will play a big role in  deciding whether they are granted the money they are asking for. But on the other end, and I think  more importantly, it’s because sometimes people just really need someone to talk to about their  problems, and a stranger is often a better option than the people we already know. Getting to know  my customers like this actually often plays an important role in how I judge their request in my  capacity.

Application

I can recall one particular instance where storytelling helped me to judge the outcome for a  particular loan applicant. This unusually closed off client was only willing to give the barest minimum  of details concerning the reasoning for their loan application and their capacity to pay it back when  the time for it came. I had the general sense that she was a trustworthy person, but ofcourse in this  line of work the more details we have on a person’s personality, history, and personal  circumstances, the easier it is for us to make a decision on their application – whether by approving  of denying it. Sensing this, I eventually resorted (though not intentionally) to storytelling as a means  of arriving at a judgement about their application. I did this during a face-to-face meeting with the  client.

Insight & Approach

I told the client a story about a particular financial difficulties I had experienced in my past. I have  always been a private person, and so sharing intimate personal details has never been easy for me.  But I needed money in order to secure an important family artefact after a close family member had  died. I had very few options for securing the money back then, and even though I tried to work for it  there was no chance I was going to make it in time to secure the artefact. It was only during the peak  of desperation, on a particularly stressful night, that I uncharacteristically shared my situation with  some people from my extended social circle. I was lucky to discover that there was someone there  who had been looking to invest in just the thing I was trying to secure, and so in exchange for their  financial patronage I allowed them access to the artefact for their use in a specific period of time,  this worked out great!

The client, somehow freed by my story, suddenly became willing to share how she needed the loan  because she had trusted someone untrustworthy and now felt as though sharing about herself was  risky – even in such an official capacity. But she did share, telling me the painful story about how she  came to need the money after she had had serious trouble with her then husband and eventually

revealing to me of her own accord the personal documents that would make it easier for me to help  her, as opposed to simply dismissing her.

I was able to confirm the legal details that allowed me to differentiate her financial means from  those of her husband, whom she had been entirely unwilling to discuss before. Knowing that she had  the personal context and means to be able to pay back the loan (if she eventually got it) was a big in  step for me in being able to assist her. And eventually she did get the loan, thanking me for my  willingness to share with her and for my patience in listening to her story and understanding her  position.

It is down the line that I am doing this course in design thinking, which is helping me to contextualize  this particular case that I’ve detailed, but also the usefulness of such a tool as storytelling as an  effective technique in business. I see that things do not always have to be strict, straightforward and  by the books. Sometimes we need to allow room for a more personal, more context specific, and  more personal touch – element that are embodied in design thinking. However, in my future  application of the tool I would like to be more intentional in the application of the tool, because in  this instance it only happened as a matter of chance. I have had some similar situations in addition  to this one, but I didn’t respond in the same manner, and generally this led to customer  dissatisfaction. I also think other tools may help in future, for example, visualization may help a  clients and myself to better I understand our respective positions in the relationships, so as to allow  us both to better make decisions that don’t make it more difficult on the other.


Storytelling Task For Design Thinking Challenge & Selection Storytelling forms an interesting part of my work . In my job I process loans for people from all kinds of different backgrounds living many different kinds of situations . The reasons why my customers require the loans are also rather diverse . Despite it not necessarily being a part of the job description I tend to end up listening to people talk about the details of their personal situations , and sometimes these can be indeed very intimate . I believe that this sharing on the part of the customer is on one end an unintentional means of ingratiating themselves to a person who will play a big role in deciding whether they are granted the money they are asking for . But on the other end , and I think more importantly , it ’s because sometimes people just really need someone to talk to about their problems , and a stranger is often a better option than the people we already know . Getting to know my customers like this actually often plays an important role in how I judge their request in my capacity . Application I can recall one particular instance where storytelling helped me to judge the outcome for a particular loan applicant . This unusually closed off client was only willing to give the barest minimum of details concerning the reasoning for their loan application and their capacity to pay it back when the time for it came . I had the general sense that she was a trustworthy person , but ofcourse in this line of work the more details we have on a person ’s personality , history , and personal circumstances , the easier it is for us to make a decision on their application – whether by approving of denying it . Sensing this , I eventually resorted ( though not intentionally ) to storytelling as a means of arriving at a judgement about their application . I did this during a face - to - face meeting with the client . Insight & Approach I told the client a story about a particular financial difficulties I had experienced in my past . I have always been a private person , and so sharing intimate personal details has never been easy for me . But I needed money in order to secure an important family artefact after a close family member had died . I had very few options for securing the money back then , and even though I tried to work for it there was no chance I was going to make it in time to secure the artefact . It was only during the peak of desperation , on a particularly stressful night , that I uncharacteristically shared my situation with some people from my extended social circle . I was lucky to discover that there was someone there who had been looking to invest in just the thing I was trying to secure , and so in exchange for their financial patronage I allowed them access to the artefact for their use in a specific period of time , this worked out great ! The client , somehow freed by my story , suddenly became willing to share how she needed the loan because she had trusted someone untrustworthy and now felt as though sharing about herself was risky – even in such an official capacity . But she did share , telling me the painful story about how she came to need the money after she had had serious trouble with her then husband and eventually revealing to me of her own accord the personal documents that would make it easier for me to help her , as opposed to simply dismissing her . I was able to confirm the legal details that allowed me to differentiate her financial means from those of her husband , whom she had been entirely unwilling to discuss before . Knowing that she had the personal context and means to be able to pay back the loan ( if she eventually got it ) was a big in step for me in being able to assist her . And eventually she did get the loan , thanking me for my willingness to share with her and for my patience in listening to her story and understanding her position . It is down the line that I am doing this course in design thinking , which is helping me to contextualize this particular case that I ’ve detailed , but also the usefulness of such a tool as storytelling as an effective technique in business . I see that things do not always have to be strict , straightforward and by the books . Sometimes we need to allow room for a more personal , more context specific , and more personal touch – element that are embodied in design thinking . However , in my future application of the tool I would like to be more intentional in the application of the tool , because in this instance it only happened as a matter of chance . I have had some similar situations in addition to this one , but I did n’t respond in the same manner , and generally this led to customer dissatisfaction . I also think other tools may help in future , for example , visualization may help a clients and myself to better I understand our respective positions in the relationships , so as to allow us both to better make decisions that do n’t make it more difficult on the other .