Example Reflection – Story telling

Challenge

I’m on a tour of duty as a Child Protection and Social Welfare Officer in the Republic of  South Sudan since October 2015 with the main duty of providing leadership in  development of policies, capacity building of staff and stakeholders. Have been capacity  building through various means like lecturers and powerpoint presentations bombarding  audience with a lot of information.  This has sometimes led the audience to grasp little,  lower information retention rate as I receive questions latter on issues previously they  had indicated they understood well and experienced low audience concentration as  evidenced their frequent movement and request for energizer. I have learned that most  of my audience is not used to long sessions of lectures and powerpoint presentations –  yet I have so much to pass to them within limited time of my tour of duty. Was getting  a bit frustrated, in fact one of my twin advice I remain simple during one of the sessions  review with little change. When I keenly learned about all the tools in design thiniokning  for innovation namely visualization, storytelling, mind mapping and learning launch, I  got a solution that would attract, retain my audience attention and convey my message  through storytelling.

Selection

Story telling is a design thinking tool. It’s a narrative of an event or occurrence, narrated  in a chronological way. The story has to be relevant and suitable to achieve the narrator  objectives. I equate it to a demonstration of a skill in a narrative approach. Story telling  helps to establish form of a base on a given phenomena , like child protection during  Moses times, do comparative analysis with the situation at hand and forge a way  forward.

As a facilitator in dire need of stimulating my audience, attract and retain their attention  during knowledge imparting , sharing sessions and link situation on the ground with  similar or almost situations in child protection, I found story telling more suitable than  other three tools. When I trained as an Instructor, I was introduced short stories as  ideal for lesson introduction which worked so well – though I didn’t know it could be  used as a tool of passing message in a learning situation. I extended after acquiring  more skills on it. Since I joined this course, I have used story telling tool in three  workshops and several times in staff twining process with awesome results.

Application

I formulate objectives of my presentation and considering factors on the ground I select  existing stories I know based on the objectives. I summarize the story if it’s long but

carefully selecting and retaining my theme. Once narrated and then link with current  situation on the ground as I reflect on the existing legislations and policies.

Insight

Story telling is attractive tool to all – atleast for all the groups I have interacted with –  Senior Government Officers, UN Agencies, NGOs, Staff, Local Leaders, Public and  Children – all are attentive to storytelling. The story needs to be catchy and aligned to  the audience preferences and likes not offending. Over the year I thought story telling  was a tool for attracting audience attention before embarking on the major tool or  approach of sharing knowledge and experience that will take them through to the  objective(s) of the presentation. However, have discovered that story telling tool itself is  a tool that can be used as a pathway of taking your audience through to the desired  destiny – pass the information. It is a tool for everyone, the old, young, female and  males whereby same story can be shared by different audience so long as you consider  their characteristics like age, concentration rate, objectives and time. These are factors  alongside others I will consider in future as I make story telling an information sharing  tool not for just attracting audience attention and then shift to other tools.

Real life experience when narrated attracts attention and behaviour change of the  audience and it is paramount you give the audience to identify such. (during preparation  of this year International Women’s Day, I proposed to the organizing committee as we  emphasized back to school for girls that might have dropped from school for one reason  or another, we get a girl, currently in school who might have dropped during her school  life – the committee identified several, one was chosen and shared her experience in  radio station. It’s expected this will encourage school drop outs and enable them take a  bold step and go back to school.

Approach

Next time will have audience involvement in story telling - through guiding and leading  to my set objectives and theme especially for stories they are conversant with. If none,  will inquire from them of any story they know of based on my theme like of an abused  and exploited child. This will be through guiding intrudes when a participant will be  narrating story - the aim in to avoid lengthy stories that can counterproductive and  retain the track.


Example Reflection – Story telling Challenge I ’m on a tour of duty as a Child Protection and Social Welfare Officer in the Republic of South Sudan since October 2015 with the main duty of providing leadership in development of policies , capacity building of staff and stakeholders . Have been capacity building through various means like lecturers and powerpoint presentations bombarding audience with a lot of information . This has sometimes led the audience to grasp little , lower information retention rate as I receive questions latter on issues previously they had indicated they understood well and experienced low audience concentration as evidenced their frequent movement and request for energizer . I have learned that most of my audience is not used to long sessions of lectures and powerpoint presentations – yet I have so much to pass to them within limited time of my tour of duty . Was getting a bit frustrated , in fact one of my twin advice I remain simple during one of the sessions review with little change . When I keenly learned about all the tools in design thiniokning for innovation namely visualization , storytelling , mind mapping and learning launch , I got a solution that would attract , retain my audience attention and convey my message through storytelling . Selection Story telling is a design thinking tool . It ’s a narrative of an event or occurrence , narrated in a chronological way . The story has to be relevant and suitable to achieve the narrator objectives . I equate it to a demonstration of a skill in a narrative approach . Story telling helps to establish form of a base on a given phenomena , like child protection during Moses times , do comparative analysis with the situation at hand and forge a way forward . As a facilitator in dire need of stimulating my audience , attract and retain their attention during knowledge imparting , sharing sessions and link situation on the ground with similar or almost situations in child protection , I found story telling more suitable than other three tools . When I trained as an Instructor , I was introduced short stories as ideal for lesson introduction which worked so well – though I did n’t know it could be used as a tool of passing message in a learning situation . I extended after acquiring more skills on it . Since I joined this course , I have used story telling tool in three workshops and several times in staff twining process with awesome results . Application I formulate objectives of my presentation and considering factors on the ground I select existing stories I know based on the objectives . I summarize the story if it ’s long but carefully selecting and retaining my theme . Once narrated and then link with current situation on the ground as I reflect on the existing legislations and policies . Insight Story telling is attractive tool to all – atleast for all the groups I have interacted with – Senior Government Officers , UN Agencies , NGOs , Staff , Local Leaders , Public and Children – all are attentive to storytelling . The story needs to be catchy and aligned to the audience preferences and likes not offending . Over the year I thought story telling was a tool for attracting audience attention before embarking on the major tool or approach of sharing knowledge and experience that will take them through to the objective(s ) of the presentation . However , have discovered that story telling tool itself is a tool that can be used as a pathway of taking your audience through to the desired destiny – pass the information . It is a tool for everyone , the old , young , female and males whereby same story can be shared by different audience so long as you consider their characteristics like age , concentration rate , objectives and time . These are factors alongside others I will consider in future as I make story telling an information sharing tool not for just attracting audience attention and then shift to other tools . Real life experience when narrated attracts attention and behaviour change of the audience and it is paramount you give the audience to identify such . ( during preparation of this year International Women ’s Day , I proposed to the organizing committee as we emphasized back to school for girls that might have dropped from school for one reason or another , we get a girl , currently in school who might have dropped during her school life – the committee identified several , one was chosen and shared her experience in radio station . It ’s expected this will encourage school drop outs and enable them take a bold step and go back to school . Approach Next time will have audience involvement in story telling - through guiding and leading to my set objectives and theme especially for stories they are conversant with . If none , will inquire from them of any story they know of based on my theme like of an abused and exploited child . This will be through guiding intrudes when a participant will be narrating story - the aim in to avoid lengthy stories that can counterproductive and retain the track .