Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge & Selection

As a Change manager I work with different kinds of people who sometimes are stuck in old habits.  When you want to change the way we are working it is important to create awareness why a certain  change is necessary. Often people are used to doing things a certain way and a resilient to change.  When listening to their way of working, their concerns, what make them happy, I use their feedback  to contextualize my story. With this I’m able to better tell the story so emotional connection and  awareness can be created. This improves the way people look towards the change in a drastic way. It  makes it possible to lower their resilience and open their minds to change.

Application

While discussing with a group of handlers at my firm, I was trying to explain the need of the  proposed changes and how it will affect their way of working. I was objectively describing all the  benefits it had and how it would improve the way they were working. But I quickly realized that they  weren’t listening. They were checking their phones, looking at their laptop screens or even just  glazing ahead. I stopped my presentation and directed me to the audience. Asking them why they  were so untouched by this all. They explained me that they know the drill already. A high profile  comes to tell them what has to be changed, the change is implemented. Everyone tries it for one  week and afterwards everyone goes back to their old habits and in the end nothing changes. I then  realized that I was wrong. I was wrong in how I was presenting. I was too much focused on what I  had done and what needed to be done and did not listen to them. To their frustration, their (past)  experiences. Continuing the way I was doing would lead to the result they just explained.

Insight & approach

That experience was a pivoting point in my project. Would I have continued the way I was working,  all my work would have gone to waste. Instead I listened to the handlers their past experience.  Which changes were proposed, how they were implemented and why they were quickly abandoned.  Often it came from the fact that they didn’t felt if they had something to say in the change. It was  just imposed on them. This practice of actively listening to the handlers, understanding what went  wrong and really empathizing with them really helped improving my story. I modified some changes,  explained it in a different way without losing touch with my audience. This approach triggered a  reaction with the handlers and they were hooked. I have created a connection with them. They were  onboard and would stay onboard.

This way of storytelling and the course in general really thought me a valuable lesson. You have to be  more pragmatic, more structuralized in using the tools provided. It is not something you use when  you see that your traditional methods are not working. No it is something you should use from the  beginning. By doing so you’ll will not waste any time and have your connection with your audience  more quickly. Moreover your story will stick more and people will relate to it and better understand  where something is coming from. Resilience will fade away and success will come!

In my opinion by following this course you will gain valuable experience that goes beyond just  theoretical knowledge. I have learned important practical skills I can use on a daily basis. It has and  will continue to improve my abilities as a change manager. I will become more successful in

delivering change and the change will stick way easier to the people’s habits. That’s why I loved this  course and that’s why I will recommend this course to others!


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge & Selection As a Change manager I work with different kinds of people who sometimes are stuck in old habits . When you want to change the way we are working it is important to create awareness why a certain change is necessary . Often people are used to doing things a certain way and a resilient to change . When listening to their way of working , their concerns , what make them happy , I use their feedback to contextualize my story . With this I ’m able to better tell the story so emotional connection and awareness can be created . This improves the way people look towards the change in a drastic way . It makes it possible to lower their resilience and open their minds to change . Application While discussing with a group of handlers at my firm , I was trying to explain the need of the proposed changes and how it will affect their way of working . I was objectively describing all the benefits it had and how it would improve the way they were working . But I quickly realized that they were n’t listening . They were checking their phones , looking at their laptop screens or even just glazing ahead . I stopped my presentation and directed me to the audience . Asking them why they were so untouched by this all . They explained me that they know the drill already . A high profile comes to tell them what has to be changed , the change is implemented . Everyone tries it for one week and afterwards everyone goes back to their old habits and in the end nothing changes . I then realized that I was wrong . I was wrong in how I was presenting . I was too much focused on what I had done and what needed to be done and did not listen to them . To their frustration , their ( past ) experiences . Continuing the way I was doing would lead to the result they just explained . Insight & approach That experience was a pivoting point in my project . Would I have continued the way I was working , all my work would have gone to waste . Instead I listened to the handlers their past experience . Which changes were proposed , how they were implemented and why they were quickly abandoned . Often it came from the fact that they did n’t felt if they had something to say in the change . It was just imposed on them . This practice of actively listening to the handlers , understanding what went wrong and really empathizing with them really helped improving my story . I modified some changes , explained it in a different way without losing touch with my audience . This approach triggered a reaction with the handlers and they were hooked . I have created a connection with them . They were onboard and would stay onboard . This way of storytelling and the course in general really thought me a valuable lesson . You have to be more pragmatic , more structuralized in using the tools provided . It is not something you use when you see that your traditional methods are not working . No it is something you should use from the beginning . By doing so you ’ll will not waste any time and have your connection with your audience more quickly . Moreover your story will stick more and people will relate to it and better understand where something is coming from . Resilience will fade away and success will come ! In my opinion by following this course you will gain valuable experience that goes beyond just theoretical knowledge . I have learned important practical skills I can use on a daily basis . It has and will continue to improve my abilities as a change manager . I will become more successful in delivering change and the change will stick way easier to the people ’s habits . That ’s why I loved this course and that ’s why I will recommend this course to others !