Tool: Storytelling

1. Challenge:

At my work I use a storytelling tool all the time when working as a trainer with leaders and I  encourage them to do so with their teams. When we launched a customer excellence programme

and campaign my goal was to promote and inspire customer friendly behaviors. We would train  leaders in storytelling and I would share some good examples of a great customer service with

them coming from our organization and also instruct them on how to give constructive feedback

and develop some friendly customer attitudes in their teams. I invited them for a storytelling session

where everyone was challenged to pick up one real story that happened in their store and tell it to  the others during the meeting. The result was surprising. Those stories where later on recorded on

videos and made a part of a very successful marketing campaign.

2. Selection:

I selected storytelling tool because it seems to be one of the most ancient and effective tools for  change. It has been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural

preservation, and instilling moral values. As we take a listener through all the aspects of someone´s  challenge in a similar situation without making it personal we give a person a chance to reflect upon

his/her own behavior and also transmit an emotional communicate, giving an ultimate reason and

meaning of a change. In case of a great customer service in a med lab we encourage through  stories that every client is important and should be treated with agility and empathy cause he or she

might be dealing with some disease, so our duty is to treat that person not as a number on the tube

of a blood but as a human being – fragile and looking for our support.

3. Application:

I choose some stories that I shared with the group and then I challenge others to share their stories  on a great customer service topic. Before that everyone has received an invitation with a brief

description about how they should tell a good story with the beginning, end and conclusion. They  were also encouraged to use their other talents and tools, like acting skills or changing the

narrator´s perspective (some leaders would present the point of view and as if the employee was

telling their personal story which had more impact on the others).

In some cases, but very rare ones, leaders were shy to develop a great discourse and were urged  by their shyness to finish as fast as possible. Others surprised me with their abilities. All the

examples were very appropriate some of them were repeated ones, so perhaps next time we could

encourage more research before the storytelling session.

4. Insight:

I found a tool very useful as a mean of developing leadership skills in others and building a great  campaign which would encourage a positive organizational change. Later on in the same project

we invited our customers to a café and recorded their stories about how they are being attended by  our employees – it brought a great transformation and improved the way some employees were

perceiving their efforts. I have also learned that feedback is very important and stories not only can

serve as a tool for gathering information as it is in design thinking but also transforming  organizations, learning more empathy and discovering point of view of our clients. It was a really

great opportunity and experience.

5. Approach: Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you selected

or a different one -- and the reason(s) why.

I might try next time to ask leaders to send over their stories and select people who want to be an

ambassador of this practice rather than obligating everyone to participate in it just to avoid stress.  Those who do it with passion transmit more authenticity and confidence. I will also try next time to

use storytelling in the context of gathering information from employees asking them to tell me about

their experiences. We are thinking about rolling out a specific project to improve employees

experience so it can be a design thinking project which can start with applying this tool.


Tool : Storytelling 1 . Challenge : At my work I use a storytelling tool all the time when working as a trainer with leaders and I encourage them to do so with their teams . When we launched a customer excellence programme and campaign my goal was to promote and inspire customer friendly behaviors . We would train leaders in storytelling and I would share some good examples of a great customer service with them coming from our organization and also instruct them on how to give constructive feedback and develop some friendly customer attitudes in their teams . I invited them for a storytelling session where everyone was challenged to pick up one real story that happened in their store and tell it to the others during the meeting . The result was surprising . Those stories where later on recorded on videos and made a part of a very successful marketing campaign . 2 . Selection : I selected storytelling tool because it seems to be one of the most ancient and effective tools for change . It has been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment , education , cultural preservation , and instilling moral values . As we take a listener through all the aspects of someone´s challenge in a similar situation without making it personal we give a person a chance to reflect upon his / her own behavior and also transmit an emotional communicate , giving an ultimate reason and meaning of a change . In case of a great customer service in a med lab we encourage through stories that every client is important and should be treated with agility and empathy cause he or she might be dealing with some disease , so our duty is to treat that person not as a number on the tube of a blood but as a human being – fragile and looking for our support . 3 . Application : I choose some stories that I shared with the group and then I challenge others to share their stories on a great customer service topic . Before that everyone has received an invitation with a brief description about how they should tell a good story with the beginning , end and conclusion . They were also encouraged to use their other talents and tools , like acting skills or changing the narrator´s perspective ( some leaders would present the point of view and as if the employee was telling their personal story which had more impact on the others ) . In some cases , but very rare ones , leaders were shy to develop a great discourse and were urged by their shyness to finish as fast as possible . Others surprised me with their abilities . All the examples were very appropriate some of them were repeated ones , so perhaps next time we could encourage more research before the storytelling session . 4 . Insight : I found a tool very useful as a mean of developing leadership skills in others and building a great campaign which would encourage a positive organizational change . Later on in the same project we invited our customers to a café and recorded their stories about how they are being attended by our employees – it brought a great transformation and improved the way some employees were perceiving their efforts . I have also learned that feedback is very important and stories not only can serve as a tool for gathering information as it is in design thinking but also transforming organizations , learning more empathy and discovering point of view of our clients . It was a really great opportunity and experience . 5 . Approach : Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you selected or a different one -- and the reason(s ) why . I might try next time to ask leaders to send over their stories and select people who want to be an ambassador of this practice rather than obligating everyone to participate in it just to avoid stress . Those who do it with passion transmit more authenticity and confidence . I will also try next time to use storytelling in the context of gathering information from employees asking them to tell me about their experiences . We are thinking about rolling out a specific project to improve employees experience so it can be a design thinking project which can start with applying this tool .