Tonino Gomez – Leadership - Reflection Storytelling

Challenge

During the construction of my career, I have always told stories from my life experience  in the army related to building leadership by example and team building where everyone  is independently responsible for direct or indirect acting in the circumstances of  corporate projects. Working for more than 10 years as Project Manager and After Sales  I had to deal with different types of people who have different levels of education,  different life experiences and professionals, personal problems and even health  problems completely different from each other.

For several reasons I tell these stories, but mainly so that people can feel confident and  share their experiences and in this way we can try to build a relationship of respect,  complicity and mutual engagement to act in the scenarios of uncertainties that the  corporations coexist with.

Intuitively tell these stories to project teams, HR, Clients, Partners and Suppliers to give  you a sign of the professional relationship and leadership that you would like to build  and that it is important to consider that your own life experiences will work together to  modeling of professional relationships and business.

Application:

I have a history in training a team to teach training that illustrates the spirit of leadership  and mutual commitment independent of the timely responsibility of each professional.

In a given project, there was a need to conduct training in Vitória in the state of Espírito  Santo away from the headquarter of the company that is in São Paulo. I convinced the  board of the company that it was necessary to send 2 professionals of my team to  experience the training experience since its elaboration, design of the didactic material,  choice of place and the classes themselves. However, due to profitability conditions,  negotiation with the company's board of directors was made to invest in the training of  these two people and to approve them to accompany and assist in the execution of the  training.

Finally, we went to the training and I made an agreement with the 2 professionals who  would help me effectively in the training by supporting the clarifications of the students'  doubts. At the end of the 3rd day a situation arose in which the students presented a  question and I realized that my helpers (2 professionals mentioned) were not paying  attention, I asked them to clarify the doubt. The response was "we were not paying  attention". So I informed the class that we would try to find the answers and at the  beginning of the next day we would give the answers.

After the students left, we stayed in the room (myself and the 2 professionals) and taking  advantage of the situation I told them about all negotiations with the Board, who were  participating so that in the future they would be able to give training and taking

advantage of the situation we would live a situation similar to the moments I lived in the  army.

I told them an army story in which 28 people fulfilled their mission in the middle of Serra  da Mantiqueira (state motto of SP and MG) and 2 people were lost in the woods. And  while one team was rescuing these 2 lost in the woods, the other 28 were subjected to  the task of physical exercises until the rescue mission was completed. After the  completion of the rescue, we were all punished equally by running out of night food,  getting the lesson that failure on one part represents failure for all and also success.

So I told them that we would just leave for the hotel, have dinner and rest (we 3, who  were not paying attention and I who were attentive and ministering the training) after  they got the answers to the students' questions and not counting for at least 3 hours.  The fact that I inserted myself in the context of the error showed exactly that the failure  of 1 affects the outcome for all. And regardless of direct or indirect action we are all  responsible.

Insight and approach:

After 1 year, these 2 professionals were placed in the position of providing the 1st  training on their own to employees of one of the largest companies in the oil and gas  sector in Brazil.

And one of them, a woman, suffered harassment after the completion of 1 day of  training, but did not mention it to anyone.

And on the second opportunity for her to give another training, she said: I do not want  to go because I was harassed and would not want to face such a situation again.

Unbeknownst to me at the outset, I told him again a story of my own that would be  difficult to make (and obvious differences): my child under age will experience an  epilepsy crisis (2nd time and no medical diagnosis) on Sunday at home at 9:00 a.m. in  the morning and I had a scheduled flight at 5:00 p.m. to go to Manaus (a 5-hour flight)  from São Paulo. We went to the hospital and returned a few hours later and spent all  day thinking: what to do, there is no other person to teach the training, I will travel or  request cancellation?

I told him that I decided to travel that Sunday afternoon, crying all the way to the airport,  but conscious that he had to move on to give him the conditions to take care of him in  the next moments.

I said to my colleague: I can not force you to travel and give the training, but you need  to know that you have the qualifications to be an instructor, and you have been  prepared for moments of preparation, including the one in which you did not pay  attention and have full conditions professional and woman to demand respect and  professionalism in any situation.

He said, you do not have to decide now. Go home, think of yourself as a woman, a  professional and everything that has happened to be a competent instructor. If we give

up, the harassment situation will win at that moment and we would all have failed, but  if it were to teach the course the winner would be the woman, the person and the  professional and all of us. After 2 days, her decision was to move on and win.

And now with this training I have just found that storytelling can be an essential tool for  improving and building leadership based on examples.


Tonino Gomez – Leadership - Reflection Storytelling Challenge During the construction of my career , I have always told stories from my life experience in the army related to building leadership by example and team building where everyone is independently responsible for direct or indirect acting in the circumstances of corporate projects . Working for more than 10 years as Project Manager and After Sales I had to deal with different types of people who have different levels of education , different life experiences and professionals , personal problems and even health problems completely different from each other . For several reasons I tell these stories , but mainly so that people can feel confident and share their experiences and in this way we can try to build a relationship of respect , complicity and mutual engagement to act in the scenarios of uncertainties that the corporations coexist with . Intuitively tell these stories to project teams , HR , Clients , Partners and Suppliers to give you a sign of the professional relationship and leadership that you would like to build and that it is important to consider that your own life experiences will work together to modeling of professional relationships and business . Application : I have a history in training a team to teach training that illustrates the spirit of leadership and mutual commitment independent of the timely responsibility of each professional . In a given project , there was a need to conduct training in Vitória in the state of Espírito Santo away from the headquarter of the company that is in São Paulo . I convinced the board of the company that it was necessary to send 2 professionals of my team to experience the training experience since its elaboration , design of the didactic material , choice of place and the classes themselves . However , due to profitability conditions , negotiation with the company 's board of directors was made to invest in the training of these two people and to approve them to accompany and assist in the execution of the training . Finally , we went to the training and I made an agreement with the 2 professionals who would help me effectively in the training by supporting the clarifications of the students ' doubts . At the end of the 3rd day a situation arose in which the students presented a question and I realized that my helpers ( 2 professionals mentioned ) were not paying attention , I asked them to clarify the doubt . The response was " we were not paying attention " . So I informed the class that we would try to find the answers and at the beginning of the next day we would give the answers . After the students left , we stayed in the room ( myself and the 2 professionals ) and taking advantage of the situation I told them about all negotiations with the Board , who were participating so that in the future they would be able to give training and taking advantage of the situation we would live a situation similar to the moments I lived in the army . I told them an army story in which 28 people fulfilled their mission in the middle of Serra da Mantiqueira ( state motto of SP and MG ) and 2 people were lost in the woods . And while one team was rescuing these 2 lost in the woods , the other 28 were subjected to the task of physical exercises until the rescue mission was completed . After the completion of the rescue , we were all punished equally by running out of night food , getting the lesson that failure on one part represents failure for all and also success . So I told them that we would just leave for the hotel , have dinner and rest ( we 3 , who were not paying attention and I who were attentive and ministering the training ) after they got the answers to the students ' questions and not counting for at least 3 hours . The fact that I inserted myself in the context of the error showed exactly that the failure of 1 affects the outcome for all . And regardless of direct or indirect action we are all responsible . Insight and approach : After 1 year , these 2 professionals were placed in the position of providing the 1st training on their own to employees of one of the largest companies in the oil and gas sector in Brazil . And one of them , a woman , suffered harassment after the completion of 1 day of training , but did not mention it to anyone . And on the second opportunity for her to give another training , she said : I do not want to go because I was harassed and would not want to face such a situation again . Unbeknownst to me at the outset , I told him again a story of my own that would be difficult to make ( and obvious differences ): my child under age will experience an epilepsy crisis ( 2nd time and no medical diagnosis ) on Sunday at home at 9:00 a.m. in the morning and I had a scheduled flight at 5:00 p.m. to go to Manaus ( a 5 - hour flight ) from São Paulo . We went to the hospital and returned a few hours later and spent all day thinking : what to do , there is no other person to teach the training , I will travel or request cancellation ? I told him that I decided to travel that Sunday afternoon , crying all the way to the airport , but conscious that he had to move on to give him the conditions to take care of him in the next moments . I said to my colleague : I can not force you to travel and give the training , but you need to know that you have the qualifications to be an instructor , and you have been prepared for moments of preparation , including the one in which you did not pay attention and have full conditions professional and woman to demand respect and professionalism in any situation . He said , you do not have to decide now . Go home , think of yourself as a woman , a professional and everything that has happened to be a competent instructor . If we give up , the harassment situation will win at that moment and we would all have failed , but if it were to teach the course the winner would be the woman , the person and the professional and all of us . After 2 days , her decision was to move on and win . And now with this training I have just found that storytelling can be an essential tool for improving and building leadership based on examples .