Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge: Storytelling is something that I have used unconsciously since I was very  young, I remember my first uses of this tool when I used stories to convey a message or  lesson to my classmates and the teacher. Undoubtedly over the years I have been able  to experience the power of stories in my life, particularly they have helped me  understand past situations and imagine a promising future through them, being the  most important thing, being able to share these ideas with other people and thus  achieve a solid consensus.

The particular challenge that I face in my current job, in the mining sector in the Peruvian  highlands, is to create empathy between leaders from different areas to create a  common approach and commitment about the current situation of our tailings dams  and the necessary controls for their sustainability. To describe the problem in a little  more detail, I must say that since the tailings dams are assets of the company perceived  only as warehouses of waste substances from the process, there is a risk of not offering  them adequate maintenance and this added to Adverse weather conditions can lead to  their collapse and damage to the infrastructure itself, neighboring communities,  animals, flora, and others.

Selection: Given the nature of the problem, described above, storytelling was the tool  that best suited our needs, since through it it is possible to capture the attention of the  interested parties and form a bond of belonging and commitment to solve the challenge  in common. To this, we must add that the cultural factor in the mining sector is very  particular and requires combining multiple approaches and adapted actions that take  into account the diversity of thoughts, including those of fixed thought.

Application: The use of this tool was carried out through virtual meetings, given the  current risk of a pandemic, which restricts human contact. For this, all the leaders or  managers involved were identified and invited, among them: the operations manager,  the maintenance manager, the human resources manager, the head of legal aspects,  the concentrator plant manager, the environment manager. and the head of  occupational health and safety. Once the meeting started, the purpose of the meeting  was commented, and then went on to briefly explain the current situation of our 3  tailings dams, in an approach to storytelling, it was explicitly useful when the case of the  Vale mining company was then related in Brazil, whose tailings dam ended up collapsing  after a series of omissions and thus ended up affecting the workers themselves, the  environment and the infrastructure, not to mention the reputational and financial  damage it caused to the company. When this story was told, it was emphasized that this  situation could be triggered in our operation if we did not act as a team and with the  necessary responsibility.

Perspective: When applying the tool, a change in the behavior of those involved could  be observed, since they came to internalize the need to optimally maintain these assets  for the sustainability of the company and care for the environment. After the session, it  was possible to observe proactivity in the majority of those involved to carry out a  systematized process that included necessary external help.

Approach: I believe that the tool can be used in other scenarios or challenges, however,  this would require training leaders or facilitators through workshops and thus testing its  true potential as a leadership element. Furthermore, the tool can be used in complex  challenges in which there are differences and passivity in terms of the divergent  positions of those involved; I consider it necessary to carry out more tests to determine  in which cases its use is recommended and in which not.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge : Storytelling is something that I have used unconsciously since I was very young , I remember my first uses of this tool when I used stories to convey a message or lesson to my classmates and the teacher . Undoubtedly over the years I have been able to experience the power of stories in my life , particularly they have helped me understand past situations and imagine a promising future through them , being the most important thing , being able to share these ideas with other people and thus achieve a solid consensus . The particular challenge that I face in my current job , in the mining sector in the Peruvian highlands , is to create empathy between leaders from different areas to create a common approach and commitment about the current situation of our tailings dams and the necessary controls for their sustainability . To describe the problem in a little more detail , I must say that since the tailings dams are assets of the company perceived only as warehouses of waste substances from the process , there is a risk of not offering them adequate maintenance and this added to Adverse weather conditions can lead to their collapse and damage to the infrastructure itself , neighboring communities , animals , flora , and others . Selection : Given the nature of the problem , described above , storytelling was the tool that best suited our needs , since through it it is possible to capture the attention of the interested parties and form a bond of belonging and commitment to solve the challenge in common . To this , we must add that the cultural factor in the mining sector is very particular and requires combining multiple approaches and adapted actions that take into account the diversity of thoughts , including those of fixed thought . Application : The use of this tool was carried out through virtual meetings , given the current risk of a pandemic , which restricts human contact . For this , all the leaders or managers involved were identified and invited , among them : the operations manager , the maintenance manager , the human resources manager , the head of legal aspects , the concentrator plant manager , the environment manager . and the head of occupational health and safety . Once the meeting started , the purpose of the meeting was commented , and then went on to briefly explain the current situation of our 3 tailings dams , in an approach to storytelling , it was explicitly useful when the case of the Vale mining company was then related in Brazil , whose tailings dam ended up collapsing after a series of omissions and thus ended up affecting the workers themselves , the environment and the infrastructure , not to mention the reputational and financial damage it caused to the company . When this story was told , it was emphasized that this situation could be triggered in our operation if we did not act as a team and with the necessary responsibility . Perspective : When applying the tool , a change in the behavior of those involved could be observed , since they came to internalize the need to optimally maintain these assets for the sustainability of the company and care for the environment . After the session , it was possible to observe proactivity in the majority of those involved to carry out a systematized process that included necessary external help . Approach : I believe that the tool can be used in other scenarios or challenges , however , this would require training leaders or facilitators through workshops and thus testing its true potential as a leadership element . Furthermore , the tool can be used in complex challenges in which there are differences and passivity in terms of the divergent positions of those involved ; I consider it necessary to carry out more tests to determine in which cases its use is recommended and in which not .