Reflection –Storytelling

Challenge & Selection

While working with our Social Media organization, I was presented the  challenge of procuring better laptops for the team. The laptops currently being  used were experiencing issues with the number of tools, applications and  webpages open at one time which led to unexpected crashes and loss of data  plus time. I used storytelling to present a business case to leadership. The  basis of the story for these 16 managers was the fundamental need to  increase laptop memory and computing power to handle the tools,  applications and webpages to address customer concerns throughout the day.  I provided the data on the number of cases handled daily, the time spent on  rebooting the laptop after a crash occurred and the impact to productivity. I  used storytelling to invite the leaders into the world of the social media  manager and to understand the “Why” of the request.

Application

As the Jesus Contreras stated in the video “there's three basic challenges that  leaders, leaders face. One is that they only have about 20% of the attention of  the people that they lead. And so, storytelling allows you. To get them to pay  attention, for just a little bit longer. For a little bit more time, with a little bit  more diligent energy“. Originally the request for better laptops was sent in an  email and ignored since it failed to gain the attention of the leaders. A request  for a brief 30 minute meeting was submitted and approved. The company was  in the middle of its annual budget crisis and would not allow for the purchase  of any new equipment. The time for attendance was limited since the leaders  were also in planning for the next year’s strategy and budget. Knowing these  things allowed me to craft the story in a persuasive manner.      Insight & Approach    During the meeting I explained the reason for the meeting and then asked the  leaders to listen to my story of the struggle for excellence with subpar laptops.  Of how the social media managers would be in the middle of a case and

would need to open a new webpage to look something up for a customer and  then the whole system would crash wiping out not only their progress in case  notes but also the time spent forcing the laptop to quit the programs that were  locked up and to perform a reboot in the proper way not by just holding down  the power button for 10 seconds which leads to operating system damage and  more data loss. How it seemed that every reboot would take longer and longer  than the previous reboot, how the system would take longer and longer to  load all the resources and then the impact to the average case handle time  within our metrics and also the delay of handling the new cases in the load. I  then I presented the data showing the extrapolation of the impact of the time  over the whole team within a 30 day period. Explaining how lost time means  lost productivity and increase in financial impact since you are paying  someone to sit and look at a laptop that is rebooting for 15 minutes. Finally I  showed them how better laptops could be procured without a financial impact  on our team budget by using a resource that allowed access to early lease  returned laptops that could be assigned to the managers. The leaders gave a  unanimous approval and set me on my way to use the resource and procure  the laptops.     This course helped me to better understand the impact of storytelling. To see  how it helps to gain the trust and buy in from leaders who are limited with their  own time and attention.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge & Selection While working with our Social Media organization , I was presented the challenge of procuring better laptops for the team . The laptops currently being used were experiencing issues with the number of tools , applications and webpages open at one time which led to unexpected crashes and loss of data plus time . I used storytelling to present a business case to leadership . The basis of the story for these 16 managers was the fundamental need to increase laptop memory and computing power to handle the tools , applications and webpages to address customer concerns throughout the day . I provided the data on the number of cases handled daily , the time spent on rebooting the laptop after a crash occurred and the impact to productivity . I used storytelling to invite the leaders into the world of the social media manager and to understand the “ Why ” of the request . Application As the Jesus Contreras stated in the video “ there 's three basic challenges that leaders , leaders face . One is that they only have about 20 % of the attention of the people that they lead . And so , storytelling allows you . To get them to pay attention , for just a little bit longer . For a little bit more time , with a little bit more diligent energy “ . Originally the request for better laptops was sent in an email and ignored since it failed to gain the attention of the leaders . A request for a brief 30 minute meeting was submitted and approved . The company was in the middle of its annual budget crisis and would not allow for the purchase of any new equipment . The time for attendance was limited since the leaders were also in planning for the next year ’s strategy and budget . Knowing these things allowed me to craft the story in a persuasive manner . Insight & Approach During the meeting I explained the reason for the meeting and then asked the leaders to listen to my story of the struggle for excellence with subpar laptops . Of how the social media managers would be in the middle of a case and would need to open a new webpage to look something up for a customer and then the whole system would crash wiping out not only their progress in case notes but also the time spent forcing the laptop to quit the programs that were locked up and to perform a reboot in the proper way not by just holding down the power button for 10 seconds which leads to operating system damage and more data loss . How it seemed that every reboot would take longer and longer than the previous reboot , how the system would take longer and longer to load all the resources and then the impact to the average case handle time within our metrics and also the delay of handling the new cases in the load . I then I presented the data showing the extrapolation of the impact of the time over the whole team within a 30 day period . Explaining how lost time means lost productivity and increase in financial impact since you are paying someone to sit and look at a laptop that is rebooting for 15 minutes . Finally I showed them how better laptops could be procured without a financial impact on our team budget by using a resource that allowed access to early lease returned laptops that could be assigned to the managers . The leaders gave a unanimous approval and set me on my way to use the resource and procure the laptops . This course helped me to better understand the impact of storytelling . To see how it helps to gain the trust and buy in from leaders who are limited with their own time and attention .