Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge & Selection

I was working in the salmon industry in the south of Chile, one of my main tasks was to manage de  innovation system of the company, analyzing statistics, following up on ideas and motivating workers to  innovate.  The first two task were easy, but the third one wasn´t, because the workers didn´t know how  to innovate, didn´t want to, and for them was something only genius people could do. I´m talking about  people who most didn´t finish school, barely could read or/and write, and we were asking them to  innovate on a computer, where they have to go to a special link and fulfill a form that didn´t use the  simplest words, so to speak. In this scenario, the rate of new ideas was about one or two per month, and  the amount of ideas that were fulfilled was nearly to zero.

When I first get involved in the innovation system, I was told how a worker innovate by using an old tire  to increase the resistance of the cages and saved 15 USD million annually. I was shocked by the simplicity  of the idea, and also was shocked how it didn´t inspired others. So, I must confess that I didn´t know this  tool at that time, I used storytelling, I star traveling among all the farming centers telling this story, but I  didn´t get to motivated them, it was frustrating because I was facing uncertainty. Until I meet the worker  who created this idea.

Application and Insight

When I talk with this worker, I realized that the 15 USD millions that he make the company save with his  idea, means nothing to him, because he get nothing from that and second was a number he could not  even imagine. For him, there was three important things: the first one was that by using the old tire he  could do better his work and saved him from various day to day problems, the second one was that the  idea was real, because he can see it, show to people, and used it. It wasn´t on a computer, or online,  concepts that he didn´t understand, he can actually interact with it, and third was the recognition among  his coworkers.

So, I realized that I was trying to motivate people with a speech that was made for managers, not for my  real audience. With this new information I changed my powerpoint presentation, I still have to do it, but  at the end I created group conversations where I can tell the story from a different point of view, from  their point of view, using those three concepts, and this simply changed of what is important, what makes  us sense, what motivate us create incredible discussions, the workers start to get involved, because the  story know was real to them, the problem was real to them, so they started to identify their own day to  day problems and how they could solved them. I think that the best part was when they, didn´t realizing  that they were doing it, start to collaborate and work on solutions, some were new, some old, and others  were a mixing of them. They didn´t have the guidance, time, or the moment to stop and think how they  can fix a problem (Innovate). It was amazing how they star to use tools, that they worked with them every  day, and applying them to different situations. The answer was right there, but they didn´t have someone  that leads them to it.

After a few months I changed my storytelling, the ratio of new ideas increases at one hundred and the  ratio of fulfilled ideas increase up to 50%.

Approach

One important thing that I learned from this experience is that one must face uncertainty, embraced it,  and make it yours. I must confess I didn´t want to, I fear it, because it was my first days in this new job,  and I want to stand out. So I didn´t do it, I stick to what I was told to do, until in that eye opener  conversation with the worker who has that great idea I changed and try to make something new. I was  raised with a business mind, where failure and not knowing are punished, so one must stick to facts,  numbers and must not risk yourself into something you are not prepared to. Finally, I managed to create  a new mind, one that loves uncertainty because it´s knows that it´s full of new discoveries and learnings.  One mind that knows that one doesn´t really fail if you can learn something, and that, for me, is exciting.

So, the first thing that I would do different is to jump into uncertainty and enjoy the journey. Life, in every  single aspect, teach us that not always you have the right answer or all the information, but it still carries  on. The same thing should apply on work, we have tools for problems that we already know the solutions,  but sometimes we simply just don´t have them, and we must evolve and create new solutions.

From that experienced I changed and embrace undiscover fields, I regret not doing it early and not having  this new package of tools, because I certainly make a lot of things different.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge & Selection I was working in the salmon industry in the south of Chile , one of my main tasks was to manage de innovation system of the company , analyzing statistics , following up on ideas and motivating workers to innovate . The first two task were easy , but the third one wasn´t , because the workers didn´t know how to innovate , didn´t want to , and for them was something only genius people could do . I´m talking about people who most didn´t finish school , barely could read or / and write , and we were asking them to innovate on a computer , where they have to go to a special link and fulfill a form that didn´t use the simplest words , so to speak . In this scenario , the rate of new ideas was about one or two per month , and the amount of ideas that were fulfilled was nearly to zero . When I first get involved in the innovation system , I was told how a worker innovate by using an old tire to increase the resistance of the cages and saved 15 USD million annually . I was shocked by the simplicity of the idea , and also was shocked how it didn´t inspired others . So , I must confess that I didn´t know this tool at that time , I used storytelling , I star traveling among all the farming centers telling this story , but I didn´t get to motivated them , it was frustrating because I was facing uncertainty . Until I meet the worker who created this idea . Application and Insight When I talk with this worker , I realized that the 15 USD millions that he make the company save with his idea , means nothing to him , because he get nothing from that and second was a number he could not even imagine . For him , there was three important things : the first one was that by using the old tire he could do better his work and saved him from various day to day problems , the second one was that the idea was real , because he can see it , show to people , and used it . It wasn´t on a computer , or online , concepts that he didn´t understand , he can actually interact with it , and third was the recognition among his coworkers . So , I realized that I was trying to motivate people with a speech that was made for managers , not for my real audience . With this new information I changed my powerpoint presentation , I still have to do it , but at the end I created group conversations where I can tell the story from a different point of view , from their point of view , using those three concepts , and this simply changed of what is important , what makes us sense , what motivate us create incredible discussions , the workers start to get involved , because the story know was real to them , the problem was real to them , so they started to identify their own day to day problems and how they could solved them . I think that the best part was when they , didn´t realizing that they were doing it , start to collaborate and work on solutions , some were new , some old , and others were a mixing of them . They didn´t have the guidance , time , or the moment to stop and think how they can fix a problem ( Innovate ) . It was amazing how they star to use tools , that they worked with them every day , and applying them to different situations . The answer was right there , but they didn´t have someone that leads them to it . After a few months I changed my storytelling , the ratio of new ideas increases at one hundred and the ratio of fulfilled ideas increase up to 50 % . Approach One important thing that I learned from this experience is that one must face uncertainty , embraced it , and make it yours . I must confess I didn´t want to , I fear it , because it was my first days in this new job , and I want to stand out . So I didn´t do it , I stick to what I was told to do , until in that eye opener conversation with the worker who has that great idea I changed and try to make something new . I was raised with a business mind , where failure and not knowing are punished , so one must stick to facts , numbers and must not risk yourself into something you are not prepared to . Finally , I managed to create a new mind , one that loves uncertainty because it´s knows that it´s full of new discoveries and learnings . One mind that knows that one doesn´t really fail if you can learn something , and that , for me , is exciting . So , the first thing that I would do different is to jump into uncertainty and enjoy the journey . Life , in every single aspect , teach us that not always you have the right answer or all the information , but it still carries on . The same thing should apply on work , we have tools for problems that we already know the solutions , but sometimes we simply just don´t have them , and we must evolve and create new solutions . From that experienced I changed and embrace undiscover fields , I regret not doing it early and not having this new package of tools , because I certainly make a lot of things different .