Challenge & Selection    I’ve recently started working for a transit non-profit, with a focus on smaller transit systems  that usually are more rural than not. Part of my responsibility includes doing ride-along’s; in  essence, I am riding along as any user of the transit service would do, but with a critical lens  towards improving the service. I recently went on a visit to a Native America reservation doing  ride-along’s and surveying the population. While I created a survey to ask some base questions  regarding satisfaction of service, it wasn’t enough to just follow the script. Of the tools  discussed in the course, storytelling became apparent to me as the best possible tool to use.  Storytelling allowed for greater, more in-depth information to spill out. Having people who  actually use and benefit from the service, tell their side of things (their story) only increases the  information that can be gained to help improve their lives (through the use of the service).  Storytelling as well, is the easiest to implement as it can be as simple as a conversation, which is  what I my version of storytelling entailed.     Application    As mentioned before, storytelling will be used due to its ease of implementation as well as the  depth of knowledge than can be found in having people simply talk about their experience with  a particular service or product. While out riding the bus service, I asked the preset questions  but lead with something like “Elaborate as much as you’d like” or “Please speak your mind”.  This simple declaration allowed people to open up and speak as they would like to. I believe  they felt their voices were being heard and something could be done being so. If I simply went  forward asking the prepared questions and left it at that, the real information would just be left  in the rider’s head. If I didn’t make it clear I was looking for anything they wanted to say, I  would just be getting what they thought I wanted to hear. Not productive at all in gaining  insight that will help better the service they are using. Being so, I got a lot out of having an  actual conversation with the riders. If I didn’t open up to them, they likely would not have  opened up to me and the depth of knowledge would not have been there.    Insight & Approach    An example of someone telling their story that will (hopefully) lead to service change was that  of a young man who recently overcame some medical hardship. He had been using crutches for  a couple weeks and still hobbled after getting off them. As he got on at a stop in the largest city  of the transit service, I noticed his hobble and asked him if he had the time to talk about his use  of the transit service. Being that there are only a handful of stops in the city, and not even  downtown, I knew he likely wasn’t getting on after hanging out at the gas station for the day. I  opened up about having wrist surgery and the difficulty that made in biking to work when it  was in a cast (Biking the work was the quickest and easiest way for me to get around) and was  curious how difficult his injured ankle made his getting around. He told me he was in a similar  boat: he walked 3 miles (in the snow) to get to the stop, and he lived downtown, and it took  almost two hours. While it seemed obvious that where people lived should be serviced by  transit, we both realized the transit service wasn’t fulfilling that for him (or anyone else living

downtown). I made good note of the insight and thought about how the service could better  help him. It came to me, from his own life experience, why not implement a couple of stops  downtown so he wouldn’t ever have to walk three miles, injured, in the snow, ever again. I told  so, and he thought how great that would be, and how many people he knows would use the  transit system if it stopped by his apartment complex. An unintended gain in trying to make  someone’s life better, discovered through conversation.    Using storytelling again, I would keep doing what I did in this example. Starting off by asking if  they were open to having a conversation or answering some open-ended questions is a good  way of gauging their openness in discussing their lives and use of a service/product. I hope to  use this tool again in the future, as storytelling, the account of one’s actual experience, is most  valuable in seeing how something impacts one’s everyday life.


Challenge & Selection I ’ve recently started working for a transit non - profit , with a focus on smaller transit systems that usually are more rural than not . Part of my responsibility includes doing ride - along ’s ; in essence , I am riding along as any user of the transit service would do , but with a critical lens towards improving the service . I recently went on a visit to a Native America reservation doing ride - along ’s and surveying the population . While I created a survey to ask some base questions regarding satisfaction of service , it was n’t enough to just follow the script . Of the tools discussed in the course , storytelling became apparent to me as the best possible tool to use . Storytelling allowed for greater , more in - depth information to spill out . Having people who actually use and benefit from the service , tell their side of things ( their story ) only increases the information that can be gained to help improve their lives ( through the use of the service ) . Storytelling as well , is the easiest to implement as it can be as simple as a conversation , which is what I my version of storytelling entailed . Application As mentioned before , storytelling will be used due to its ease of implementation as well as the depth of knowledge than can be found in having people simply talk about their experience with a particular service or product . While out riding the bus service , I asked the preset questions but lead with something like “ Elaborate as much as you ’d like ” or “ Please speak your mind ” . This simple declaration allowed people to open up and speak as they would like to . I believe they felt their voices were being heard and something could be done being so . If I simply went forward asking the prepared questions and left it at that , the real information would just be left in the rider ’s head . If I did n’t make it clear I was looking for anything they wanted to say , I would just be getting what they thought I wanted to hear . Not productive at all in gaining insight that will help better the service they are using . Being so , I got a lot out of having an actual conversation with the riders . If I did n’t open up to them , they likely would not have opened up to me and the depth of knowledge would not have been there . Insight & Approach An example of someone telling their story that will ( hopefully ) lead to service change was that of a young man who recently overcame some medical hardship . He had been using crutches for a couple weeks and still hobbled after getting off them . As he got on at a stop in the largest city of the transit service , I noticed his hobble and asked him if he had the time to talk about his use of the transit service . Being that there are only a handful of stops in the city , and not even downtown , I knew he likely was n’t getting on after hanging out at the gas station for the day . I opened up about having wrist surgery and the difficulty that made in biking to work when it was in a cast ( Biking the work was the quickest and easiest way for me to get around ) and was curious how difficult his injured ankle made his getting around . He told me he was in a similar boat : he walked 3 miles ( in the snow ) to get to the stop , and he lived downtown , and it took almost two hours . While it seemed obvious that where people lived should be serviced by transit , we both realized the transit service was n’t fulfilling that for him ( or anyone else living downtown ) . I made good note of the insight and thought about how the service could better help him . It came to me , from his own life experience , why not implement a couple of stops downtown so he would n’t ever have to walk three miles , injured , in the snow , ever again . I told so , and he thought how great that would be , and how many people he knows would use the transit system if it stopped by his apartment complex . An unintended gain in trying to make someone ’s life better , discovered through conversation . Using storytelling again , I would keep doing what I did in this example . Starting off by asking if they were open to having a conversation or answering some open - ended questions is a good way of gauging their openness in discussing their lives and use of a service / product . I hope to use this tool again in the future , as storytelling , the account of one ’s actual experience , is most valuable in seeing how something impacts one ’s everyday life .