Virat Patel

Background, Challenge, and Selection:

The first tool I used in the design thinking was storytelling to influence and guide a business decision to  go forward on a new product development project. I use this approach with senior leaders in the  organization to bring about an emotional connection regarding the problems we face and how to solve  it. The data, facts, and recommendations were all there. However, the space in between and the  weaving of the hard facts together was where storytelling was a compelling tool. The challenge was  convincing senior leadership to provide funds and resources to develop a new product. I chose this  method of design thinking create energy, passionate, excitement, and simplicity to the strategy and  initiative that I presented.

Application:

I start the process of story telling with understanding my audience. This is the most critical aspect, in my  opinion, to storytelling. It’s important to understand what information your audience knows and doesn’t  know to be able to build your story. In my application of storytelling, I also like to build an outline prior  to my presentation. As described in module 2, great storytellers build suspense and reduce suspense by  answering questions throughout the presentation.

In my example regarding my product development project, I create suspense by immersing the audience  into the challenge we are facing. In my industry, our end-users for our medical devices are surgeons. I  focus my story on the challenges a surgeon will face with the current solutions available on the market. I  support my claims and answer questions that the audience develops through facts and data. In a  technology driven company, this is important to demonstrate data driven decisions to senior leaders.

Through weaving a story between data and hard facts, I was able to convince the audience of senior  leaders to provide funding for the project. Storytelling allowed the cross-functional senior leaders of my  organization to develop a connection with the challenges our business and customer faced in this  situation. It helped me portray the current state and articulate the ‘what is’, while also imaging the  future state and therefore articulating the ‘what if’.

Insight, and Approach:

I had several important insights from utilizing the method of storytelling in design thinking. Using  storytelling helped me develop an emotional connect and energy towards the problem our business and  customers were facing. It gave me further tools to present the hard facts and data to drive a new  product development initiative forward. After developing an emotional connection, I was able to  influence my audience in the same way. I left the audience with a deep understanding and memorable  recommendation to addressing our business and customer challenges. The approach to story telling  helped me the ‘what is’ and ‘what if’ aspects of design thinking to unlock funding and resources to  continue on the design thinking pathway towards ‘what wows’ and ‘what works’.

Utilizing the tool of storytelling has become my go-to method for presenting business challenges. Other  approaches to incorporate when applying storytelling is journey mapping. In the current healthcare  climate and value customers are looking for, having a solution for needs across a customer / patient’s  journey is important.


Virat Patel Background , Challenge , and Selection : The first tool I used in the design thinking was storytelling to influence and guide a business decision to go forward on a new product development project . I use this approach with senior leaders in the organization to bring about an emotional connection regarding the problems we face and how to solve it . The data , facts , and recommendations were all there . However , the space in between and the weaving of the hard facts together was where storytelling was a compelling tool . The challenge was convincing senior leadership to provide funds and resources to develop a new product . I chose this method of design thinking create energy , passionate , excitement , and simplicity to the strategy and initiative that I presented . Application : I start the process of story telling with understanding my audience . This is the most critical aspect , in my opinion , to storytelling . It ’s important to understand what information your audience knows and does n’t know to be able to build your story . In my application of storytelling , I also like to build an outline prior to my presentation . As described in module 2 , great storytellers build suspense and reduce suspense by answering questions throughout the presentation . In my example regarding my product development project , I create suspense by immersing the audience into the challenge we are facing . In my industry , our end - users for our medical devices are surgeons . I focus my story on the challenges a surgeon will face with the current solutions available on the market . I support my claims and answer questions that the audience develops through facts and data . In a technology driven company , this is important to demonstrate data driven decisions to senior leaders . Through weaving a story between data and hard facts , I was able to convince the audience of senior leaders to provide funding for the project . Storytelling allowed the cross - functional senior leaders of my organization to develop a connection with the challenges our business and customer faced in this situation . It helped me portray the current state and articulate the ‘ what is ’ , while also imaging the future state and therefore articulating the ‘ what if ’ . Insight , and Approach : I had several important insights from utilizing the method of storytelling in design thinking . Using storytelling helped me develop an emotional connect and energy towards the problem our business and customers were facing . It gave me further tools to present the hard facts and data to drive a new product development initiative forward . After developing an emotional connection , I was able to influence my audience in the same way . I left the audience with a deep understanding and memorable recommendation to addressing our business and customer challenges . The approach to story telling helped me the ‘ what is ’ and ‘ what if ’ aspects of design thinking to unlock funding and resources to continue on the design thinking pathway towards ‘ what wows ’ and ‘ what works ’ . Utilizing the tool of storytelling has become my go - to method for presenting business challenges . Other approaches to incorporate when applying storytelling is journey mapping . In the current healthcare climate and value customers are looking for , having a solution for needs across a customer / patient ’s journey is important .