Reflection – Storytelling

Challenge    I work in an organisation that carries out maintenance on military vehicles. Many of our  employees are ex-military technicians who have served for a reasonable time in the military and  are keen to keep using their technical skills without being subject to the more military side of  their previous career such as deploying overseas. Many of these technicians have the mindset  they are still in the military and getting the equipment serviceable at all costs is the most  important task they must accomplish each day. Their ‘mission’ is to get the equipment  serviceable to enable the military to achieve its mission.     Unfortunately, the technicians often expose themselves to risky situations while undertaking  maintenance and do not realise they are significantly older than when they in the military. They  still bend and twist and climb and lift heavy objects because they have always done things that  way. The workers were being injured, mainly from soft-tissue injuries such as muscle sprains and  strains. Some technicians also had pre-existing medical conditions as a result of their previous  military service (e.g. bad backs, weak joints). I had to find a method of reducing the number of  injuries.

Selection and Application    I had tried providing lifting aids and correct instruction in lifting techniques. I had arranged for  Army physical training instructors to give demonstrations of correct handling and lifting  techniques. I had arranged for ex-champion weightlifters to show how to correctly lift objects but  our injury rate just kept increasing. An obvious insight to the current situation was the previous  ‘usual’ methods of application to get people to use correct lifting techniques were not working. I  decided to apply design thinking knowledge and employ storytelling as a different approach to  change behaviour.     Storytelling makes strategy accessible and brings a different (personal) perspective to the  problem. It is not about the information I wanted to share but about connecting people to the  information (Storytelling video week 2: Javier Gonzalez of Mars Inc.). I could use storytelling to  create a cause (personal health and lifestyle) to solve a problem (workplaces injuries).     The application of storytelling was firstly about knowing the audience (Storytelling video week 2:  Javier Gonzalez of Mars Inc.). Rather than present one story to an audience of 20 or 30 people  (which hadn’t worked before) I could use storytelling to tell the story I wanted to individual  workers, making it their story rather than my story.

Insight and Approach    Given my earlier insight that the standard methods of instruction were not working for me I  applied storytelling in a different way to earlier instruction. Previously the instruction had been  given in a group setting where technicians were seen as a collective entity; the group was being  instructed, not each person. In the new approach, each person was engaged individually and  given the opportunity to have a short interview about their lifestyle and interests. Some basic  body measurements were taken, such as flexibility, ankle mobility, blood pressure, body mass  index. Workers were also given guidance in nutrition, the need for adequate hydration, and their  measurements were linked to their lifestyle and interests by storytelling; the story of their injury  history and future injury potential, how their previous and current lifestyle impacted on their  future, and how their personal health impacted on their safety, and the safety of their colleagues,  at work. This helped the audience understand how the current situation is dangerous to them  and their colleagues (Storytelling video week 2: Javier Gonzalez of Mars Inc.) to get them in the  frame of mind that they want to solve the challenge I have.

One insight that came out early on was the way individuals are much more engaged than groups  when it comes to what is important to them. There appeared to be an attitude of “those injuries  happen to other people, not me” when in a group setting. Making the questions and  measurements personal to their life story in a one-on-one situation achieved much greater levels  of interest in the subject than group engagement using a ‘typical employee’ as a subject who was  being given instruction in how to lift objects.     For example, many workers enjoyed being outdoors when they were not at work. Pursuits such  as hunting and hiking were common to many workers. Linking the need for ankle mobility to  those pursuits was a wake-up call to many workers. As we age, our ankle mobility naturally  reduces which is seen in the way some older people walk – they shuffle along because their  ankles are not flexible. No workers wanted to be doing the ‘old-person shuffle’ in the future; it  meant they could not climb hills or hunt. Linking their personal lifestyle and interests to their  physical condition was actually an eye-opener for many workers. They realised they had to take  better care of themselves if they were to continue enjoying their new career and retirement.    Their increased focus on personal health meant they were more flexible, more hydrated, and as a  result less prone to sprains and strains at work. Our injury rate has reduced as a result of using  storytelling as a different approach to a problem that had been developing for several years  across the organisation. I am confident alternative approaches using design thinking will produce  similar improvements across other areas of the organisation.     Personal insight: my favourite quote from this course is “Storytelling makes strategy accessible”  and I am sure I will use that quote many times in my career.


Reflection – Storytelling Challenge I work in an organisation that carries out maintenance on military vehicles . Many of our employees are ex - military technicians who have served for a reasonable time in the military and are keen to keep using their technical skills without being subject to the more military side of their previous career such as deploying overseas . Many of these technicians have the mindset they are still in the military and getting the equipment serviceable at all costs is the most important task they must accomplish each day . Their ‘ mission ’ is to get the equipment serviceable to enable the military to achieve its mission . Unfortunately , the technicians often expose themselves to risky situations while undertaking maintenance and do not realise they are significantly older than when they in the military . They still bend and twist and climb and lift heavy objects because they have always done things that way . The workers were being injured , mainly from soft - tissue injuries such as muscle sprains and strains . Some technicians also had pre - existing medical conditions as a result of their previous military service ( e.g. bad backs , weak joints ) . I had to find a method of reducing the number of injuries . Selection and Application I had tried providing lifting aids and correct instruction in lifting techniques . I had arranged for Army physical training instructors to give demonstrations of correct handling and lifting techniques . I had arranged for ex - champion weightlifters to show how to correctly lift objects but our injury rate just kept increasing . An obvious insight to the current situation was the previous ‘ usual ’ methods of application to get people to use correct lifting techniques were not working . I decided to apply design thinking knowledge and employ storytelling as a different approach to change behaviour . Storytelling makes strategy accessible and brings a different ( personal ) perspective to the problem . It is not about the information I wanted to share but about connecting people to the information ( Storytelling video week 2 : Javier Gonzalez of Mars Inc. ) . I could use storytelling to create a cause ( personal health and lifestyle ) to solve a problem ( workplaces injuries ) . The application of storytelling was firstly about knowing the audience ( Storytelling video week 2 : Javier Gonzalez of Mars Inc. ) . Rather than present one story to an audience of 20 or 30 people ( which had n’t worked before ) I could use storytelling to tell the story I wanted to individual workers , making it their story rather than my story . Insight and Approach Given my earlier insight that the standard methods of instruction were not working for me I applied storytelling in a different way to earlier instruction . Previously the instruction had been given in a group setting where technicians were seen as a collective entity ; the group was being instructed , not each person . In the new approach , each person was engaged individually and given the opportunity to have a short interview about their lifestyle and interests . Some basic body measurements were taken , such as flexibility , ankle mobility , blood pressure , body mass index . Workers were also given guidance in nutrition , the need for adequate hydration , and their measurements were linked to their lifestyle and interests by storytelling ; the story of their injury history and future injury potential , how their previous and current lifestyle impacted on their future , and how their personal health impacted on their safety , and the safety of their colleagues , at work . This helped the audience understand how the current situation is dangerous to them and their colleagues ( Storytelling video week 2 : Javier Gonzalez of Mars Inc. ) to get them in the frame of mind that they want to solve the challenge I have . One insight that came out early on was the way individuals are much more engaged than groups when it comes to what is important to them . There appeared to be an attitude of “ those injuries happen to other people , not me ” when in a group setting . Making the questions and measurements personal to their life story in a one - on - one situation achieved much greater levels of interest in the subject than group engagement using a ‘ typical employee ’ as a subject who was being given instruction in how to lift objects . For example , many workers enjoyed being outdoors when they were not at work . Pursuits such as hunting and hiking were common to many workers . Linking the need for ankle mobility to those pursuits was a wake - up call to many workers . As we age , our ankle mobility naturally reduces which is seen in the way some older people walk – they shuffle along because their ankles are not flexible . No workers wanted to be doing the ‘ old - person shuffle ’ in the future ; it meant they could not climb hills or hunt . Linking their personal lifestyle and interests to their physical condition was actually an eye - opener for many workers . They realised they had to take better care of themselves if they were to continue enjoying their new career and retirement . Their increased focus on personal health meant they were more flexible , more hydrated , and as a result less prone to sprains and strains at work . Our injury rate has reduced as a result of using storytelling as a different approach to a problem that had been developing for several years across the organisation . I am confident alternative approaches using design thinking will produce similar improvements across other areas of the organisation . Personal insight : my favourite quote from this course is “ Storytelling makes strategy accessible ” and I am sure I will use that quote many times in my career .