The Use of Storytelling in Scientific Innovation    Challenge  I am part of a university research group. In particular, we are concerned with developing a class of polymers  optimized for the creation of molecular biosensors. In recent years the group has been struggling to find  funding for its research activity despite the high resources in terms of equipment and know-how. One day, at  a sector congress, I realize that the polymer we developed could also be optimized to meet a need in another  emerging technological field. I dedicate myself to quick market analysis and I find that my solution is interesting  for potential customers and for the main investment groups in the sector. However, my colleagues are deeply  rooted in the research they have been pursuing for more than 10 years. So, despite I have sensitized them to  the opportunity I perceived and supporting my argumentation by accurate analysis, they are reluctant to open  up to a new area of innovation wanting to opt to continue to follow the same application of the polymer and  believe from their subjective point of view that this application will have no future on the market and that it is  not worth it. So, realizing that they are influenced by a "confirmation bias", (they tend to have an excess of  confidence in their personal beliefs at the expense of an objective vision based on market analysis), I decided  to make them change the mind by allowing my group to seize the opportunity identified.    Selection  I choose to use storytelling as a tool to better express my point of view because I realize that my colleagues,  probably because of their very vertical scientific background, tend to perceive poorly market and business  opportunities due to the not very close language to what they use daily at work and in particular they tend to  fall into the confirmation bias as they are emotionally deeply rooted in the idea of traditionally applying our  polymer.    Application  So, I told them an interesting story of a restaurateur, Mario, whom I had met during my training period as a  Ph.D. student in the U.K. In particular, Mario, once moved to England from Southern Italy, had opened a  pizzeria and was very motivated to let his customers try the flavors of the tradition of his country of origin.   He was sure that the perceived value of a dish created with ingredients faithful to the original pizza recipe  would have been appreciated and that there would have been a lot of demand for his product. The possibility  of including, for example, pineapple or bacon as condiments on some pizzas would have been against his  tradition and this imposition for him was a reason for pride and pride.   Thus, it invests large amounts of capital in purchasing raw materials and marketing to support this strategy.  However, once the restaurant is open, customers do not appreciate the tastes of its menu and in particular,  despite loving the uniqueness of the dough, they complain about the lack of choice of ingredients of their taste  which unfortunately include, among others, also pineapple and bacon. Then, Mario mobilizes to quickly collect  the opinions of his customers and invests his remaining liquidity in the purchase of these and also creates a  game in which the customer, at the end of the meal, offers his ideal pizza and where the best of these will be  included in the menu of the month and will win a free pizza to the winner resulting in continuous market  analysis at very low cost. The result is that his business has taken off. In fact, Mario has managed to exploit the  uniqueness of the dough, thus preserving his vision, to the variation of the tastes of his customers and thus  creating an even higher value than that planned at the outset to get out of a crisis situation.  Finally, turning to my colleagues, I underlined how they risk, as Mario did, to entrust their strategy too much  to emotions and little too objective data.

Insight  The result has been amazing. First of all, the team members had the opportunity to consult the results of my  market analysis again with different eyes and no longer contaminated by prejudices. My commitment to  finding a "new way of seeing the problem and the opportunity" was appreciated by the group and we started  a constructive conversation based on more objective facts and we came to the conclusion to dedicate a  percentage of our efforts towards the new trend of research that has led to new opportunities for personal  and economic growth. It is clear, therefore, that thanks to storytelling, I was able to support my strategy based  on objective data by strongly transmitting my vision and, knowing deeply the motivations that guided my  colleagues' fears, tune in to their emotions and guide it towards a more rational point of view.    Approach  From this experience, I learned how important the ability to know how to communicate through short,  medium- and long-term objectives and vision is especially when addressing an audience without transversal  knowledge that I master. Furthermore, I took this success to underline to my group the importance of inserting  a quick market analysis session cyclically in the form of storytelling in our lab meetings and to regularly involve  industrial sector personalities with whom to compare ideas in order to ensure that you are always in close  contact with market opportunities during the development of our technologies. In conclusion, I believe that  storytelling is an indispensable tool for those involved in innovation as it is the basis of the alignment of  communication between different work profiles and, going back, if I had to find a time when I would have  done things differently, I would have preferred to start using this tool much earlier.


The Use of Storytelling in Scientific Innovation Challenge I am part of a university research group . In particular , we are concerned with developing a class of polymers optimized for the creation of molecular biosensors . In recent years the group has been struggling to find funding for its research activity despite the high resources in terms of equipment and know - how . One day , at a sector congress , I realize that the polymer we developed could also be optimized to meet a need in another emerging technological field . I dedicate myself to quick market analysis and I find that my solution is interesting for potential customers and for the main investment groups in the sector . However , my colleagues are deeply rooted in the research they have been pursuing for more than 10 years . So , despite I have sensitized them to the opportunity I perceived and supporting my argumentation by accurate analysis , they are reluctant to open up to a new area of innovation wanting to opt to continue to follow the same application of the polymer and believe from their subjective point of view that this application will have no future on the market and that it is not worth it . So , realizing that they are influenced by a " confirmation bias " , ( they tend to have an excess of confidence in their personal beliefs at the expense of an objective vision based on market analysis ) , I decided to make them change the mind by allowing my group to seize the opportunity identified . Selection I choose to use storytelling as a tool to better express my point of view because I realize that my colleagues , probably because of their very vertical scientific background , tend to perceive poorly market and business opportunities due to the not very close language to what they use daily at work and in particular they tend to fall into the confirmation bias as they are emotionally deeply rooted in the idea of traditionally applying our polymer . Application So , I told them an interesting story of a restaurateur , Mario , whom I had met during my training period as a Ph.D. student in the U.K. In particular , Mario , once moved to England from Southern Italy , had opened a pizzeria and was very motivated to let his customers try the flavors of the tradition of his country of origin . He was sure that the perceived value of a dish created with ingredients faithful to the original pizza recipe would have been appreciated and that there would have been a lot of demand for his product . The possibility of including , for example , pineapple or bacon as condiments on some pizzas would have been against his tradition and this imposition for him was a reason for pride and pride . Thus , it invests large amounts of capital in purchasing raw materials and marketing to support this strategy . However , once the restaurant is open , customers do not appreciate the tastes of its menu and in particular , despite loving the uniqueness of the dough , they complain about the lack of choice of ingredients of their taste which unfortunately include , among others , also pineapple and bacon . Then , Mario mobilizes to quickly collect the opinions of his customers and invests his remaining liquidity in the purchase of these and also creates a game in which the customer , at the end of the meal , offers his ideal pizza and where the best of these will be included in the menu of the month and will win a free pizza to the winner resulting in continuous market analysis at very low cost . The result is that his business has taken off . In fact , Mario has managed to exploit the uniqueness of the dough , thus preserving his vision , to the variation of the tastes of his customers and thus creating an even higher value than that planned at the outset to get out of a crisis situation . Finally , turning to my colleagues , I underlined how they risk , as Mario did , to entrust their strategy too much to emotions and little too objective data . Insight The result has been amazing . First of all , the team members had the opportunity to consult the results of my market analysis again with different eyes and no longer contaminated by prejudices . My commitment to finding a " new way of seeing the problem and the opportunity " was appreciated by the group and we started a constructive conversation based on more objective facts and we came to the conclusion to dedicate a percentage of our efforts towards the new trend of research that has led to new opportunities for personal and economic growth . It is clear , therefore , that thanks to storytelling , I was able to support my strategy based on objective data by strongly transmitting my vision and , knowing deeply the motivations that guided my colleagues ' fears , tune in to their emotions and guide it towards a more rational point of view . Approach From this experience , I learned how important the ability to know how to communicate through short , medium- and long - term objectives and vision is especially when addressing an audience without transversal knowledge that I master . Furthermore , I took this success to underline to my group the importance of inserting a quick market analysis session cyclically in the form of storytelling in our lab meetings and to regularly involve industrial sector personalities with whom to compare ideas in order to ensure that you are always in close contact with market opportunities during the development of our technologies . In conclusion , I believe that storytelling is an indispensable tool for those involved in innovation as it is the basis of the alignment of communication between different work profiles and , going back , if I had to find a time when I would have done things differently , I would have preferred to start using this tool much earlier .