Challenge	
  &	
  Selection

For	
  my	
  assessment,	
  I	
  have	
  chosen	
  storytelling	
  as	
  a	
  method	
  of	
  working	
  through	
  a	
  business	
   concept	
  I	
  am	
  currently	
  setting	
  up.	
  	
  The	
  business	
  concept	
  that	
  I	
  am	
  developing	
  is	
  around	
   business	
  transformation;	
  where	
  organisation’s	
  struggle	
  to	
  conceptualise,	
  develop	
  and	
   execute	
  their	
  business	
  transformation	
  agenda.	
  	
  Business	
  transformation	
  encapsulates	
  an	
   organisation	
  needing	
  to	
  pivot	
  or	
  tact	
  to	
  a	
  new	
  business	
  model	
  that	
  makes	
  them	
  current	
  or	
   identifies	
  a	
  market	
  need.	
  	
  Storytelling	
  enables	
  me	
  to	
  understand	
  stakeholders’	
  needs,	
  wants	
   and	
  desires,	
  to	
  create	
  urgency	
  around	
  an	
  organisation’s	
  change	
  agenda.	
  	
  All	
  too	
  often,	
   organisation’s	
  have	
  a	
  disconnect	
  between	
  the	
  Executive’s	
  vision	
  of	
  a	
  future	
  state	
  and	
  the	
   stakeholders	
  that	
  execute	
  on	
  their	
  vision.	
  	
  As	
  a	
  change	
  management	
  consultant,	
  I	
  have	
   heard	
  many	
  times	
  that	
  somebody	
  or	
  a	
  group	
  of	
  people	
  “just	
  don’t	
  get	
  it”;	
  leading	
  to	
   frustration	
  for	
  the	
  Executive	
  and	
  the	
  stakeholders	
  delivering.	
  	
  Using	
  my	
  unique	
  view	
  of	
  the	
   Executives	
  and	
  stakeholders	
  through	
  changing	
  their	
  business	
  model,	
  I	
  am	
  able	
  to	
  understand	
   the	
  frustrations	
  of	
  both	
  parties	
  to	
  identify	
  a	
  solution	
  that	
  will	
  deliver	
  a	
  quality	
  result	
  for	
  all;	
   ensuring	
  organisation’s	
  are	
  able	
  to	
  make	
  truly	
  great	
  transformational	
  opportunities	
  come	
  to	
   life.

Application

A	
  recent	
  engagement	
  with	
  an	
  organisation	
  trying	
  to	
  implement	
  a	
  new	
  Enterprise	
  Reporting	
   Program	
  (ERP)	
  revealed	
  an	
  opportunity	
  to	
  discover	
  a	
  solution	
  that	
  would	
  assist	
  that	
   organisation	
  (and	
  many	
  others	
  in	
  a	
  similar	
  situation)	
  share	
  their	
  vision,	
  to	
  execute	
  the	
   business	
  need	
  for	
  the	
  ERP.	
  	
  The	
  Executive	
  were	
  completely	
  on-­‐board	
  with	
  the	
  concept	
  of	
   introducing	
  the	
  ERP;	
  however,	
  the	
  people	
  using	
  the	
  systems	
  were	
  change	
  fatigued,	
  weary	
  of	
   another	
  change	
  project,	
  lacked	
  faith	
  and	
  confidence	
  in	
  the	
  Executive’s	
  vision,	
  and	
  were	
  time	
   poor	
  with	
  all	
  of	
  their	
  “business	
  as	
  usual”	
  activities	
  to	
  maintain	
  continuity	
  for	
  the	
  business’	
   survival.	
  	
  All	
  stakeholders	
  had	
  a	
  legitimate	
  reason	
  for	
  their	
  perceptions	
  and	
  lacked	
  a	
   common	
  solution	
  and	
  effort	
  that	
  would	
  direct	
  and	
  energise	
  the	
  organisation	
  to	
  adopt	
  the	
   new	
  ERP.	
  	
  Whilst	
  engaged	
  as	
  a	
  consultant,	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  assist	
  them	
  through	
  the	
  trials	
  and	
   tribulations	
  for	
  a	
  successful	
  implementation;	
  however,	
  the	
  organisation	
  lacked	
  a	
  common	
   solution/tool	
  to	
  collect,	
  storage	
  and	
  report	
  on	
  the	
  transformation	
  effort.	
  	
  My	
  business	
   concept	
  is	
  to	
  bring	
  all	
  of	
  the	
  stakeholders	
  together	
  in	
  one	
  common	
  tool,	
  to	
  track	
  their	
   progress	
  and	
  understand	
  where	
  effort	
  needed	
  to	
  be	
  placed	
  to	
  deal	
  with	
  the	
  complexities	
  of	
   the	
  resistance	
  to	
  change.

Insight	
  &	
  Approach

Having	
  shared	
  this	
  experience	
  and	
  shared	
  the	
  story	
  with	
  others	
  in	
  a	
  similar	
  field,	
  there	
  is	
  a	
   growing	
  need	
  to	
  develop	
  a	
  business	
  transformation	
  tool	
  that	
  can	
  provide	
  a	
  complete	
   overview	
  of	
  the	
  business	
  transformation	
  journey	
  for	
  organisations.	
  	
  Professionals	
  have	
   connected	
  with	
  the	
  story	
  that	
  I	
  have	
  shared	
  with	
  them,	
  citing	
  they	
  have	
  similar	
  issues	
  with	
   their	
  transformation	
  efforts	
  and	
  are	
  continually	
  frustrated	
  at	
  the	
  lack	
  of	
  commitment	
  to	
  a	
   single	
  goal/vision.

There	
  is	
  excitement	
  around	
  my	
  business	
  concept,	
  as	
  the	
  story	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  tell	
  about	
  my	
   concept	
  rang	
  true	
  for	
  practitioners	
  in	
  similar	
  fields	
  and	
  there	
  is	
  a	
  belief	
  that	
  this	
  is	
  a	
  universal	
   issue;	
  not	
  just	
  isolated	
  cases.

This	
  is	
  an	
  introductory	
  insight	
  into	
  Design	
  Thinking	
  for	
  me;	
  however,	
  what	
  I	
  have	
  been	
  able	
   to	
  understand	
  is	
  that	
  there	
  is	
  great	
  application	
  in	
  having	
  other	
  people	
  understand	
  the	
  issue	
   and	
  to	
  rally	
  behind	
  a	
  solution	
  that	
  will	
  work	
  for	
  all.

I	
  have	
  now	
  become	
  a	
  passionate	
  advocate	
  for	
  Designed	
  Thinking,	
  introducing	
  the	
  concept	
   and	
  tools	
  to	
  all	
  that	
  I	
  come	
  across;	
  as	
  the	
  application	
  has	
  the	
  ability	
  to	
  assist	
  people	
  connect	
   through	
  a	
  common	
  medium.	
  	
  This	
  has	
  engendered	
  insight	
  into	
  another	
  methodology,	
  which	
   is	
  now	
  being	
  widely	
  used	
  in	
  the	
  consulting	
  practice	
  where	
  I	
  work.

We	
  regular	
  talk	
  about	
  all	
  of	
  the	
  tools;	
  however,	
  the	
  power	
  of	
  storytelling	
  has	
  been	
  especially	
   well	
  received,	
  to	
  provide	
  insight	
  into	
  how	
  individuals	
  work	
  and	
  the	
  impact	
  of	
  change	
  on	
  their	
   daily	
  lives.

Participants	
  have	
  also	
  commented,	
  saying	
  that	
  they	
  appreciate	
  somebody	
  “listening	
  to	
  me”;	
   to	
  open	
  them	
  up	
  about	
  their	
  experiences	
  and	
  how	
  solutions	
  can	
  be	
  achieved	
  for	
  a	
  common	
   goal/vision.


Challenge & Selection For my assessment , I have chosen storytelling as a method of working through a business concept I am currently setting up . The business concept that I am developing is around business transformation ; where organisation ’s struggle to conceptualise , develop and execute their business transformation agenda . Business transformation encapsulates an organisation needing to pivot or tact to a new business model that makes them current or identifies a market need . Storytelling enables me to understand stakeholders ’ needs , wants and desires , to create urgency around an organisation ’s change agenda . All too often , organisation ’s have a disconnect between the Executive ’s vision of a future state and the stakeholders that execute on their vision . As a change management consultant , I have heard many times that somebody or a group of people “ just do n’t get it ” ; leading to frustration for the Executive and the stakeholders delivering . Using my unique view of the Executives and stakeholders through changing their business model , I am able to understand the frustrations of both parties to identify a solution that will deliver a quality result for all ; ensuring organisation ’s are able to make truly great transformational opportunities come to life . Application A recent engagement with an organisation trying to implement a new Enterprise Reporting Program ( ERP ) revealed an opportunity to discover a solution that would assist that organisation ( and many others in a similar situation ) share their vision , to execute the business need for the ERP . The Executive were completely on-­‐board with the concept of introducing the ERP ; however , the people using the systems were change fatigued , weary of another change project , lacked faith and confidence in the Executive ’s vision , and were time poor with all of their “ business as usual ” activities to maintain continuity for the business ’ survival . All stakeholders had a legitimate reason for their perceptions and lacked a common solution and effort that would direct and energise the organisation to adopt the new ERP . Whilst engaged as a consultant , I was able to assist them through the trials and tribulations for a successful implementation ; however , the organisation lacked a common solution / tool to collect , storage and report on the transformation effort . My business concept is to bring all of the stakeholders together in one common tool , to track their progress and understand where effort needed to be placed to deal with the complexities of the resistance to change . Insight & Approach Having shared this experience and shared the story with others in a similar field , there is a growing need to develop a business transformation tool that can provide a complete overview of the business transformation journey for organisations . Professionals have connected with the story that I have shared with them , citing they have similar issues with their transformation efforts and are continually frustrated at the lack of commitment to a single goal / vision . There is excitement around my business concept , as the story I was able to tell about my concept rang true for practitioners in similar fields and there is a belief that this is a universal issue ; not just isolated cases . This is an introductory insight into Design Thinking for me ; however , what I have been able to understand is that there is great application in having other people understand the issue and to rally behind a solution that will work for all . I have now become a passionate advocate for Designed Thinking , introducing the concept and tools to all that I come across ; as the application has the ability to assist people connect through a common medium . This has engendered insight into another methodology , which is now being widely used in the consulting practice where I work . We regular talk about all of the tools ; however , the power of storytelling has been especially well received , to provide insight into how individuals work and the impact of change on their daily lives . Participants have also commented , saying that they appreciate somebody “ listening to me ” ; to open them up about their experiences and how solutions can be achieved for a common goal / vision .