Challenge	
   	
   I	
  work	
  for	
  a	
  youth	
  volunteering	
  charity	
  and	
  a	
  significant	
  part	
  of	
  what	
  I	
  do	
  is	
   workshops	
  in	
  schools	
  aimed	
  at	
  encouraging	
  more	
  young	
  people	
  to	
  volunteer.	
   These	
  workshops	
  can	
  vary	
  in	
  terms	
  of	
  the	
  age	
  of	
  the	
  young	
  people	
  and	
  their	
   awareness	
  of	
  volunteering.	
  I	
  have	
  lots	
  of	
  statistics	
  about	
  the	
  benefits	
  of	
   volunteering,	
  and	
  can	
  clearly	
  outline	
  the	
  different	
  ways	
  it	
  can	
  help	
  young	
  people	
   however	
  if	
  they	
  already	
  have	
  a	
  negative	
  perception	
  of	
  it,	
  I	
  struggle	
  to	
  change	
   their	
  mind.	
  Young	
  people	
  can	
  be	
  sceptical	
  of	
  what	
  adults	
  say	
  is	
  good	
  for	
  them	
  and	
   me	
  outlining	
  the	
  different	
  ways	
  it	
  could	
  help	
  their	
  personal	
  development	
  can	
   often	
  leave	
  them	
  bored.	
  	
  	
   	
   	
   Selection	
   	
   I	
  selected	
  the	
  storytelling	
  tool	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  better	
  engage	
  my	
  audience.	
  As	
   described	
  in	
  the	
  video,	
  this	
  was	
  “to	
  get	
  them	
  to	
  pay	
  attention,	
  for	
  just	
  a	
  little	
  bit	
   longer.	
  For	
  a	
  little	
  bit	
  more	
  time,	
  with	
  a	
  little	
  bit	
  more	
  diligent	
  energy.”	
  I	
  decided	
   to	
  incorporate	
  this	
  tool	
  into	
  my	
  presentation	
  and	
  change	
  my	
  approach.	
  As	
  my	
   challenge	
  was	
  to	
  better	
  engage	
  my	
  audience	
  and	
  more	
  effectively	
  convince	
  them	
   of	
  the	
  merits	
  of	
  volunteering,	
  I	
  felt	
  this	
  was	
  the	
  best	
  tool.	
  	
   	
   Application	
   	
   For	
  my	
  next	
  school	
  workshop,	
  rather	
  than	
  focussing	
  on	
  facts	
  I	
  used	
  a	
  case	
  study	
   of	
  a	
  young	
  person	
  who	
  volunteered,	
  presenting	
  it	
  as	
  a	
  story.	
  I	
  used	
  a	
   presentation	
  to	
  show	
  pictures	
  of	
  the	
  young	
  person,	
  thus	
  helping	
  my	
  audience	
  to	
   connect	
  with	
  them.	
  I	
  explained	
  the	
  situation	
  that	
  the	
  young	
  person	
  was	
  in,	
  as	
   well	
  as	
  their	
  interests	
  and	
  hobbies	
  so	
  that	
  my	
  audience	
  could	
  relate	
  to	
  them.	
  I	
   told	
  the	
  story	
  of	
  how	
  they	
  started	
  volunteering	
  initially	
  over	
  the	
  summer	
  holiday	
   with	
  a	
  youth	
  club,	
  and	
  then	
  continued	
  to	
  build	
  up	
  their	
  experience	
  in	
  a	
  charity	
   shop	
  before	
  eventually	
  securing	
  a	
  paid	
  job	
  whilst	
  also	
  continuing	
  their	
   volunteering	
  through	
  launching	
  their	
  own	
  project	
  helping	
  bullied	
  children.	
  Using	
   the	
  story	
  telling	
  tool	
  in	
  this	
  way	
  was	
  effective	
  in	
  engaging	
  my	
  audience	
  as	
  they	
   felt	
  what	
  I	
  had	
  to	
  say	
  was	
  more	
  relevant	
  as	
  it	
  was	
  about	
  a	
  real	
  young	
  person	
  their	
   age.	
  Using	
  a	
  story	
  I	
  was	
  able	
  to	
  show	
  progression	
  and	
  the	
  personal	
  benefits	
  of	
   volunteering	
  in	
  a	
  accessible	
  way.	
  Seeing	
  the	
  journey	
  of	
  one	
  person	
  was	
  more	
   effective	
  in	
  conveying	
  the	
  benefits	
  that	
  just	
  listing	
  statistics.	
  The	
  only	
  part	
  of	
  this	
   technique	
  that	
  was	
  not	
  effective	
  was	
  that	
  one	
  young	
  person	
  in	
  the	
  group	
   expressed	
  that	
  they	
  did	
  not	
  relate	
  to	
  the	
  person	
  in	
  the	
  story	
  as	
  they	
  had	
  different	
   interests,	
  and	
  thus	
  they	
  did	
  not	
  engage	
  with	
  the	
  story.	
  	
    	
   Insight	
   	
   The	
  insight	
  I	
  gained	
  from	
  using	
  this	
  tool	
  was	
  that	
  the	
  way	
  things	
  are	
  normally	
   done	
  is	
  not	
  always	
  the	
  best	
  way.	
  Through	
  employing	
  the	
  storytelling	
  tool	
  I	
  was	
   able	
  to	
  better	
  engage	
  young	
  people.	
  Having	
  successfully	
  done	
  this	
  it	
  now	
  seems	
   the	
  logical	
  approach	
  to	
  take,	
  which	
  has	
  provided	
  me	
  with	
  key	
  learning	
  around	
   challenging	
  norms	
  and	
  regularly	
  evaluating	
  approaches	
  to	
  how	
  things	
  are	
  done.

Another	
  key	
  insight	
  was	
  that	
  although	
  this	
  tool	
  was	
  effective	
  it	
  did	
  not	
  go	
  down	
   well	
  with	
  everyone	
  in	
  the	
  room,	
  I	
  have	
  thus	
  learned	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  important	
  not	
  to	
  see	
   any	
  tool	
  as	
  a	
  complete	
  solution	
  to	
  a	
  challenge.	
  This	
  has	
  helped	
  my	
  understanding	
   of	
  design	
  thinking	
  more	
  broadly,	
  enabling	
  me	
  to	
  appreciate	
  the	
  importance	
  in	
   testing	
  ideas	
  and	
  diversifying	
  input.	
  	
   	
   	
   Approach	
   	
   Moving	
  forward	
  I	
  will	
  continue	
  to	
  use	
  the	
  tool	
  of	
  storytelling	
  in	
  my	
  workshops,	
   however	
  what	
  I	
  will	
  do	
  differently	
  is	
  use	
  multiple	
  examples	
  (stories)	
  to	
  try	
  and	
   avoid	
  the	
  problem	
  of	
  certain	
  audience	
  members	
  not	
  relating	
  to	
  a	
  specific	
  story.	
  I	
   will	
  also	
  be	
  more	
  flexible	
  based	
  on	
  the	
  mood	
  in	
  the	
  room.	
  I	
  will	
  also	
  aim	
  to	
  try	
   and	
  incorporate	
  other	
  tools,	
  such	
  as	
  mind	
  mapping	
  to	
  ensure	
  multiple	
   viewpoints	
  input	
  into	
  the	
  best	
  approach	
  for	
  this	
  work	
  moving	
  forward.


Challenge I work for a youth volunteering charity and a significant part of what I do is workshops in schools aimed at encouraging more young people to volunteer . These workshops can vary in terms of the age of the young people and their awareness of volunteering . I have lots of statistics about the benefits of volunteering , and can clearly outline the different ways it can help young people however if they already have a negative perception of it , I struggle to change their mind . Young people can be sceptical of what adults say is good for them and me outlining the different ways it could help their personal development can often leave them bored . Selection I selected the storytelling tool in order to better engage my audience . As described in the video , this was “ to get them to pay attention , for just a little bit longer . For a little bit more time , with a little bit more diligent energy . ” I decided to incorporate this tool into my presentation and change my approach . As my challenge was to better engage my audience and more effectively convince them of the merits of volunteering , I felt this was the best tool . Application For my next school workshop , rather than focussing on facts I used a case study of a young person who volunteered , presenting it as a story . I used a presentation to show pictures of the young person , thus helping my audience to connect with them . I explained the situation that the young person was in , as well as their interests and hobbies so that my audience could relate to them . I told the story of how they started volunteering initially over the summer holiday with a youth club , and then continued to build up their experience in a charity shop before eventually securing a paid job whilst also continuing their volunteering through launching their own project helping bullied children . Using the story telling tool in this way was effective in engaging my audience as they felt what I had to say was more relevant as it was about a real young person their age . Using a story I was able to show progression and the personal benefits of volunteering in a accessible way . Seeing the journey of one person was more effective in conveying the benefits that just listing statistics . The only part of this technique that was not effective was that one young person in the group expressed that they did not relate to the person in the story as they had different interests , and thus they did not engage with the story . Insight The insight I gained from using this tool was that the way things are normally done is not always the best way . Through employing the storytelling tool I was able to better engage young people . Having successfully done this it now seems the logical approach to take , which has provided me with key learning around challenging norms and regularly evaluating approaches to how things are done . Another key insight was that although this tool was effective it did not go down well with everyone in the room , I have thus learned that it is important not to see any tool as a complete solution to a challenge . This has helped my understanding of design thinking more broadly , enabling me to appreciate the importance in testing ideas and diversifying input . Approach Moving forward I will continue to use the tool of storytelling in my workshops , however what I will do differently is use multiple examples ( stories ) to try and avoid the problem of certain audience members not relating to a specific story . I will also be more flexible based on the mood in the room . I will also aim to try and incorporate other tools , such as mind mapping to ensure multiple viewpoints input into the best approach for this work moving forward .