A521.1.4.RB_Hansard

A521.1.4.RB_Hansard

I am not sure that I can think of a “common” story in my organization. However, I can think of stories told at a recent retreat that my department held. The Worldwide Headquarters is getting ready to take over several IT responsibilities from the Daytona Campus. The CTO of the organization wanted to be sure that, as this transition takes place, we are all aware of the importance of great customer service. She created scripts (stories) about possible scenarios that we would come across. She and another director from the department acted these scenarios out in front of the group. The idea was to demonstrate how NOT to do it and then allow a team member to show how he or she would have done it right. This method of storytelling was very effective for the audience in promoting the goals and ideals of our department. It was very vivid and allowed many of us to put ourselves into the role of the customer. We were able to feel the “felt sense” that Whalen (2011, p. 9) describes in his book. When the stories begin, you picture yourself in the scenario in both roles. As the details unfold and you can see the attitudes of both parties, you feel like something is not right. You begin to imagine what you would do differently and run through various solutions to the problems that the customer was experiencing. This allowed each member of the department to think independently about resolutions. Everyone was engrossed in what was happening and there were many funny parts to the stories which kept everyone interested and entertained.

Once the initial story had been told, members from the department were able to re-write the story and provide a different, more satisfying ending. Team members had the ability to create multiple solutions to the customer’s issue. These alternate endings emphasized who we are and what we stand for as we move forward with our transition to the role of the Technology Services department. The stories that were told at the retreat highlighted what the culture of the organization is expected to be. In my opinion, the use of stories in this setting was more effective than our CTO simply standing in front of us telling us what she expected from us. This illustration provoked thought which made the stories memorable for the audience. When we find ourselves in a similar situation next time, we will likely recall the feelings we had while watching these scenes unfold at our retreat.