Reflection - Storytelling 

 Challenge and selection 

 I have chosen the topic of storytelling because it as the tool which is the most different to the skills I   have trained in to become a structural engineer . When learning through university and even through   on the job learning in the workforce , as a structural engineer we are thought to think analytically   and look for technical solutions . We are taught to be efficient , to get to the point and get there   quickly . We often speak in numbers , in a technical way that can be hard for non - technical people to   understand . That is exactly why I need the tool of storytelling , to stand out from the rest . The   concept makes perfect sense to someone who thinks so logically . It becomes a challenge to learn   how to tell a good story because for the last 10 years I have been learning almost the exact opposite . 

 The challenge comes in how to think in a storytelling mind - set . I want to be able to take my client on   a journey through the power of storytelling . The clients we consult for are typically non - technical   such as property developers or project managers for public sector organisations . They want a   consultant who can provide them a solution they need , not just one they think they want , so there   are times where I need to show the client that what they are asking for is n’t what they need .   Storytelling will be such a powerful tool in doing this as it puts words and examples around number   and figures . It will paint a picture in the mind of the listener and leave them in a positive frame of   mind about me , my company and the solution we are developing to their ultimate problem . 

 Application 

 I have recently been tasked with a new project – an apartment building development for an   established client . The client knew what he wanted and has done many similar buildings so thought   he knew what the rules allowed . As is often the case , this buildings had a few idiosyncrasies which   meant a thinking out of the box approach was required . How do you tell your client they are wrong   without offending them ? I told him a story . A story of how we had encountered an issue before and   how it ended up causing problems . The problem involved having all columns in a building align   vertically . Offsetting some at lower levels means many more large beams – a heavy cost which can   be avoided by good design . Property developers do n’t like spending money where they do n’t have   to , so the client was appreciative of my input . We went back to work and tabled a new concept that   avoided this problem . “ Brilliant ” was the answer from our project manager , and instantly an element   of trust became apparent . Without being able to tell a good story , the situation could have become   more heated . I was pleased with the new skills I had learned . 

 Insight and Approach 

 The use of storytelling proved very helpful and it is an approach I intend to use again . The positive   outcome that was attained through the application of the tool speaks volumes of how valuable a   tool it is . However , I feel I want to learn more and improve my verbal communication skills for it to   really become one of my key skills . Having good verbal communication is such a key aspect of   storytelling because you need to be able to clearly articulate your story for it to have maximum   effect . Ultimately , the more storytelling becomes a part of my daily life , the easier it will become and   the better I will get at it . As such , I think it ’s important to introduce it into other aspect of life , such   as relaying information to friends and family . Whilst a different context to the work environment , 

 the same underlying idea is there that you are trying to create a picture for others of a different   background to understand your point . 

 Storytelling also needs to be used as one part of the deign process , not the only part . In the example   above , we had been brought into the design later than was ideal . Therefore with the time   constraints , we were n’t able to apply a full design led thinking approach . Visualisation is part of what   we do once we have a concept , which is somewhat backward to what we should be doing . It can be   hard to change a whole company ’s thinking ! But a few of us who are taking the Design Led Thinking   journey are trying . I think there are many soft skills which need to be learning in conjunction with   the design led thinking approach , particularly when applied to an engineering consulting firm .   Personally , I need to learn more about the psychology of people to be able to ask the right questions   to really discover what it is that they need ( not necessarily want ) . As an engineer , it blows my mind   to think that , but the best solutions are ones that solve the ultimate problems , not the ones that just   look good . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Reflection - Storytelling 

 Challenge and selection 

 I have chosen the topic of storytelling because it as the tool which is the most different to the skills I   have trained in to become a structural engineer . When learning through university and even through   on the job learning in the workforce , as a structural engineer we are thought to think analytically   and look for technical solutions . We are taught to be efficient , to get to the point and get there   quickly . We often speak in numbers , in a technical way that can be hard for non - technical people to   understand . That is exactly why I need the tool of storytelling , to stand out from the rest . The   concept makes perfect sense to someone who thinks so logically . It becomes a challenge to learn   how to tell a good story because for the last 10 years I have been learning almost the exact opposite . 

 The challenge comes in how to think in a storytelling mind - set . I want to be able to take my client on   a journey through the power of storytelling . The clients we consult for are typically non - technical   such as property developers or project managers for public sector organisations . They want a   consultant who can provide them a solution they need , not just one they think they want , so there   are times where I need to show the client that what they are asking for is n’t what they need .   Storytelling will be such a powerful tool in doing this as it puts words and examples around number   and figures . It will paint a picture in the mind of the listener and leave them in a positive frame of   mind about me , my company and the solution we are developing to their ultimate problem . 

 Application 

 I have recently been tasked with a new project – an apartment building development for an   established client . The client knew what he wanted and has done many similar buildings so thought   he knew what the rules allowed . As is often the case , this buildings had a few idiosyncrasies which   meant a thinking out of the box approach was required . How do you tell your client they are wrong   without offending them ? I told him a story . A story of how we had encountered an issue before and   how it ended up causing problems . The problem involved having all columns in a building align   vertically . Offsetting some at lower levels means many more large beams – a heavy cost which can   be avoided by good design . Property developers do n’t like spending money where they do n’t have   to , so the client was appreciative of my input . We went back to work and tabled a new concept that   avoided this problem . “ Brilliant ” was the answer from our project manager , and instantly an element   of trust became apparent . Without being able to tell a good story , the situation could have become   more heated . I was pleased with the new skills I had learned . 

 Insight and Approach 

 The use of storytelling proved very helpful and it is an approach I intend to use again . The positive   outcome that was attained through the application of the tool speaks volumes of how valuable a   tool it is . However , I feel I want to learn more and improve my verbal communication skills for it to   really become one of my key skills . Having good verbal communication is such a key aspect of   storytelling because you need to be able to clearly articulate your story for it to have maximum   effect . Ultimately , the more storytelling becomes a part of my daily life , the easier it will become and   the better I will get at it . As such , I think it ’s important to introduce it into other aspect of life , such   as relaying information to friends and family . Whilst a different context to the work environment , 

 the same underlying idea is there that you are trying to create a picture for others of a different   background to understand your point . 

 Storytelling also needs to be used as one part of the deign process , not the only part . In the example   above , we had been brought into the design later than was ideal . Therefore with the time   constraints , we were n’t able to apply a full design led thinking approach . Visualisation is part of what   we do once we have a concept , which is somewhat backward to what we should be doing . It can be   hard to change a whole company ’s thinking ! But a few of us who are taking the Design Led Thinking   journey are trying . I think there are many soft skills which need to be learning in conjunction with   the design led thinking approach , particularly when applied to an engineering consulting firm .   Personally , I need to learn more about the psychology of people to be able to ask the right questions   to really discover what it is that they need ( not necessarily want ) . As an engineer , it blows my mind   to think that , but the best solutions are ones that solve the ultimate problems , not the ones that just   look good .
### Output: 