Assessment 3 Instructions: Storytelling
Create a PowerPoint presentation that showcases your ability to tell a story.
Introduction
This portfolio work project will give you practice with professional writing expectations, as well as motivating and persuading others by telling a story.
Create a brief slide presentation, with graphics, and preferably your voice presenting, that analyzes the tools and strategies that leaders can use to build trust and collaboration, and explains why you believe storytelling is one effective tool for you to use to lead your team.
The Creating a Presentation in the MBA Program Resources and the Guidelines for Effective PowerPoint Presentations [PDF] document will help you with this presentation.
The Ariel Group explains that a story needs to follow a basic four-step format that gently leads the audience into the story, through the story, and connecting the story:
The Ariel Group. (2011). Executive essentials: Storytelling [PDF]. Available from https://www.arielgroup.com/
Use this format, based on page 9 of the Ariel group resource, to create six slides (not including cover page and references):
Slide 1. Cover slide with title and your name, and a graphic for interest (be sure to credit graphic artist in the reference slide).
Slide 2. Introduce the subject matter or business content, much as the introduction to a paper would do.
Example: “NASA has a reputation for communication issues among teammates, but our team is going to change all of that. This presentation does this and that.”
Slide 3. Building Trust and Collaboration. Discuss the importance of trust and collaboration in the workplace, then identify and discuss at least two tools or strategies (other than storytelling) leaders can use for building trust and fostering collaboration.
Slide 4. Storytelling. Explain ways in which leaders can use storytelling to build trust and relationships.
Slide 5. Transition into the story. This slide should transition into your story, setting the expectations of the audience of what is to come.
Example: “I once worked at another company that had some major communications issues. It wasn’t life or death like here at NASA, but we did have some serious problems in communications that impacted our ability to be effective. Let me share with you a story to illustrate a vision of how we can work together . . .”
Slide 6. Tell the Story. This slide should actually tell your story:
Set the stage.
Describe the conflict.
Describe the resolution.
Example: “About 10 years ago I was working as a shift leader at a manufacturing facility where safety was supposedly part of the culture, yet we had a frighteningly bad safety record . . .” Continue the story.
Slide 7. Connect the story to a teaching point or subject matter. This slide should bring your story back to the issue at hand.
Example: “In this situation, we learned this and that. Here at NASA, we can do the same thing. We can prove that communications this and that.” Think of this like explaining the moral of the story.
Slide 8. References. Include references here.
Deliverable Format
Content and Organization. Attach a PowerPoint presentation that has a cover page, seven content slides per the above, and a references slide. You must have exactly eight slides—learning to follow established guidelines is important in school and the workplace.
Audio Presentation. Your slides must be presented with audio; this is an important part of storytelling. Most learners simply record directly into PowerPoint, but you may use other recording software if you wish, as long as your instructor can access it without a password to see your slides and hear your presentation. If you have a disability that makes audio a problem discuss it with your instructor or coach.
Slide Appearance. Your slides should be modern, professional, and effective. This means using color and some graphic design. Templates in PowerPoint can help with this. There are many free graphics websites you can use for graphics. Be sure to provide an APA citation for any graphics.
Presenter Notes. Note that your slides should not be text heavy. However, you should make ample use of presenter notes. While the presenter notes do not have to be a word-for-word transcript, they should be very close to what you say in your audio.
References. Your presentation must be evidence based, and as such must have APA formatted citations. This includes a reference slide at the end, but also intext citations on the slides themselves or in the presenter notes.
Refer to the writing resources in the MBA Program Resources, especially paying attention to the MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, under Writing Skills, for more information.
Evaluation
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
Competency 2: Apply leadership strengths and behaviors to workplace situations.
Apply storytelling skills to a workplace situation where trust and collaboration are essential.
Competency 3: Recommend evidence-based strategies for leading and collaborating in complex environments.
Analyze the tools leaders can use to build trust and relationships, foster collaboration, and help employees feel engaged with their work.
Explain ways in which leaders use storytelling to build trust and relationships.
Competency 4: Communicate effectively through academic and professional writing.
Develop text using organization, structure, and transitions that demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the main topic and subtopics.
Integrate appropriate use of scholarly sources, evidence, and citation style.
Convey clear meaning in text through sound grammar, usage, word choice, and mechanics.