using stories to build relationships 1

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Using Stories to Build Relationships

Introduction

This portfolio work project will give you practice with professional writing expectations, as well as motivating and persuading others by telling a story.

Scenario

You have learned about the tools that leaders have available to them to use as a way to engage and motivate others and to build trust and collaborative relationships. Storytelling is one of the tools.

Your Role

You have just been assigned to lead a team that has an established history with your organization. Due to some serious issues in the past, you are concerned about building relationships with the team members and creating a working environment of mutual trust and collaboration.

Requirements

For this assignment you will chose one of the following 3 options:

Option A: Your Own Story

For this option, choose a real situation from your own work experience where a team of people needed to work together in order to get something done. For whatever reason, the group failed to succeed. Now that you will be working as the new leader of the team, you would like to take steps to prevent the same thing from happening again.

Option B: Case Study – NASA Challenger Disaster

For this option, use this chapter:

  • Snarski, R. D. (2017). Communicating clearly in the information age: A guide to easy and effective writing for employees, students, writers and anyone who uses the written word. Tampa, FL: Author.
    • Chapter 1, “The Global Importance of Effective Communication [PDF].”

The reading asserts that NASA engineers knew there was a problem in the shuttle that could cause a disaster, yet the shuttle launched. As a new team leader at NASA, you want to take steps to build trust among the members of the team and develop relationships that will result in better collaboration and engagement, so a disaster like this doesn’t happen again.

Option C: Case Study – British Petroleum (BP) Oil Spill

For this option, use this case study:

The Gulf oil spill article asserts that there were some at BP who knew in advance that there was a problem that could lead to a disaster. As the new team leader for a team at BP, you want to take steps to build trust among the members of the team and develop relationships that will result in better collaboration and engagement to prevent similar disasters in the future.

Assignment Instructions

For whichever case you chose, complete the following:

Write a professional paper that analyzes the tools 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. In your paper, complete the following:

  • Analyze the tools leaders can use to build trust and relationships, foster collaboration, and help employees feel engaged with their work.
    • Identify the specific tools.
    • Explain how each tool can be used.
    • Explain the benefits of each tool.
  • Explain ways in which leaders use storytelling to build trust and relationships.
    • Provide some examples of times when using storytelling would be effective.
    • Tell a story to your team. Create a section of your paper where you craft a story to your team which informs them about the past situation, yet inspires them to excellence in the future.
  • Craft a story that:
    • Describes the past situation and what went wrong. Where did the breakdown in trust happen?
    • Discusses what you have learned from that situation about trust, relationships, communication, collaboration, and any other aspects.
    • Describes your plan for building trust among the team members.
    • Is well organized and appropriate for your intended audience.

When you create this paper you should have a single file that is organized with subheadings and is easy to read and follow. It should include, at minimum, an introduction, sections on collaboration and trust, a section on storytelling and how it is effect, and then a section that actually tells the story that you, as a leader, would tell your team.

If you wish, instead of writing the story portion of this paper, you can create a video or audio recording of it using Capella-supported Kaltura or providing your instructor with a YouTube link. When using Kaltura for your recording, you may record a video or use audio only if you do not have a camera on your computer. Refer to the MBA Program Resources for Kaltura to prepare for this option.

Deliverable Format

  • Professional paper of 3–5 pages.
  • Include supporting resources.
  • If you chose to record your story using Kaltura or YouTube upload, it should not exceed 5 minutes and you should put a note saying you have attached an audio/video file in the appropriate section of your paper.

Submit your paper to SafeAssign as a draft to check your use of source material and see if you have any errors in your citations to correct. Note: In many assignments throughout your program you will use SafeAssign to check your work in this way.