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Can you share an example of a time when a story helped you make a point or inspire action at work ?
Can you share an example of a time when a story helped you make a point or inspire action at work?
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9 answers
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
- As a product manager at a tech startup, I was able to bring to life a somewhat boring analytical product by using metaphor to explain what the product did. I compared our product to walking down the produce aisle of a grocery store and explained that our competitors might see a pile of apples, our product offered the ability to stop and pick up each individual item and check for imperfections. This metaphor was picked up by our entire salesforce and our CEO and played a crucial role in helping position the company for acquisition.
- I use stories about my long experience in my line of work to help junior employees and mentees learn from my experience. While no substitution for their own lived experience, these stories about my experiences help me show empathy for what they are experiencing and learning for the first time. For example, while I may have seen and experienced decades of technological evolution, what hasn't changed is the why behind we have continued to adapt to new technologies.
- I use stories about my long experience in my line of work to help junior employees and mentees learn from my experience. While no substitution for their own lived experience, these stories about my experiences help me show empathy for what they are experiencing and learning for the first time. For example, while I may have seen and experienced decades of technological evolution, what hasn't changed is the why behind we have continued to adapt to new technologies.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Whenever I speak with new hires in their first year or two, I always share two stories with them as a way of helping them understand that, as a Firm, we want them to be successful in everything they do. The first is about how, as a first year associate, I was really struggling to understand a particular business process and so I went into a conference late at night by myself to try and use the whiteboard to draw out what I thought I understood and what I didn't. In the process of doing that the partner on the account walked by and saw me working through it. He immediately stopped and came into the room to ask what I was working on. Though I was a bit embarrassed I explained that I was having a hard time understanding the business process and he proceeded to sit next to me and work through it with me so that I understood exactly how it worked. He didn't have to do that but he saw that I was struggling but that I was curious and the time he spent with me showed me how it didn't matter that he was a prominent partner and I was just a first year, but that he wanted me to be successful and took the time to help me.
The second story I love to tell is how there is never anything that is ""too small"" to not give it your best. I had a winter intern on a job when I was a senior manager. He was very smart and was willing to do whatever we needed in order to help the team. He realized early on that, as a team working late nights, we never bothered to think about feeding ourselves until it was very late and then our options were limited to unhealthy choices. He saw an opportunity to help the team and so he instituted a process whereby we were required to provide our food orders by 4pm so that it could be ordered at a reasonable time for us to eat. He created a list of nearby restaurants that we could order from that had better, healthier options, required everyone up through the partner, to place their order (following up with them when necessary) timely and made sure it arrived on time. Identifying an issue, even one as simple as ordering dinner, putting together a plan and implementing it so that it alleviated the stress from the rest of the team resulted in a happier, more focused and effective team. I remind new staff that there are always ways you can help the team be better and to look for and seize those opportunities.
The second story I love to tell is how there is never anything that is ""too small"" to not give it your best. I had a winter intern on a job when I was a senior manager. He was very smart and was willing to do whatever we needed in order to help the team. He realized early on that, as a team working late nights, we never bothered to think about feeding ourselves until it was very late and then our options were limited to unhealthy choices. He saw an opportunity to help the team and so he instituted a process whereby we were required to provide our food orders by 4pm so that it could be ordered at a reasonable time for us to eat. He created a list of nearby restaurants that we could order from that had better, healthier options, required everyone up through the partner, to place their order (following up with them when necessary) timely and made sure it arrived on time. Identifying an issue, even one as simple as ordering dinner, putting together a plan and implementing it so that it alleviated the stress from the rest of the team resulted in a happier, more focused and effective team. I remind new staff that there are always ways you can help the team be better and to look for and seize those opportunities.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
I use storytelling on a daily basis when working with my team members. It’s critical for them to understand my journey and how I arrive at the perspectives I am sharing. Creating this relationship between your guidance and your personal experience helps to inspire those around you.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
- Whether I'm looking for signoff, or trying to persuade leaders to support one of my ideas, storytelling helps me make the case in a way that's clear and compelling.
- My personal intro is often a story. No one cares about my title or how long I have worked at PwC. Instead, I say.... Hi - my role on this project is to be a listener. I like to think I learned from the best - my family - a lot of women - are excellent listeners. What that means for this project is that I am here to listen to your customers in a way that helps shape the future state experience to meet their needs...
- Most recently I've worked on a strategic story about how to enable greater content standardization across our Marketing, Comms and Experience teams as we focus on improving the way we collaborate and scale our delivery. I started the story by showing an inspirational look at what we could become in the future, the impact we could have...and then backtracked into where we are today, building back up to how we can get to that ideal future. I worked with Chat GPT to get to the phrasing and tone I wanted to capture to get people excited and also feel like this is achievable, not aspirational.
- My personal intro is often a story. No one cares about my title or how long I have worked at PwC. Instead, I say.... Hi - my role on this project is to be a listener. I like to think I learned from the best - my family - a lot of women - are excellent listeners. What that means for this project is that I am here to listen to your customers in a way that helps shape the future state experience to meet their needs...
- Most recently I've worked on a strategic story about how to enable greater content standardization across our Marketing, Comms and Experience teams as we focus on improving the way we collaborate and scale our delivery. I started the story by showing an inspirational look at what we could become in the future, the impact we could have...and then backtracked into where we are today, building back up to how we can get to that ideal future. I worked with Chat GPT to get to the phrasing and tone I wanted to capture to get people excited and also feel like this is achievable, not aspirational.
James Constantine Frangos
SOFTWARE ENGINEER SINCE 1972; NUTRITIONIST SINCE 1976.
7089
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Good Day Career Village Office Hours!
In 1960, my Uncle worked as trainee biochemist at Queensland University with a Professor. They were keeping small ducks in tanks, checking their chemistry. Years later, my Uncle died from a massive heart attack at 38 years of age. He was a co-manager in a liquor wholesale factory, with my Dad.
Then his old boss, the Professor came to work at our university lecturing in Biochemistry. I changed my major to Biological Chemistry! I continued on at another university with postgraduate biochemistry, tutoring dental and medical students. Then my Dad died of the same illness at 50 years of age!
The year after I started studying to become a dietitian-nutritionist! I helped thousands of patients referred by medical doctors!
GOD BLESS!
In 1960, my Uncle worked as trainee biochemist at Queensland University with a Professor. They were keeping small ducks in tanks, checking their chemistry. Years later, my Uncle died from a massive heart attack at 38 years of age. He was a co-manager in a liquor wholesale factory, with my Dad.
Then his old boss, the Professor came to work at our university lecturing in Biochemistry. I changed my major to Biological Chemistry! I continued on at another university with postgraduate biochemistry, tutoring dental and medical students. Then my Dad died of the same illness at 50 years of age!
The year after I started studying to become a dietitian-nutritionist! I helped thousands of patients referred by medical doctors!
GOD BLESS!
Robert Epstein
General Manager
123
Answers
Wake Forest
Updated
Robert’s Answer
At the start of my career, I was pretty clueless and often did things that weren’t that productive. I’d often go to my boss with another difficult thing that I couldn’t handle. One day he sat me down and said, “Let me tell you a story about when I got started in this industry. Like you, I’d go to my supervisor with problems I couldn’t fix. He told me this: Don’t come back to me again with a problem. Come back with SOLUTIONS and, if you need further assistance, I’ll help you to decide how to choose the right one to try.”
That advice changed the career of my boss, and it changed mine from that day throughout my whole working life. From then on, I researched how to solve my problems in books, online and talking with my more experienced colleagues. I went from a junior engineer to the head of a multi-million dollar international company with that story in mind.
That advice changed the career of my boss, and it changed mine from that day throughout my whole working life. From then on, I researched how to solve my problems in books, online and talking with my more experienced colleagues. I went from a junior engineer to the head of a multi-million dollar international company with that story in mind.
Karen Kitchel
Community Volunteer
466
Answers
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Updated
Karen’s Answer
While managing a nonprofit organization that provided small gift bags to parents who couldn't afford to buy birthday gifts, I often began my presentation asking them to take a minute and imagine when they woke up today they remembered it was their young daughter's birthday, but they simply couldn't afford to give them anything. I asked them to think about how they would feel.
Jerome Dees Jr.
Sales Professional and Networking Expert
853
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Jerome’s Answer
I am a sales professional and I use stories all of the time to prove points or encourage buying behaviors. I once catered for a Super Bowl (1500 people between 2:00 AM and 5:00 PM later that day). We had to navigate checkpoints and army vehicle with machine guns on them. I will tell other clients if we could do that, we can get their lunch delivered on time. The right story can help alleviate concerns and anxiousness.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
In one of our recent initiatives, we were presenting dashboards to clients that were heavily focused on numbers and visualizations. While the analytics were strong, we noticed they weren’t creating the intended impact, stakeholders saw the metrics, but they weren’t fully connecting them to business decisions or value.
To address this, I shifted our approach. Instead of starting with the dashboard screens, I created short demo videos that began with the purpose of the tool: why it existed, what business problem it was solving, and how it tied directly to enterprise value and outcomes. I walked through practical scenarios showing how a leader would use the insights to make better decisions, improve performance, or unlock specific value levers.
To address this, I shifted our approach. Instead of starting with the dashboard screens, I created short demo videos that began with the purpose of the tool: why it existed, what business problem it was solving, and how it tied directly to enterprise value and outcomes. I walked through practical scenarios showing how a leader would use the insights to make better decisions, improve performance, or unlock specific value levers.