⏱️ Time: 20 minutes | 🎯 Discover stories hiding in your daily work!
Many professionals tell me: "Sir, I don't have interesting stories. I just do regular office work."
Let me share a secret from my 40 years of training: You're surrounded by stories every single day. You just haven't learned to recognize them yet!
Five years ago, I was training managers at a software company in Hyderabad. During the break, one manager, Suresh, said, "I have nothing interesting to share."
I asked him, "What did you do this week?"
He said casually, "Oh, nothing much. Just helped a junior developer debug some code. The poor guy was stuck for two days. I sat with him for an hour, and we found the issue - it was just a missing semicolon. He was so relieved!"
I smiled and said: "Suresh, you just told me a beautiful story about mentorship, persistence, and how small things can create big problems! That's exactly the kind of story you should share in your team meetings!"
Suresh's eyes widened. He never realized his daily work was full of stories. Your work is too!
What it is: The story of how your company, team, product, or project started.
TCS Example: "In 1968, JRD Tata wanted to help Indian engineers work with global technology. He started TCS with just 4 people in a small Pune office. Today, TCS has 500,000+ employees worldwide. But that vision of empowering Indian talent? It's still the same."
Your Turn: How did your current project start? What was the first conversation? Who had the original idea?
What it is: Stories of facing obstacles and finding solutions.
Infosys Example: "In the early 1990s, Infosys needed more office space in Bangalore. But there was no commercial real estate. So they did something crazy - they bought 50 acres of empty land and built their own campus. Everyone thought they were mad. 'Why so much space for a small IT company?' But they were thinking 20 years ahead. Today, that campus houses 20,000+ employees and is a landmark!"
Your Turn: What problem did you solve recently? What challenge did your team overcome?
What it is: How your work affected a real customer or client.
Zomato Example: "During the 2020 lockdown, a Mumbai restaurant owner, Sharma ji, was devastated. His 30-year-old restaurant was empty. He didn't even know how to go online. Zomato's team personally visited him, helped him photograph his dishes, created his menu online, and trained him to accept online orders. Within a month, Sharma ji was getting 50 orders daily. He called our team crying - not in sadness, but in gratitude. That's why we do what we do."
Your Turn: Do you remember a specific customer who benefited from your work? What was their name? Their situation?
What it is: Times you made mistakes and learned valuable lessons.
Flipkart Example: "In 2014, Flipkart's Big Billion Day website crashed within minutes. It was our biggest failure, trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons. But instead of hiding, we apologized publicly, compensated customers, and rebuilt our entire infrastructure. That failure taught us more about scaling than any success could. Now we handle billions in transactions smoothly."
Your Turn: What's one mistake you made that taught you something valuable? Sharing failures makes you relatable!
What it is: Highlighting someone who did exceptional work.
Wipro Example: "During a critical project deadline, everyone talks about the senior managers. But let me tell you about Priya, our office admin in Bangalore. She noticed the team was working 16-hour days. Without being asked, she organized dinner every night, ensured the AC was running, and even brought her homemade sweets on Fridays. When we delivered that project successfully, we realized - Priya's care kept our morale high. She's the real hero."
Your Turn: Who in your team deserves recognition? What small act made a big difference?
What it is: How something or someone changed dramatically.
Local Business Example: "I know a small mithai shop in Old Delhi - 'Gupta Sweets'. Two years ago, they only accepted cash, had no website, and served only walk-in customers. Then the owner's son, Rahul, joined after his MBA. He convinced his father to go digital. Now they have online orders, deliver across Delhi, and their revenue has tripled. Rahul didn't change the recipes - he changed the reach."
Your Turn: What process, system, or person has transformed in your workplace? What was before? What is now?
What it is: Stories of achieving goals against odds.
TCS Example: "A TCS team in Chennai was pitching to a Japanese automotive client. The client had one condition: 'Prove you understand our culture.' The team lead, Venkat, spent three months learning Japanese customs, reading about their business philosophy. During the presentation, he started with a perfect Japanese bow and shared a story about Japanese precision culture. The client was impressed. Not just by the technical proposal, but by the respect shown. TCS won a $100 million contract."
Your Turn: What's a recent win for your team? What made it special?
What it is: When someone thought outside the box.
Indian Railways Example: "During the pandemic, trains weren't running, but railway kitchens were sitting idle. Someone had a brilliant idea: 'Why not use these kitchens to cook meals for COVID patients?' Within days, railway kitchens in major cities were producing thousands of meals daily for hospitals and quarantine centers. A simple idea turned idle resources into life-saving support."
Your Turn: Has someone on your team found an unusual solution to a problem?
What it is: Examples of company values being demonstrated.
Tata Example: "When the 26/11 Mumbai attacks happened, the Taj Hotel staff could have run to safety. But many stayed back to help guests escape first. Some lost their lives. Why? Because Tata's core value is 'Guests are God.' This wasn't in any training manual - it was in their hearts. That's not just a story; it's proof of values."
Your Turn: When did someone in your company demonstrate your core values? What did they do?
What it is: Stories about where you're heading and why it matters.
Reliance Jio Example: "In 2016, Mukesh Ambani didn't just say, 'We're launching a telecom service.' He told a story: 'Imagine a farmer in a remote village accessing the same internet speed as someone in Mumbai. Imagine students in small towns taking online courses from IIT professors. Imagine India becoming digitally connected.' That vision story inspired his team and resonated with millions of Indians."
Your Turn: Where is your project/team heading? What will be possible in the future that isn't today?
Think about your last work week. Click on the story sources that happened to you:
Started something new
Solved a tough problem
Assisted a client/customer
Made mistake, learned
Someone did great work
Something changed
Don't let good stories disappear! Here's how to remember them:
In 3 months, you'll have 12+ stories ready to use!
Keep a note on your phone titled "Work Stories". Whenever something interesting happens:
Simple. Quick. Effective.
Start Your Story Library This Week!
In 12 weeks, you'll have 36+ stories! That's more than enough for a year of presentations!