STORYTELLING: VALUES

UNIT 1 APPLICATION ACTIVITY

Managerial Communications (CIS A280), Summer 2015
Character is central to your professional credibility. To help understand each other and build the
credibility to work effectively in a team, you will discuss the core values that you carry into the
workplace.

Objectives

To define and explain a personal value, and to understand how life experiences shape our values.
To discuss and establish team values.
To establish credibility through the power of a good story.

PART 1: INDIVIDUAL
What personal values guide you in your professional and academic life? Make a list of your values (such
as perseverance, honesty, fairness, compassion, loyalty), then circle the ones that you think are most
important. How did you learn these values? Why are they meaningful for you?
For this assignment, think about a memorable childhood event that taught you an important life lesson.
This lesson should illustrate one of the core values you carry into the business world. Once you have
identified your value and the story you want to tell, think about how to tell that story so that your
teammates will understand its importance in your life. Increasingly, business literature posits that the
ability to tell stories is a critical skill for success.

Story Outline
Write an outline that you will use to present your story to your team. Your outline should be under one
page in length. Begin your outline with a header that states the core value and gives a one-sentence
statement about how that value guides your behavior in the workplace.
Example:

Value: an open mind

Statement: I try to consider new perspectives without immediate judgment.

The presentation outline should give enough information that a reader could understand the story and
how it represents the value you have chosen. Make sure you have an introduction and conclusion. Please
see the style guide and grading rubric on Blackboard for more information. Bring both the electronic file
and a printed copy of your outline to class.

PART 2: TEAM
Listening
Take turns telling (not reading!) your story. Each team member has up to four minutes to speak.
PowerPoint is not permitted for this assignment, but other supporting materials (such as props) may be
used. The rest of the team should practice effective and active listening.

Team Statement
After listening to each team members story, work together to draft a team values statement. You do not
need to name all of the individual values team members shared, but your statement should reflect
everyones input. Your team statement should be at least one paragraph and no more than one page long.
Consider how to meaningfully communicate the values that will guide your work as a team. You will turn
in the team statement and present it briefly to the class.

CIS A280 Managerial Communications Summer 2015