Running Story Contests

8/8/2019 Running Story Contests

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/running-story-contests 1/10

©2007, Terrence Gargiulo & MAKINGSTORIES.net – [email protected], 415‐948‐8087

RUNNING STORYTELLING CONTESTS

Do you remember in grade school having to write or tell “What I did this summer?” Thinking back it may

seem silly.

In

reality,

it

was

simple

storytelling.

The

technique

our

teachers

used

of

asking

people

to

share

an experience remains just as powerful even though we’re older.

You would be surprised how excited adults can get over sharing stories. An effective technique for eliciting

stories from the people in your organization or from your customers is to run a story contest with winners

and prizes.

Running a storytelling contest is relatively easy to do, though it will take time and resources. The steps

below will walk you through how to set up and carry out a story contest.

1. Define

the

purpose

of

your

contest.

What

kind

of

information

do

you

hope

to

elicit?

Do

you

want

individual stories, stories about the workplace, or about excellent customer service, etc?

2. Develop a question that will excite the imagination of your target audience. Some examples,

What do I like best about working here?

How has our product or service improved the quality of daily life?

Describe what the future looks like if we succeed?

3. Give thought to how you would plan to use the stories. Figure out whether the stories will appear in

your magazine, your intranet site, your internet site, your management meeting, etc. This will guide

how you

develop

the

rules

and

timeline.

4. Establish a budget. Remember to include the cost of prizes, translations, marketing, and time required.

5. Determine in how many languages you’ll run the contest. For multinational organizations or those with

a diverse workforce, you may want to do the contest in more than one language.

6. Establish a timeline. How long will your contest run? Be sure to build in time to handle translations,

market the contest, review the entries, and select a winner. Work backwards from your deadline.

7. Build out

a project

plan.

With

your

timeline

in

place,

develop

a project

plan

specifying

what

you

need

to accomplish and by when.

8. Determine the prize(s) you’ll use to incentivize people to participate. Make sure that they are

appropriate for your organization, audience, and budget. Consider tax implications for the winners;

consult your finance department.

9. Draw up the rules. Work with your legal department to establish the rules including those governing

the prizes. Do you have rights to publish the works in perpetuity? Only for internal use? For internal




and external use? Figure out how you will judge entries in advance – you’ll need to communicate this

to participants.

10. Develop the marketing plan. Determine how extensive a plan you’ll need given your audience. Keep in

mind that you’ll need periodic reminders. Incorporate these reminders into your marketing plan.

11. Launch the contest.

12. Monitor the contest. Check periodically for submissions. Are you getting the numbers anticipated?

You may need to increase your marketing effort.

13. Select a winner. Once you’ve chosen your winners and any runner ups, figure out how you will notify

them. We recommend that you notify them directly in advance before the formal announcement of

the winners is made.

14. Announce the winners. Use the winning entries in your communications, as planned.




Here is Case Study from Sodexho to give you some ideas on how we executed one of our Story Contests:

One of the most gratifying aspects of my work with organizations is helping them to find their magic. It’s

amazing to see how the pervasive grind of employee’s day to day roles and responsibilities erodes people’s

appreciation of what makes their organization special. The simple act of making time for people to share

their organizational

stories

and

encouraging

them

to

listen

actively

yields

tremendous

results

in

people’s

level of engagement and excitement. As the stories unfold a tapestry of key stories emerges. These stories

define the company’s strengths and become central beacons of purpose and volition for people. There are

additional benefits of informal learning. As the stories spread through the organization they produce new

networks of learning and information exchange that might otherwise remain dormant or never discovered.

A good way of jumpstarting the process is to have employees bring customer stories inside. Starbucks

Coffee begins almost every internal meeting with a customer story ‐ so simple, yet so powerful. Once a

climate of story sharing exists, and people are listening actively to one another it becomes more possible to

negotiate differences and leverage the diversity of perspective, talents, and organizational strengths for

future

success.

Below

is

a

case

study

discussing

how

Sodexho

USA

has

begun

to

introduce

stories

into

their

management practices.

SODEXHO & STORIES

The following section was written by Angelo Ioffreda, Vice‐President of Internal Communications at Sodexho

USA.

Background:

Sodexho is the leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States and offers

innovative outsourcing solutions in food service, housekeeping, grounds keeping, plant operations and

maintenance, asset management, and laundry services to more than 6,000 corporations, health care, long

term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, military and remote sites in North America.

Sodexho is integrating storytelling into its workplace with several objectives in mind: 1.) to obtain feedback

from employees, insight into the company’s culture, and to help hone our brand and employee value

proposition, and 2.) to share the positive experiences of working at Sodexho in order to raise morale and

company pride.

As part of our management and communication strategies of stories, Sodexho launched an essay contest in

July 2004. We sent out a flyer in English and Spanish that was e‐mailed to all of our managers. The topic of

the essay contest was, “What I Like Most About My Job.” Stories were accepted in English, Spanish, and

French and we profiled the winners in the company magazine, Solutions.



e-mail:

[email protected]: 1.301.987.4438

mail:

Sodexho’s “Tell Us Your Story” Contestc/o Corporate Communications9801 Washingtonian Blvd., Suite 1218Gaithersburg, MD 20878

If you have any questions about this contest, please call:1.301.987.4320

We’re pleased to announceSodexho’s “Tell Us Your Story”contest open to all Sodexhoemployees in the United Statesand Canada.

To Enter:

Employees should submit a story of no more than 250words by 5:00 PM Eastern time on August 16th on thetopic of: “What I like best about my job at Sodexho.”Stories will be accepted in English, Spanish and French.

Entrants should include their:

• Name• Position• Unit name

• Business line or department• Address• Phone number• e-mail address

Selecting the Winners

Five great stories will be selected on the basis of how wellthey express the essence and individual experienceof working for Sodexho. Each winner will receive a $100American Express gift certificate. Winning stories willbe posted on SodexhoNet. We will announce the winnerson September 3rd.

Submitting your story:

Stories can be sent in via one of the following methodsby 5:00 PM on August 16th.

Sodexho’s“Tell UsYour Story”Contest

By submitting a story, you grant that what you send will be deemednon-confidential and you grant Sodexho the right to use, copy, modify,

edit, publish, transmit and display your submission via any media, and that

Sodexho will be free to use your name and other identifying information,unless you specifically request in writing that we not do so.

W HA T

I L I K E B E S T

A B O U T M Y J O B

A T S O D E X H O

S t o r y B y ( Y o u r

N a m e H e r e )

P l e a s e d i s t r

i b u t e t o y o u r

t e a m s !



H i s t o r i a e s c r i t a p o

r ( s u n o m b r e )

L o q u e m á s

m e g u s t a

d e m i t r a b a j o

c o n S o d e

x h o

Envíela a la dirección electrónica:

[email protected]: 1.301.987.4438

Correo:Si decide enviar su historia por correo, envíela a la siguiente dirección:

Sodexho’s “Tell Us Your Story” Contestc/o Corporate Communications9801 Washingtonian Blvd., Suite 1218Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Si tiene alguna pregunta en cuanto al concurso, por favorllámenos al: 1-301-987-4320

Para Participar:

Empleados deben de someter una historia de menosde 250 palabras y entregarla antes de las 5:00 de la tarde,hora del este, del 16 de agosto. El tema del concurso es:“Lo que más me gusta de mi trabajo con Sodexho.”Vamos a aceptar historias en inglés, español y francés.

Los participantes deben incluir la siguiente información:

• Nombre.• Puesto.• Nombre de su unidad.• Línea de negocio o departamento en el que trabaja.

• Dirección.• Número de teléfono.• Dirección electrónica o de e-mail.

Proceso de selección de ganadores

Vamos a elegir cinco fabulosas historias, las que mejorexpresen la esencia de la experiencia de cada individuoen su trabajo con Sodexho. Cada ganador, o ganadora,recibirá $100 dólares americanos en un certificado pararegalo Express. Las historias ganadoras se podrán leer enel sitio SodexhoNet. Anunciaremos los nombres de losganadores el 3 de septiembre.

Para someter su historia:

Puede usar cualquiera de los siguientes métodos para sometersu historia antes de las 5:00 de la tarde del 16 de agosto.

¡ P o r f a v o r

d i s t r i b u y a

e s t e a n u n

c i o a

t o d o s l o s e

q u i p o s d e t

r a b a j o !

Con gran orgullo, les presentamosel concurso “Cuéntanos tu historia.”Todos los empleados de Sodexho delCanadá y los Estados Unidos puedenparticipar.

El concurso deSodexho:“Cuéntanos tuhistoria”

Sometiendo una historia, usted concede qué elenvía será juzgado no-confidencial

yconcede a Sodexho la derecha de utilizar, copiar, modificar, corregir, publicar, transmitir

y exhibir su sumisión vía cualquier medio, y que Sodexho estará libre deutilizar su

nombre y la otra información que identifica, a menos que usted solicite específicamenteen la escritura queno tenemos el derecho.




Criteria:

Sodexho selected the top stories on the basis of how well they expressed the essence and individual

experience of working for Sodexho. We received 74 essays. From these, we selected five winners, each of

whom received a $100 gift certificate. Four of these winners were profiled in the winter (January 2005)

issue of the company magazine. There were also five honorable mention winners, each of whom received a

$50 gift certificate. The top ten essays were sent as an e‐mail with a cover note to all the managers, and all

the essays

were

posted

on

the

company

intranet

site.

Optimizing Use of the Stories:

The stories were compelling and provided great insight into Sodexho. Our goal was to give these stories

broad exposure and to optimize their use. The company’s follow‐up included:

• E‐mailing winning stories to all managers.

•

Posting

all

essays

on

our

intranet

and

communicated

this.

• Preparing a summary report of main themes from these stories and sending this to the executive team,

the HR department, and the company’s communicators. Among the findings:

o Our mission and values resonate with employees.

o Employees are proud of our company and some of its specific initiatives

o The opportunity Sodexho provides for employees’ personal and professional improvement is

very important.

o The people make all the difference. Many stories recounted the understanding, care, and

support of managers, colleagues, peers, especially in difficult situations such as personal or

family illness.

o Employees feel the company cares about them and treats them well.

• Preparing a PowerPoint presentation that was shown at our annual management conference

throughout the meeting highlighting excerpts from various essays.

• Developing an

article

for

our

company

magazine.

Impact:

We received positive feedback on the essays, and look forward to additional feedback after the stories are

published. According to our recent communications survey 95% percent of our employees reported high

morale and pride in the company and its work. In truth, I think the impact, while important when the




essays were shared, has been limited. However, we have set the stage for storytelling (and contests to elicit

input) as part of the way we do business.

Here are a few of the comments from corporate folks who read the essays…

“I just finished reading the winning essays. All were inspiring and some were very heartwarming. I hope

you'll run the contest again as an annual event. Have a good holiday weekend.”

‐‐Sodexho

manager

“WOW! Thanks for sharing these remarkable essays.”

‐‐ HR manager

“That's powerful stuff and beautifully presented!”

‐‐ Technical writer

Sample Stories from the Essay Contest:

Lisa K. Hart

Sales Coordinator, Campus Services

Altamonte Springs, Florida

Sodexho is a wonderful organization to work for and has helped me throughout a very difficult time in my

life. In January 2003, I was diagnosed with Stage Three cancer. I approached my supervisor at Sodexho in

quite an emotional state, and she was supportive and steady. She helped me deal with my personal crisis in

a professional and kindly way, while at the same time making certain the company did not suffer.

I underwent over a year of extensive treatments, during which I had to take a leave of absence. During my

entire leave

Sodexho

was

there

for

me

–

keeping

in

touch,

sending

flowers

when

I was

hospitalized,

mailing

cards, sending e‐mails, and even preparing nutritional and delicious individual meals and bringing them to

my home! I never had to worry about health insurance or disability benefits, as being a Sodexho employee

enabled me to have what I needed. All of this was a blessing during this difficult time.

As of March of this year, I was declared “cancer‐free,” and able to return to work. Once again, Sodexho was

supportive and worked hard to accommodate a reduced work schedule, changing my job assignment, and

making sure I was able to continue to work while I also continued to heal.

I’m much better now, and, God willing, well on the road to recovery. Without Sodexho’s support, I doubt I

would

have

gotten

this

far.

I

am

truly

grateful

that

I

work

for

such

an

outstanding

organization,

filled

with

people who care about the person, not just the employee.

Jewel Henkes

Cashier, United Airlines Headquarters

Arlington Heights, Illinois

What’s not to like about my position as a cashier with Sodexho at United Airlines headquarters? I meet and chat with people worldwide and my mind certainly has been expanded by comments




about my own nation from the point of view of clientele that have experienced life in other countries.

And what would I do without the other Sodexho employees whom I work with? I think we work well

together, having fun at the same time while serving our clientele.

It seems employees like to use me as a way to clear their minds, to let go of the pressure demanded

by their jobs, and most of the employees know me by name. Sometimes clientele are transferred and

when they return here a few years later, we immediately recognize each other and there are hugs all

around. I can’t

even

find

the

words

to

describe

these

reunions,

but

this

is

one

of

the

reasons

my

job

with Sodexho is so memorable. I have been employed with Sodexho for more than seven years and I

have had so much fun I would not trade this for anything else. I will be 77 years old on September 13

and employment here has made my later life rewarding.

I would like to work with Sodexho a few more years because I enjoy the work, and I would like to visit

other countries like Australia, Japan, and Russia. Two years ago, I flew to Germany and learned

quite a bit.

Ramona Moton

Catering,

Youngstown

University

Youngstown, Ohio

My name is Ramona Moton. I am a recovering alcoholic/addict, grandmother and mother, and a

born again Christian. When I came to Youngstown University (a Sodexho account) I was still living in

the halfway house. I thought finding a job would be impossible. I learned soon enough, all things are

possible. I was hired in working utility, which consisted of mopping floors and emptying trash, which

wasn’t enough for me. Because of my hard work, determination, and pride, my work ethic did not go

unnoticed. I soon was promoted with a raise. With excellent training, I learned to do every job in

their food court. I now work catering, which for me was one of the most challenging positions I’ve

experienced.

Sodexho has given me a new way of life. It has taught me that if you work hard that there’s nothing

you can’t accomplish. I now am considering taking some classes, after 25 years of being out of

school. Everyone here gives 110% of themselves no matter how long or tedious their jobs. I’ve never

met so many hard ‐working team playing professionals. I’ve learned that for things to run smooth,

you have to have fair but tough administrators. They expect the best because that’s what they give.

I would like to thank the staff, administration, supervisors, cooks, and fellow employees for making

what could be a hard job easy. I know that things sometimes can get stressful but working with

supportive considerate, family ‐like peers, we can do a job and know that it reflects on what Sodexho

stands

for:

Pride.

Mahmoud M. Na’amneh

Caterer, UC Davis

Davis, California

I still remember my first day of work at Sodexho as if it were yesterday, even though it has been five

years now. The first task assigned to me was to clean the bathroom, a task that I had never done




before, but one that would change my life forever. Reluctantly I accepted the task and hastily I

finished it. I could hear the echo of my deep sigh as I flushed down my self ‐esteem. I went home and

immediately rushed to the shower to purify my body and soul.

But wait, I did not really give up, as I am not a quitter. I went back to work with determination to

excel and overachieve. I stripped the “culture of shame” that I carried with me when I came to the

U.S. five years ago. I grew up in Jordan where men are not supposed to clean bathrooms or wash

dishes. I felt

that

I was

re

‐born

and

Sodexho

was

the

midwife

that

orchestrated

this

birth.

Cleaning

the bathroom was a rite of passage to my renewed self and soul.

I continued to work as a dishwasher at Sodexho and a teaching assistant at the anthropology

department at UC Davis. What a nice combination!! Believe me, I created a nice synthesis between

them and I loved both jobs equally. I was then promoted to be a caterer, my current position. I

sometimes serve my students and I always take pride in so doing.

Sodexho is not just a work place. It is indeed a small family that functions as an agent of

socialization. Determination, good ethics, teamwork, and believing in oneself will be the eternal

legacy

of

Sodexho

in

my

life.

SUMMARY

During a follow‐up interview, Lyn Adame, Director of Communications of Sodexho’s Health Care Division,

had some interesting things to share with me on the emerging role of stories in Sodexho’s culture. She

recounted how her quarterly magazine, Team Connections, has became a place to collect success stories,

and share best practices. However, given the communication challenge of reaching so many employees and

the infrequent nature of the publication, she realized it wasn’t enough. So she began an initiative called,

“Sodexho Smile.” In support of the Health Care Division’s new branding efforts to put clients needs first and

at the

heart

of

everyone’s

work,

this

initiative

encourages

people

to

share

their

stories

“making

a

difference,” and “point of pride stories,” informally, up and down the organizations, and all of the time.

Employees look forward to sharing on a daily basis their stories about how they have made a difference.

For example, there was a story of a long‐term, child patient who at the last minute decides he wants to

attend a Halloween party and dress up as a chef. Despite being swamped with his regular job

responsibilities, this employee stopped what she was doing to come up with the patient’s costume.

Lyn describes it this way; “We want our employees to feel emotional connectivity with the people they

serve. It’s all about having the right emotion at the right time and balancing that with the need to complete

all of the demanding tasks that are part of their core job responsibilities. We are supporting Sodexho’s core

mission

by

being

attuned

to

the

needs

of

our

customers.”

Lyn and Angelo are not alone at Sodexho in believing this practice of daily story sharing, and “emotional

connectivity,” can positively change an organization’s management culture. People’s sense of the

organization’s mission will be vitalized by the ongoing exchange of experiences shared as narratives up,

down, and across the organization. The organization’s vision includes helping its people find new ways of

serving customers and talking about it. The seemingly superficial, extraneous activities that go unheard and

frequently unnoticed throughout the organization start moving through the social fabric and create long

lasting results. The most amazing things about these results are that they are self ‐sustaining and self ‐




perpetuating by virtue of their decentralized nature and by virtue of the medium through which they are

shared: stories. And as we learned in the last chapter, stories require active listening and when we listen

actively to one another and ourselves we begin connecting on a deeper and more fundamental level. So

emotional connectivity can be naturally inculcated into an organization’s culture by encouraging people to

share their stories and listen actively to each other. Soedexho and many other organizations are pursuing

this strategy and achieving amazing business and interpersonal results.

Terrence L. Gargiulo, MMHS is an eight timesauthor, international speaker, organizationaldevelopment consultant and group processfacilitator specializing in the use of stories. He holdsa Master of Management in Human Services fromthe Florence Heller School, at Brandeis University,and is a recipient of Inc. Magazine's MarketingMaster Award, the 2008 HR Leadership Award fromthe Asia Pacific HRM Congress, and is a member ofBrandeis University’s athletic Hall of Fame. He hasappeared on Fox TV, CN8, and on CNN radioamong others.

Cell: 415-948-8087,http://www.makingstories.net

email: [email protected],twitter: @makingstories

blog: http://makingstories-storymatters.blogspot.com/

Skype:TerrenceGargiulo

Running Story Contests

Documents

Transcript of Running Story Contests