We are stoked to share the news of our brand-new ‘TransforMe Australia’ website.

For our new friends, TransforMe is a transformative leadership training and coaching company in Australia, and worldwide, providing exclusive access to global coaches, trainers, and programs.  In the last decade, we have worked with more than 150 global clients on their learning and leadership programs and the one thing that has remained unchanged is, our focus on driving real behavioural shifts and driving real business outcomes.

When we set out to rework our website, we saw it as an opportunity to revisit our product offerings and ensure they are aligned to the learning needs of employees and organisations specifically in Australia today. 

Here are some facts that we deliberated while strategising our offerings for you:

• In 2 years from now, the skill sets required for doing the ‘same job’ will change by 44%. Which skills are going to be Most In-Demand Skills in Australia?
  

• Leaders and managers are struggling with burn-out and on how to manage hybrid teams effectively. We need to prioritise leadership skills that can help them build trust, connection and collaboration in a hybrid environment

• With a growing CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) population, there is a growing need for building inclusive workplaces. DEI is going to be crucial for business success to attract and retain a diverse talent pool
  

• Women Leaders need to bridge not just external, but internal barriers too, to drive strong presence at workplaces. Women Leadership programs are going to be key to grow the talent pipeline especially in senior leadership
  

• Learners feel less satisfied with current virtual learning environments finding them less engaging and hence having low participation and low attendance. We need to offer a higher quality learning experience that engages learners deeply and drives behavioural shifts
  
  

We were excited  to discover that so much of what we do and how we do it is already in tune with present, and future, needs of L&D organisations in Australia. 

Our portfolio of solutions cover Leadership, Management and Communication – the 3 among the top 10 Most In-Demand Skills in Australia.

We are well recognised for our high-impact leadership programs for leaders across 3 levels and our work in the space of team transformation.

Since our set-up here, Women Leadership and our Storytelling have been our best selling programs.

We recently launched a new program on Start-up Leadership tailored specifically to needs of start-ups (Read: Six Aussie startups that raised $34.2 million this week)

We are so proud of our facilitators and coaches who have their own lived experiences besides being highly accredited, do check out the new team page (don’t forget to hover on images for a surprise!)

We do hope you find our new website to be a useful resource in uncovering tailor-made learning and leadership solutions that align with your organization’s unique needs. 

Oh, and speaking of feedback, we absolutely love hearing from you. So. please-please don’t hold back—do share your brickbats and bouquets with us.

Looking forward to it.

Gatik Chaujer – Let’s break down some common myths about storytelling in the workplace. As a trusted partner in helping leaders become better storytellers, we encounter these myths frequently. It’s important to shed light on these misconceptions and provide a fresh perspective. So, what are the big myths that need busting?

Roshan Abbas – Let’s debunk some common myths surrounding storytelling in business. One prevalent myth I often encounter is that storytelling is only for entertainment and lacks relevance. However, I believe that storytelling holds immense power to effectively communicate and add value across various contexts.

Another misconception I’ve come across is that storytelling is time-consuming and cannot be learned. In my experience, I have witnessed how storytelling skills can be honed and developed with practice and guidance.

Additionally, some people tend to associate storytelling solely with marketing and advertising, overlooking its broader business applications. But I firmly believe that storytelling goes beyond marketing and can be a powerful tool for conveying vision, strategy, organizational competence, and even personal reputation. It allows us to shape narratives, engage audiences, and guide the narrative towards our desired outcomes.

Gatik Chaujer – What’s your take, Roshan How much of storytelling is art versus science, and can it be learned? And for our viewers interested in becoming skilled storytellers or investing in storytelling for their organizations, what message do you have?

Roshan Abbas – Steve Jobs is often seen as a master presenter, but even he dedicated hours to practicing and perfecting his speeches. The same goes for anyone looking to become a skilled storyteller. Just like you spend weeks or months preparing a strategy or presentation, you need to invest time in honing your storytelling skills. There are principles and techniques to learn, such as creating a captivating hook, establishing a protagonist and an obstacle, and defining a goal. While there are various storytelling formats, mastering the art can be achieved through analyzing structures, studying effective storytellers, and understanding your audience.

Remember, storytelling is a skill that can be acquired, just as we learned stories as children without formal training. It’s about learning on the job, through experience and communication.

Gatik Chaujer – It’s important to change our mindset about storytelling, recognizing that it can be used for more than just entertainment. As you mentioned, even great storytellers like Steve Jobs put in extensive preparation and practice. Spontaneity is often the result of rehearsed practice. So, with a learner’s approach, one can acquire storytelling skills. I recall a workshop where a participant questioned the need to learn storytelling, highlighting that we all engage in storytelling naturally. However, there’s a distinction between pub storytelling (casual storytelling for entertainment) and business storytelling. Business storytelling requires planning, structure, key messages, dilemmas, and outcomes. By understanding the science and structure of business storytelling, one can excel in this skill.

Roshan Abbas – I often share personal stories in my daily communication and storytelling. In presentations, I start with a slide titled “Since we last met,” highlighting achievements like organizing the IPL opening ceremony across multiple cities in three weeks, working with Andre Agassi, and creating an anthem for a leading bank in India with Gulzar. These brief anecdotes effectively showcase our reputation, experience, expertise, and delivery.

Let me shift the focus from myself to well-known companies with different approaches. For instance, General Electric faced a relevancy challenge and responded by creating fictional podcasts like “The Message.” This podcast, discussing innovation and technology through storytelling, became hugely popular and sparked discussions.

Companies like Accenture, Deloitte, and EY have also embraced podcasting to share stories from leaders and experts, demonstrating their access to valuable information.

Popular brands like Amul engage in topical and immediate storytelling. Instead of just talking about butter, they relate their product to relevant and current events. By utilizing storytelling, they create a connection between their product and the audience, adding moments of delight to their mornings. Numerous examples exist, and I could continue sharing them for hours, but these are some notable ones.

Gatik Chaujer – Authenticity and making numbers meaningful through storytelling are two crucial aspects. I recall a video featuring Steve Jobs discussing how to position the iPod to his team. The marketing team emphasized its 10-gigabyte data capacity, but Jobs questioned its significance. He transformed the number’s meaning by saying, “You can listen to music on your way to the moon and back.” This example demonstrates that storytelling can infuse data with meaning. Despite the perception that storytelling and data are separate, they can actually complement each other seamlessly.

Roshan Abbas – A 10-gigabyte data capacity can be translated into simpler terms, such as storing 10,000 favorite songs, countless memories and pictures, and connecting with thousands of contacts. These examples highlight the soft value that the hard drive carries.

I constantly emphasize the value of preserving stories. Over my 30 years of storytelling, I’ve saved numerous anecdotes, quotes, and jokes on my phone. Meta tagging these stories is crucial. For instance, I have a collection of motivational tales and another for success stories. Creating a small group, whether in college or at work, where you meet regularly to exchange stories can be immensely rewarding. Initially, there might be hesitation, but if you commit and follow through, you’ll become the richest person with stories for every moment. After sharing a story, ask others to write down three key messages—a form of meta tagging that helps categorize and remember each story’s aspects. This practice is an investment that pays off for a lifetime.

Gatik Chaujer – Crafting stories is the real challenge in storytelling. You can only be as good a storyteller as the stories you possess. That’s why learning to craft stories is crucial. Create a story bank, just as Roshan suggested, and focus on meta tagging the key messages of each story. Real-life experiences are valuable in the business context, so it’s recommended to use them rather than relying solely on parables and fables. Everyone has had experiences, both successes and failures, that can be transformed into stories. These stories should be meta tagged, stored, and readily available for when you need them the most. Roshan’s use of meta tags on his phone’s notes is a fantastic example.

Roshan Abbas – Even now, with the advancements in technology, it’s easier to capture and share stories. For example, Apple’s screenshot feature and Kindle’s highlighting function are convenient tools. In Kindle, you can even see the most highlighted sections of a book, which have been identified by numerous readers. These simple hacks help in finding the best moments and stories to share.

When telling a story, it’s important to differentiate between rambling and effective storytelling. I often emphasize the concept of small “s” and big “S” stories. To understand this better, I recommend exploring the hero’s journey, outlined in Joseph Campbell’s book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” It provides a framework for epic storytelling found in various works like Mahabharata, Roman mythology, Lagaan, Superman, Matrix, Lion King, Baahubali, and more.

On the other hand, small storytelling involves a simple structure: start with a hook, introduce the protagonist, present the obstacle, and establish the goal. By understanding these elements, you can craft engaging stories. Visual cues, emotions, descriptions, and scenic settings can further enhance your storytelling.

Remember to be mindful of the message you want to convey. Avoid rambling and maintain focus on the story’s purpose. Practice the “right, lead, reduce, repeat” rule: write the initial draft honestly, then lead and reduce it to the essence of the story. This allows you to expand or condense the story as needed, based on the time available.

Gatik Chaujer – Picking up a question from the audience, when you’re using storytelling in the business context, in the work context, should you look at the end first, and then figure out the story, or vice versa?

Roshan Abbas – When crafting stories for specific occasions, it’s essential to determine the key message you want to convey. Filter your stories through this sieve, selecting the ones that serve your intended purpose. If you’re engaging in open storytelling, explore various stories and ideas. Writing three pages by hand every morning, as suggested in Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” can help clarify your thoughts and generate storytelling material. For continuous storytelling practice, create visual flashcards or a board where you organize and connect your stories based on themes like optimism or hope.

Remember, not all stories have to be personal; they can be a mix of personal and borrowed narratives as long as they are shared with honesty and authenticity. Avoid rambling and ensure your stories are grounded in truth to maintain their impact and credibility.

Gatik Chaujer – The last question I have for you Roshan is what advice would you give to either individuals or businesses who want to start using storytelling at the workplace? Where should they begin?

Roshan Abbas – To start my storytelling journey, I believe the perfect approach is to gather my team and invite an inspirational professional who can guide us.

Having someone knowledgeable in the art and craft of storytelling can leave us with actionable insights. There are plenty of online resources available, including free ones and leadership coaching programs.

Personally, I offer workshops, but finding a mentor or guide is also a great option. If resources are limited or I prefer a self-paced approach, I can search for the best stories in business and personal leadership online and read voraciously.

As Guy Kawasaki said, “Eat like a bird, poop like an elephant.” It means absorbing countless stories and reflecting on why they resonate with me. I need to find that sweet spot between thinking I’m uninteresting or overly fascinating and ask myself if my stories are worth sharing and if they leave a meaningful impact.

One exercise I recommend is writing three pages every morning, though even a paragraph or some notes can be a good start.

Our surroundings are brimming with stories, and even our profiles can become billboards for sharing snippets of our experiences. 

Gatik Chaujer – We have a question from the audience, what kind of situations can we use storytelling in?

Roshan Abbas –
Thank you for the question. There are, there are multiple ways in which you could be using it.

• Stories can be used as an introduction to build common ground and establish a human connection when meeting new people.
• In presentations, stories are effective in creating a human context and making the audience relate to the topic being presented.
• Stories help humanize facts and make them more engaging, especially when discussing initiatives that impact individuals or specific groups.

  Stories have a versatile application and can be utilized in various situations, depending on the desired outcome.

Gatik Chaujer – There’s also another question around storytelling – Where do we draw the line between getting creative and being realistic while writing. How do you kind of balance that in the workplace as a leader as a manager using a story?

Roshan Abbas – Authenticity is essential in storytelling, particularly in a business context where information can be verified. While adding emotional resonance through exaggeration is possible, it’s important to remain factual and stick to experiences that can be validated. Being truthful adds credibility and trustworthiness to your story. You can get creative with expression and setting, but it’s crucial to stay grounded in reality and avoid straying from the facts.

Gatik Chaujer – So here’s a question about measuring return on investment on storytelling in the workplace?

Roshan Abbas – Determining the ROI of storytelling depends on what you want to measure. Clearly defining your objectives is crucial. For sales teams, improved conversion rates and customer engagement can be indicators of success. In qualitative scenarios, such as training before a conference or speaking to staff, measuring audience engagement becomes more subjective. Surveys can help measure relevance, influence, or audience recall of stories. Another approach is to assess whether stories shared with the press resonated and were published. Trust between the trainer, learners, and the organization is essential. Consider conducting post-session surveys or evaluating the effectiveness of storytelling in achieving specific goals.

Gatik Chaujer – Determining the ROI of storytelling can be approached in three ways:

• Attach storytelling to business metrics, such as sales conversion rates.
• Measure engagement, such as increased viewer time during virtual events.
• Conduct pre and post assessments to evaluate behavioral changes.

  Choose the most relevant metric based on your organization’s needs and where you are in your storytelling journey.

Gatik Chaujer – What are some recommendations for books to learn storytelling?

Roshan Abbas – Here are a few recommended books on storytelling:

• “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell – Provides valuable insights, although it’s a bit heavy and recommended for later in the journey.
• “TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking” – Offers helpful tips on delivering engaging speeches.
• “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron – A great book for gaining a deeper understanding of creativity.
• “Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting” by Robert McKee – Focuses on storytelling in film but provides valuable perspectives.

  There are many more books available, and I can share a longer list if you’re interested.

Gatik Chaujer – Thank you very much. I hope when I meet you next I start my conversation with you by saying since we last met. Thank you so much for watching.

Gatik Chaujer –
What do you think are the principal differences in leadership behaviours, in a startup versus a more established organization?

Manu Rikhye –
The main difference between large organizations and startups is first, access to resources. Startups have limited resources in the form of capital, talent, tools, and other resources. This affects how leaders work with others and their personal contributions. Another difference is the ownership mindset of founders, which drives them to push harder than anyone else, making it hard to find people to match their level of commitment. The third difference is the perseverance required to succeed in a chaotic startup environment, where every decision can make or break the company.

Difference between large organizations and startups:

• Limited access to resources for startups (capital, talent, tools, etc.)
• Ownership mindset of founders
• Perseverance

Gatik Chaujer –
What recommendations do you have for startup leaders to manage scarce resources, exhibit ownership and perseverance? Also, how can leaders inspire their team to have a founder’s mentality and exhibit behaviors that lead to success in a startup ecosystem?

Manu Rikhye –
Successful founders in a resource-constrained environment are focused on the outcome that each dollar spent will create for the business. They avoid making decisions based on organizational pressure and become cautious but not overly so. Incentives should be aligned with outcomes to drive entrepreneurial spirit and high performance, which can be achieved through a simple structure that links compensation and career growth with successful delivery of tasks. This approach may not match the level of contribution of a founder but can help people step up and perform at a high level.

Gatik Chaujer –
What are the common misconceptions among startup founders about building a successful business?

Manu Rikhye – 
Misconceptions about entrepreneurship are influenced by external factors, and can swing between extremes of thinking that raising money is easy or that it’s too difficult to even try. It’s important to develop conviction in your idea and take the plunge, regardless of external circumstances. Everyone’s entrepreneurial journey is different, and it’s helpful to talk to successful and not-so-successful founders to learn from their experiences.

• Misconceptions about entrepreneurship swing between extremes of thinking fundraising is easy or too difficult, influenced by external factors.
• Develop conviction in your idea, take the plunge, and learn from successful and not-so-successful founders.

Gatik Chaujer –
As a mentor to many startup founders, can you share an experience of how you helped a Founder succeed and what they needed most help with? This can give an insight to viewers who may be considering this journey and how to find a mentor.

Manu Rikhye –
I have to confess that in the last four years, my work as a mentor has been more about reverse mentoring and learning than me being able to give advice to others. I have been privileged to work alongside some of the best and most talented founders in India, which is something I am very excited about.

One common theme that comes up among early stage founders is that they start with one big problem and solution in mind, but as they begin to build their solution, they encounter multiple opportunities and get distracted. As a mentor, I remind them that resources are finite, and they must stay focused on making progress and showcasing that their solution can solve the initial problem before branching out to other opportunities. This becomes even more critical as finite resources can make or break a company.

As humans, we are often affected by what we hear, and founders are no exception. During times when funding seems scarce, I have to talk founders off the edge and remind them that if they build a valuable business, they will find the capital they need. I advise them to shut out the noise and focus on the fundamentals of their business, taking one step at a time.

One of our portfolio companies, Advantage Club, had an outstanding founding team, and when we started partnering with them four years ago, it was hard for people to understand their business, which was an employee retention and recognition platform. However, they kept making progress, and today they are successful because they focused on the fundamentals of their business and kept walking one step at a time.

Initially, people were unsure about the value proposition of Advantage Club – an employee retention and recognition platform. When we invested in them, the hope was that they would reach a revenue of $1 million and the world would start to take notice. They surpassed expectations and achieved $2 million, then $3-5 million, and now they’re close to reaching a revenue of $10 million ARR, serving 60 countries globally with a SaaS offering. Despite the noise about unicorns and funding, very few companies in India have been able to reach this threshold. The frustration and disappointment felt by the founder were understandable, but I advised them to keep walking one step at a time and eventually, someone would have to notice their enviable offering and talented team.

Sandra Colhando –
The beauty of complexity lies in the simplicity. And when you feel lost, asking help, could seem so simple, but that’s probably sometimes the biggest challenge that you put yourself through. What do you do when in those moments, you don’t have the support system? What are you telling yourself in those moments? So is there something that you do yourself to get out of that temporary blip? 

Aishwarya Rao –
Oh, well, I’m going to give you two responses. One is, I use this app called Balance. I have been using it for a few years now. And it has been fantastic. So there has been no 3am moment because I go to sleep after meditating. And I wake up and do my meditation. So it’s been a wonderful app. I think we’ll all benefit with that kind of systematic meditation. I think you’ll have to actively work on getting yourself out of your head, like, you’ve got to shift the conversation, you’ve got to look at it differently. That’s the only way to do it. And often, I feel like we get ourselves into situations, which we need not. I would say tap on to your friends’ cohorts, your peers, because they’re also probably going through similar challenges. And I think you may not have the courage to go up to your manager or to your boss, to your people leader and say, Hey, this is what I’m facing. But I feel like you might be able to have that conversation with your peers, with your colleagues.

Sandra Colhando –
Legends like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates who have an eagle like vision, with the ability to both see the reality as is, as well as make accurate predictions about the future. Their vision is big and focused to produce big results. So how do you find and create those eagles in an organisation?

Amit Jain –
To create a culture of eagles, one must first focus on themselves and find happiness in seeing others bloom. This requires a shift from a mindset of individual achievement to a mindset of team achievement. Good leaders must also be good human beings who empower and mentor their teams. At Girnar, the company culture is based on treating employees like founders and empowering them to make decisions. Eagles must have a vision for the future and the ability to execute in the present. Commercial constructs, such as equity for founders, are also important for creating an eagle-like structure. Company culture is crucial, and founders must identify individuals who share their cultural values. I also believe hiring laterally may not always work as well in finding and nurturing eagles within the company.

Gatik Chaujer –
How do you drive engaging and meaningful learning in a hybrid environment? With a different environment?

Atul Mathur –
As a leader, I prioritize training my team on communication and engagement. I believe that it’s important for my team to feel included and not just a transactional point of contact.

Digital technology has been a game-changer for us. With immersive technologies like VR and AR, we’re able to provide a more interactive and engaging learning experience. We recently launched an AI-based roleplay program where individuals can record their own videos and receive real-time feedback. This has been incredibly helpful in improving communication skills and identifying areas for growth. Overall, I see the benefits of digital learning technologies and believe they will continue to transform the way we approach learning and development.