July 2018

TRAINING

Problem solving- Story building

Training 1

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CONTENT

• Part 1 - What is a story

• Part 2 - Acid test and examples

• Part 3 - summary

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Introduction

• A story is a logical flow of striking messages that all put together

What is a story answer the main issue

1. A story explains how you get to find your answer to the main issue

? story !
Why the need Main issue Answer
of a story

2. A story helps people to remember

• Human being memory works with relations between objects

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From slide making to story building

90%

Slides Story = Executive summary

• Optimistic estimates state Fossil Fuel will

still be dominant, renewable energy will be
50-70% of energy
• Conservative estimates state Fossil Fuel will
remain dominant, renewable energy will be
15-20% of energy
• Electricity will be distributed by both
decentralized as well as centralized grid
• Implementation of cleaner technology is a
challenge due to democratic process in India

You may also change/adjust/add 10% so that your story becomes

readable without the slides

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Example of a story

• The projected demand supply gap in oil is forecasted to push up world oil prices
• Transport sector contributes more than fifty percent of the world oil consumption
• Hydrogen-based fuel cells are an alternative energy solution to oil
• Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of natural resources
• Fuel cell engines are cost-efficient and environment-friendly
• The fuel cell market is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade
• India is working towards commercialization of hydrogen-based solutions for
transport sector
• There are significant challenges in development of fuel-cell technology in India

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CONTENT

• Part 1 - What is a story

• Part 2 - Acid test and examples

• Part 3 - summary

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Acid questions to test your story

Expected
answer
1. Is the story logic?
Yes
2. Do we understand the transition between all messages? Yes
3. Are all messages necessary? Yes
No
4. Are there messages which are overlapping?

5. Are all messages supported by a solid evidence?

Yes
6. Can we understand the story if we don’t look at the slides Yes

7. By just reading the story, do we get the main take away and key Yes
figures/facts to keep in mind?

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Can you apply the acid question to this story?

Story Acid questions

• The projected demand supply gap in oil is forecasted to • Is the story logic?
push up world oil prices
• Do we understand the transition
• Transport sector contributes more than fifty percent of the between all messages?
world oil consumption
• Are all messages necessary?
• Hydrogen-based fuel cells are an alternative energy
solution to oil • Are there messages which are
overlapping?
• Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of natural
resources • Are all messages supported by a
• Fuel cell engines are cost-efficient and environment- solid evidence?
friendly • Can we understand the story if we
• The fuel cell market is expected to grow rapidly over the don’t look at the slides
next decade • By just looking at the story, do we
• India is working towards commercialization of hydrogen- get the main take away and key
based solutions for transport sector figures to keep in mind?
• There are significant challenges in development of fuel-
cell technology in India

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The solution

Story Acid questions

Ok passed

• The projected demand supply gap in oil is forecasted to 1. Is the story logic?
push up world oil prices
2. Do we understand the transition
• Transport sector contributes more than fifty percent of the between all messages?
world oil consumption
3. Are all messages necessary?
• Hydrogen-based fuel cells are an alternative energy
solution to oil 4. Are there messages which are
overlapping?
• Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of natural
resources 5. Are all messages supported by a
• Fuel cell engines are cost-efficient and environment- solid evidence?
friendly 6. Can we understand the story if
• The fuel cell market is expected to grow rapidly over the we don’t look at the slides
next decade 7. By just looking at the story, do
• India is working towards commercialization of hydrogen- we get the main take away and
based solutions for transport sector key figures to keep in mind?
• There are significant challenges in development of fuel-
cell technology in India
Not passed

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Why it did not pass

Story

• The projected demand supply gap in oil is forecasted to push up world oil prices

• Transport sector contributes more than fifty percent of the world oil consumption
Issues
• Hydrogen-based fuel cells are an alternative energy solution to oil
• Can you give the number of
resources?
• Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of natural resources
• Any figure on cost reduction?
• Fuel cell engines are cost-efficient and environment-friendly
• What growth rate?
• The fuel cell market is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade

• Since when?
• India is working towards commercialization of hydrogen-based solutions for transport sector

• At
• There are significant challenges in development of fuel-cell technology in least
India give the main
challenge

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Why do you think this story is not good?

Main • Microgeneration - Is thinking small, thinking big? How to tackle high

issue initial investment costs?

• Portugal is trying to reduce its energy dependence of about 86%

• Microgeneration promotes a new energy democracy – the paradigm

?
is changing
• Portugal as a huge renewable energies potential
• Microgeneration incentives were created recently
• But its market is quickly growing due to high feed-in tariff
• MyEnergy from EDP and Gvt. initiatives helped to catalyse the
Bad problematic process
Story • Average investment break-even point is lower than in some countries
• Microgeneration also promotes energy efficient behaviour and raises
environment awareness, promoting a better world
• In the future, microgeneration costs are expected to decrease 20%
every two years
• Increase in silicon supply will lower the solar panel ‘s costs

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It has failed to pass in all acid questions

Energy Why it isn’t good

• Microgeneration - Is thinking small,
Main thinking big? How to tackle high initial
issue investment costs?

• Portugal is trying to reduce its energy • Are all messages really necessary?
dependence of about 86%
• Microgeneration promotes a new energy • What is energy dependence? Message isn’t clear
democracy – the paradigm is changing
• Portugal as a huge renewable energies
potential • Messages don’t have a logical flow
• Microgeneration incentives were created
recently • Message is confusing and difficult to understand
• But its market is quickly growing due to high without looking at the slides
feed-in tariff
Bad
• MyEnergy from EDP and Gvt. initiatives
Story • Is the data relevant and objective, and is it
helped to catalyse the problematic process
• Average investment break-even point is lower supported by solid evidence?
than in some countries
• Microgeneration also promotes energy • Message is very long and it finishes with a rather
efficient behaviour and raises environment bold deduction
awareness, promoting a better world
• In the future, microgeneration costs are • Overlapping messages?
expected to decrease 20% every two years
• Increase in silicon supply will lower the solar
panel ‘s costs • The story doesn’t clearly answer the main issue
???

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Two fictional examples
Energy
Main • What is the impact of Microgeneration
issue on country X?
• Country X’s imports 83% of its energy needs
‾ X is trying to reduce its dependence
‾ X has an untapped renewable potential
• Microgeneration will help to reach that
independency goal
‾ Through endogenous renewable sources
‾ Power from the people, to the people
• X Gvt. has defined various incentives to
Two promote microgeneration
Layers ‾ Attractive “feed-in tariff” - 650 € / MWh
Story ‾ 100.000 homes will benefit until 2020
‾ This helps supporting high initial costs
• Investments affordable in the medium-term
‾ Average for Solar PV and Wind: 20.000€
‾ Break-even point in less than 10 years
• Investment costs are predicted to decrease
‾ Technology is becoming mature
‾ New materials and shapes are arising
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Macroeconomics
Main • How to tackle Z island’s strong
issue dependence on Tourism?
• More than ¾ of Z’s population have low
earnings, low education levels and low
professional qualifications
• Tourism, which directly employs around
35% of the national labor force, accounts
for 62% (and rising) of GDP
• This is caused by a fall in the no. of
One tourists due to increasing social instability
Layer and cancellation of several airlines’ routes
Story
• Unemployment will rise and worsen the
situation as there are very few alternatives
• Sustainable development, better quality of
life and diversification of the economy are
part of the solution
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CONTENT

• Part 1 - What is a story

• Part 2 - Acid test and examples

• Part 3 - summary

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SUMMARY - 3 most often seen mistakes

1. We don’t understand the story

- There is a problem with the flow
- Some messages are overlapping

2. We understand the story but we don’t learn anything

- Your message are not specific enough and too general
- You forgot to bring in the key figures

3. The story is nice but has not the same flow as your output
- The story should be 90% copy/paste of the messages
- The flow should be the same as your output
- Change/adjust 10% of the messages to make story a bit easier to read

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