CONNECTING THE DOTS MICRO LEARNING

Telling Your Story Using AI Worksheet

Differentiate yourself or your program by crafting a strong story! As opposed to simply listing accomplishments, a compelling story demonstrates your abilities, highlights your impact, and creates an emotional connection that can make you more memorable, relatable, and ultimately, more likely to achieve your goal. This storytelling tool helps you harness AI to craft an authentic narrative. Below you’ll find a reference guide to our favorite storytelling frameworks, why they work, and how you can use them in conjunction with AI to craft unforgettable narratives.

This Worksheet Includes:

GUIDANCE to prepare you for this exercise.
TOOLS you’ll use to create your story.
PROMPTS you’ll need to answer and input into ChatGPT.
REFERENCE TABLE outlining the storytelling frameworks from which you can choose.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE on using AI to write your story.
PRO TIPS for achieving the best storytelling results.

YOUR PREPARATION CHECKLIST

COMPLETE MICRO-LEARNING SESSION PART 1 FIRST

This storytelling micro-learning tool builds upon the first ASPHN micro-learning session called Navigating Change Using SWOT. You’ll need to complete your SWOT worksheet by placing your answers in a Word or Google document before starting this storytelling exercise.

PREPARE YOUR TECH FOR STORYTELLING SUCCESS

Make sure you’re using a desktop or laptop computer to complete this worksheet. Smart phones and tablets are not recommended. If you are not a ChatGPT user, you’ll need to create a free user account to access the Upload Documents feature.

IDENTIFY YOUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Identifying and collecting key documents that reinforce the results of your SWOT analysis will help you complete this storytelling exercise more quickly. For more information about which types of documents you should include and the file formats you can upload to ChatGPT, please scroll down to Step 3 below.

GIVE YOURSELF THE TIME YOU DESERVE FOR YOUR STORY

We encourage you to set aside at least an hour to finish this worksheet and save your new story(ies). If you refresh or close this webpage midstream, you’ll likely lose the information you’ve entered. Carve out time for yourself when distractions are at a minimum.

YOUR STORYTELLING TOOLBAR

STEP 1: Answer These Clarifying Questions

STATE YOUR STORYTELLING GOAL.
What is your goal? (Is it to land a new job, develop a new partnership, secure funding, advocate for your program or community, or something else? Articulate it here. )

DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE.
Who are your audiences? (Are you addressing funders, partners, hiring managers, legislators, or someone else? Make sure you identify with whom you wish to connect. Note that you can have more than one audience.)

ADD KEY INFORMATION FROM YOUR COMPLETED SWOT ANALYSIS.
What top priorities from your SWOT analysis (from Micro Learning Session #1) do you want to include in your story? (Identify the most important points you wish to include in your story to achieve the desired result. These can include your greatest or most beneficial strengths, the strategies you’ve employed to overcome obstacles, and the opportunities you’ve successfully reached for in the past.)

STEP 2: Choose Your Storytelling Framework

REVIEW AND SELECT THE FRAMEWORK(S) THAT BEST FIT YOUR NEEDS.
The following eight storytelling frameworks offer unique ways of structuring your story. Each one is designed to help you translate insights from your SWOT into something clear, credible, and personal. Decide which framework(s) you feel might work best for your particular audience(s) and goal(s), and then click the corresponding checkmark box on the left side of your chosen framework to use it during your session with AI.

Framework	Best Used For	Why It Works	Best for Personal Story	Best for Program Story	Notes
Before - Then - Now	personal transitions, rebranding	helps audiences see growth and direction	✔		great for career pivots
Problem - Insight - Impact	strategic storytelling	centers learning & demonstrates evolution	✔	✔	focuses on lessons, not just outcomes
Bridge Story	program or personal shifts & evolutions	builds trust by showing honesty & adaptability	✔	✔	great for describing transitions
Values - Vision - Voice	public speaking & advocacy	connects emotionally & activates shared purpose	✔	✔	more narrative than tactical approach
Situation - Behavior - Impact	interviews & performance conversations	provides specific, objective, observable insight	✔	✔	best in high accountability contexts
Challenge - Choice - Outcome	cover letters & strategic proposals	highlights agency & ability to navigate complexity	✔	✔	shows decision making under pressure
And - But - Therefore	briefings & elevator pitches	builds narrative momentum & persuasive logic quickly	✔	✔	highly effective for stakeholder talks
Challenge - Action - Result	resumes, grants, and logic models	aligns with evaluation frameworks	✔	✔	emphasizes results with clarity & efficiency

STEP 3: Complete Your SWOT Analysis & Identify Supporting Documents

FINALIZE YOUR SWOT ANALYSIS.

Complete your SWOT analysis from ASPHN’s Micro-Learning Session #1. There is a SWOT worksheet specifically designed for program or organizational transitions and one designed for personal career moves.
Make sure you answer your SWOT as thoroughly as possible. AI can “hallucinate,” generating outputs that are inaccurate when it doesn’t have enough information. If possible, type your answers directly into the SWOT worksheet PDF.
If your SWOT answers are written by hand, type them into a Word document.
Be as thorough and comprehensive as possible in your responses.

GATHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.

You can upload a variety of document formats to ChatGPT, including PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
If you’re crafting a personal story, locate and be ready to upload relevant documents such as your resume and performance reviews to reinforce your SWOT analysis and help ChatGPT understand your strengths. You can also share documents or web page URLs containing your personal biography or articles about the work you’ve spearheaded.
If you’re crafting a story about your program, locate and be ready to upload relevant documents such as briefs, program evaluations, impact reports, past funding applications, requests for proposals, etc. that can help ChatGPT understand your program’s strengths. Share web page URLs that contain your program’s mission, vision, goals, tagline, etc. You can also include key messages and branding guidelines (if your organization has them). To help ChatGPT draft stories that align with your organization’s voice or tone, you can include examples of phrases, adjectives, or language that exemplify that voice.

STEP 4: Start Interacting With ChatGPT

BEGIN YOUR INTERACTION WITH CHATGPT.
You will be using the following prompt to open a dialogue with ChatGPT. If you have completed STEPS 1-3, your prompt will auto-fill and be ready to use. Click the button below to open ChatGPT, then use the file uploader to upload a copy of your SWOT, as well as any supporting documents that may be relevant (see Step 3 for examples of supporting documents).

I’ve completed a SWOT analysis and attached it and other supporting documents. Before we move onto story creation, please ask me clarifying questions about the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats I provided that will 1) help me rank them by importance and uncover specific details, such as limiting factors and key opportunities, especially if anything seems vague; 2) reveal actionable trends and risks as well as what should be emphasized or minimized (not all items won’t be weighted equally); and 3) prevent generalizations and incorrect information from eventually making its way into content I will use from this SWOT. Please reference and consider any links I might have in my analysis and supporting documents.

My goal: [Your goal will appear here]

My audience: [Your audience will appear here]

My priorities: [Your priorities will appear here]

Start Your ChatGPT Interaction

CRAFT YOUR RESPONSE:

It’s a good idea to write your answers in a Word document.
If you’re working on a story about your program, you may want to team up with your colleagues to craft those answers.
The more information and data you share with ChatGPT about yourself or your program, the more accurate it will be and the better it will align with your goals.

STEP 5: Craft and Save Your Story

CONTINUE YOUR DIALOGUE WITH CHATGPT.
Now you’ve set the stage for a compelling story by answering the clarifying questions ChatGPT has asked you about your SWOT analysis! If you haven’t yet, ensure you have completed STEP 2, then click the button below to copy the prompt you’ll paste into your chat with ChatGPT. Submit it and then use the accompanying pro tips on the right to refine your story and take next steps!

Use the information I’ve provided to create stories using the following frameworks: [Your selected frameworks will appear here]. Use an active voice with an authentic, warm, and professional tone and emphasize clarity, impact, trust, and values-driven work. Help me connect the story to current trends in public health and make the stories unique and authentic by asking me questions that help me personalize the story.

Copy This Prompt

KEEP GOING!

VERIFY. Never accept information generated by AI as 100% accurate. Verify the accuracy of your story and make any necessary changes. We recommend NOT having ChatGPT correct these for you as it will craft less compelling narratives.
LIMIT. Limit your story to a one-minute read (whether written or verbal). You want to keep the story short and impactful.
BE DIRECT. Ensure that your story uses an active—not passive—voice. An active voice will place you or your program as the ones performing the actions.
MOTIVATE. Once you’ve proofed and edited your story, make sure that it motivates your target audience to take action. For example, funders should feel motivated to support your program, and hiring managers should see you as a great fit for the position and the organization.
SAVE YOUR STORIES. Don’t forget to save and store your stories where you can easily access them.

Make The Most Of Your Story

TAILOR YOUR STORY FOR DIFFERENT USES.
Put your strong narrative to work for you! Use your story as a foundational document to format proposals, social media posts, a slide deck, or even a potential conversation with a funder. You can even simulate a practice interview or prep for a stakeholder briefing. Let the work grow with you. Here are some additional ideas on how you can use ChatGPT to tailor your story:

USE CASE SPECIFICITY. Ask ChatGPT to write alternative story versions for different use cases. For example, you may want a story formatted for a LinkedIn summary and another version to use as a cover letter.
CONNECT. Ask ChatGPT to write alternative story versions for different audiences. For example, you may want a story that connects specifically with policy professionals, nonprofit organization leaders, academic audiences, etc. You can also ask ChatGPT to help you connect the story to current trends in public health, such as equity in food systems or workforce resilience to bring relevance and situational awareness to the story, especially for thought leadership or grant work.
Q&A PRACTICE. Use ChatGPT to further practice your messaging for question and answer situations. For example, you might ask ChatGPT to simulate a practice interview or partnership meeting to help you prepare for the actual event.