Book Box | Three unexpected ways to introduce yourself

Dear Reader,

Forgive me. I have been writing to you for two years now, but I have not yet properly introduced myself. You may know a few details, but despite all the stories I tell you every week, I have not yet told you my own story.

This is what I think about when I introduce myself to my new MBA class in the first session of my “Storytelling in Business” course. And this is what I say:

“Today is the first period of this new class. I just went over your names, but I don’t really know you and you don’t know me. So I think I should tell you a little about myself.”

Tell me about yourself, version 1: The library story

“I am Sonya Dutta Choudhury and I live in a library.”

I have caught the students’ attention. They look confused. A little incredulous.

I pause for a moment and conduct a poll. “How many of you think that what I just said was literal? And how many of you think that what I just said was figurative?”

One vote is for “literal,” the rest for “figurative.”

I continue, “We have about 10,000 books in our fifth floor flat in Juhu. Of these, about 6,000 are books on science, military history, management and religion – they belong to the other resident of the house, the man I married, and are mostly read by him. About 20 per cent belong to people who no longer live in the house but INSIST that their books are still here. These are picture books, Enid Blytons, Harry Potter sets belonging to our three girls – who live in Delhi, Bangalore and New York. I always try to put their books away, you know, in these storage rooms which are like a box bed, because we have no space left on the bookshelves. But every time they come to visit, they rush into these box beds and pull out their books!

That leaves about 20% or 2000 books – which is mostly fiction, it’s a rotating inventory as I keep having to give away a lot of my books because there’s just no room. Then there are books on storytelling and persuasion, which, as you know, are the courses I teach.

So, that’s me.”

Sonya Dutta Choudhury in “Tell me about yourself”, version 1: The library story

The class stays silent. They look like they’re waiting for more. I guess that’s fair, I didn’t give them enough data points.

I think I should start again from the beginning. But first I will do a quick new survey –

“How many of you believe that I really live in a library?”

All hands shot up! I convinced them of my story!

Let me introduce myself again.

Tell me about yourself, version 2: The ambition I can never achieve

“I am Sonya Dutta Choudhury and I have a goal that I cannot achieve. And I cannot achieve this goal not because I am not focused enough, or determined enough, or smart enough, or even motivated enough – because I am all of those things. I cannot achieve this goal because it is probably too late. Even though I set this goal for myself very early in life.

I was a little younger than all of you and was studying English Literature at Miranda House, Delhi University, when I picked up a book. It was Atlas shrugs off by Ayn Rand – the story of Dagny Taggart, the CEO of a railroad company. The book is set in the USA many years ago, when the USA was just beginning to develop into an industrialized superpower, with huge tracts of land, lots of raw materials and very little infrastructure. A railroad company at that time – you can imagine what a big deal that was – and it was run by a woman as CEO. That’s what I want to be, I thought – a woman CEO working in industry and increasing my country’s GDP.

I put down my Dickens, my Terry Eagleton and my Foucault. And open CAT guides instead. I make it to IIM Calcutta to do my MBA. There is a small interruption when I fall in love with one of my classmates, but actually I think this should be fine, we will both study and both work.

After graduating, I’ll work in a bank – which is good because finance is the nerve center of the economy and credit drives all growth – and then I’ll move into product marketing in export markets.

So far, so good. And then I’ll take a little break to have my first baby, and then the second, and then the third – because I’ve always liked the idea of ​​a big family.

And while I’m on this sabbatical, I’m starting to write in my spare time. It’s bringing in a little extra money – we’ve suddenly gone from DINK (dual income, no kids) to SINK (single income, numerous kids) – and we’re short on cash. So this writing is helping us.

In the meantime, my husband, who began his career as a management trainee, has become vice president, then director and finally CEO, my best friend, who lived in the hall next to me, has become CEO, and I am happy and proud. And also a little wistful.

But then I think about it – if I had the chance, would I do it differently? I’m not sure. I like my life the way it is, the writing, the teaching, my book clubs and the many little projects I take on.

But it’s also true that I have a goal that I probably won’t achieve. So that’s my story.”

I have the students’ full attention. They lean forward, all eyes on me. The inattentive young man in the third row has forgotten to look at his cell phone. When I stop talking, they remain silent, still looking at me. I sense that they want more. Time for another try. I start again.

Tell me about yourself, version 3: Be proud of your achievements

“Hello, I am Sonya Dutta Choudhury.

I am the author of the book Career Rules: How to Make the Right Choice and Get the Life You Love. I studied English Literature at Delhi University and then did a double degree in Marketing and Finance at IIM Calcutta. I worked at ANZ Grindlays Bank and then Tata International, after which I became a writer and journalist, contributing to mint, The Hinduand Hindustan Times. I started a book subscription service called Sonya’s Book Box to help people read more. I run three book clubs, teach here at NMIMS and write a weekly book column for Hindustan Times.

So, that’s me.”

The students are now sitting back and relaxed – they seem to be comfortable with the professor who will take up many hours of their semester. They now know everything about me.

I invite them to choose their favorite version of me – the story of life in a library, the story of unrealizable ambition or the story of the resume?

Your shared favorites become a learning moment for us.

When you take risks with your image and reveal desires and vulnerabilities, people can identify with you, feel compassion for you, and create a strong connection.

Highlight an unusual part of your life and you will attract the world’s attention.

But when you tell stories like this, version 1 about life in a library and version 2 about ambition that could not be achieved, you have to leave out a lot of things. This is where version 3, about standing by your successes, scores points – it is informative but emotionless, it has no narrative background, it is not a story.

All of these puzzles make “Tell me about yourself” the hardest question in the world – what do you say, what do you leave out, how do you structure your story? But they also make it fun, because they encourage you to think of creative ways to introduce yourself.

And what about you, dear reader? Which version did you like best? And what is your “tell me about yourself” story? A good place to start is to take a journal and write your story using unusual prompts. For example, are you superstitious – has there been an incident of this kind in your life? Or which three people have contributed the most to your life in the last year? Two books that will help you on this journey are “The Artists Way” by Julia Cameron and “The Question Book” by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler.

And until next week, happy reading.

Sonya Dutta Choudhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and the founder of Sonya’s Book Box, a bespoke book service. Every week she brings you specially curated books that give you a comprehensive understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or suggestions, write to her at [email protected]

Reading list for the class

The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning

Tell Me About Yourself: Telling Stories to Get Jobs and Advance Your Career by Katherine Hansen

Stories at Work by Indranil Chakraborty

What is your story by Adri Bruckner et al