Svoboda, CPP, Speaks on Power of Story, Learning From Mistakes

“You know you’ve told a great story when it engages and inspires action,” Iggy Svoboda, PP, told the standing-room-only crowd in the Future of Pay General Session at Payroll Congress on Wednesday.

The "subject of storytelling" was the paramount theme for her talk to attendees. Svoboda emphasized the power of story and how it can be used to inspire positive change in companies. And, yes, even in payroll.

“My stories have influenced change because the leaders are aware of the connection payroll has to the people and the business,” she said.

Svoboda’s effective storytelling took years to master, she admits. From one job to another she used her past mistakes as learning tools for her next professional opportunity, while mastering her storytelling abilities.

At the heart of her storytelling is T.M.I.—Time, Money, and Impact. Three questions that T.M.I. raises are:

1. How much time will this take?
2. How much money will it cost?
3. What will be the impact?

With those questions in mind, Svoboda crafts stories in order to inspire change.

“Data won’t tell the story, people do,” she said.

For John Schausten, CPP, Director of Payroll and HRIS at OneAmerica and APA’s 2020 Payroll Man of the Year, it was thought provoking presentation. He thought her talk was a great way to show how someone can start off in the payroll profession and build on their skillset every year.

“We learn more from our failures, especially in payroll,” Schausten said. “When you mess up someone’s paycheck, you learn not to do that ever again. It’s one of those things that you learn quickly from making those mistakes, and you try to get better and improve.”

For Crystal Humphries, CPP, Payroll Analyst at Aristocrat in Las Vegas, Svoboda’s speech did much of the same.

“I loved how down to earth she seemed about her whole career," Humphries said. "She was willing to get out there and learn and also learn from her leaders, and her mistakes."