Your story is your difference maker. Bring it to the boardroom.
You don’t need to hang around the water cooler to know that workplaces are buzzing with conversations. But more often than not, these start and stop at surface-level topics. Where are you from? What did you do this weekend? . . . Sound familiar?
These types of questions are fine as everyday icebreakers, but they’re rarely connection makers. For stronger, more collaborative relationships in the workplace, we need to dig deeper. The secret? Storytelling. And one of the first steps to get there is asking the right questions.
More Than Small Talk
What gets you up in the morning?
That’s what former CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Cynt Marshall, wants to know. During the onboarding process for new employees, Marshall always made a point to ask about their life story.
“Usually they’d come back and say, ‘This is my fifth season at the Mavs.’ I'd have to stop and say, ‘You weren't born in this building, right?”
Taking a leaf out of Marshall’s book does more than build rapport between employees and managers; it can build bridges across entire teams. Multiple studies have shown that when colleagues share stories together, it encourages trust and improves collaboration and innovation. Why might this be? In part, stories plant seeds of empathy by forcing us to see past the polished LinkedIn versions of our work selves. They can reveal our values, our struggles and growth. They might hint at some of the big whys behind personal ticks and quirks or even the “secret sauce” behind our drive.
In a world saturated with AI and remote work settings that can reduce names to a static picture on a screen, it’s our stories—those innately human, nuanced threads of our existence—that make us unique. You can’t automate authenticity. You can’t outsource lived experience. When we share these facets of ourselves in the workplace, we create spaces that are productive and more meaningfully connected.
From Storytelling to Storyliving
Some stories leave a lasting impression. These are the ones that give a fresh perspective and let us see others in a new way, long after we’ve left the boardroom and gone home for the day. Taking the lessons we’ve learned from one another, we can move beyond just telling stories to living them out, co-creating new narratives with colleagues and reimagining the workplace. That’s the big picture, but we won’t get there with just small talk!
Quick Tips to Get Started:
Ready to get the ball rolling? Consider these ideas to begin weaving stories into your work life:
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Ask, Does this spark curiosity? Work itself may not always “spark joy” in the Marie Kondo sense, but we can still show up with intention. According to author and facilitator Priya Parker, good questions for a group will be interesting for everyone to answer and make you curious to hear others answer too. Here are a few examples she gives:
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What’s a path you almost took but didn’t?
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What’s something you were embarrassed about as a kid that you now fully embrace?
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If you could bring one food to share, what would it be?
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Try an “origin” exercise. Knowing where you come from helps you know where you’re going and how you arrived where you are. Think back to an early moment that shaped your values or life’s journey. Why does that pinpoint on your map stand out? What did it teach you? (Scratching your head? Root & Seed’s workshops help navigate these kinds of icebreakers with ease and expertise).
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Journal your self-reflections. Some topics spark more complicated memories or realisations. Try jotting some of these down when you can, even if it feels half-baked or isn’t your “best” writing. You don’t owe the world every chapter of your story, but the act of writing alone can clarify your values and purpose.
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Stress less and make it fun. Yes, storytelling can (and should) be fun sometimes! Take the guesswork out with some ready-made prompts that are designed to get everyone out of their shell and sharing. Hands-on tools like conversation cards bring a playful element to the table and keep the conversations flowing.
A Better Work Culture Starts from the Roots Up
Root & Seed’s workshops and storytelling tools are built on the belief that stories are worth telling and have the power to transform entire families, communities, and workplaces.
“Your workshop and tools brought up things for our team that they didn't even know they needed to hear. There are parts of our minds and our hearts that we forget to explore. To see that level of depth of conversation in a workplace, it was so magical. We filled a room virtually and in person, and something so lasting happened in that moment.” – Carol Ann Lawrie, Root & Seed workshop participant
We’re here to help teams dig deeper, reflect, and make authentic connections where every story matters. Because we know that difference makers don’t just celebrate job titles and performance. They celebrate the people behind it.
