RELATIONSHIPS
Connect to people you work with for work
WHY Relationships?
Ever been in a Zoom meeting where everything just feels awkward—no one’s sharing, no one looks comfortable, and people are holding back their ideas and opinions? It’s usually a sign that the team doesn’t know or trust each other enough to feel safe taking the risks needed for effective collaboration, learning, and problem-solving. Human connection reduces that fear, helping teams work better together, but in hybrid and remote environments, we can’t rely on the organic bonding that came from spending time in the same office. Storytelling becomes a powerful, scalable way to build relationships. When we share stories—about why we work, what motivates us, and how our values align or differ—we create meaningful connections that foster trust, belonging, and mutual understanding. In today’s work environment, building that connection requires a more intentional, strategic approach, and storytelling is one of the most effective tools we have.
Some questions to help you Share stories for work
Sharing stories and demonstrating curiosity in the stories of others builds connection and highlights our shared humanity in playful and authentic ways. You can focus story sharing on building human connection for work, through vulnerability, emotion, and presence.
Below are prompts to help you think about stories from your life, but also, you could ask thesequestions of other people in conversation or a workshop setting, to help you build connection.
When you were younger, what did you really
enjoy doing?
What things have you done that have felt
meaningful to you?
When you’re excited to do something, how
do other people know?
When you’re excited to do something, how
do you know?
What special subject could you talk forever
about?
Who is the most excitable/enthusiastic/
passionate person you know?
What’s your favourite failure story?
What’s a challenge you’ve overcome?
What did you used to be embarrassed about,
but are not embarrassed about it any more?
What is the most (wonderfully) weird thing
about you?
When you were younger, think about a time
when you felt outside your comfort zone, but
in a way that helped you learn or grow?
Reflect on an experience where discomfort led
to meaningful personal or professional
development.
Who in your development has supported you
to feel safe enough to take risks?
A poem about story sharing for relationship building
I've got an experiment, let’s give it a go
think of your favoritest person you know
it could be a friend or a partner or a pet
it could be Saria or Sunil or Brett
now make a list and do it quick, quick, quick, quick!
the quicker you list is the better for this
right down every fact that you know about them
you have 30 seconds with your pad in your pen
just the facts, you remember, that rule cannot bend
go start it, I'm watching, I see you my friend.
are you noticing something that seems a bit weird?
you know them so well but your brain's just not geared
to pull facts alone from the top of your head
but let's change one thing and do that instead
remember a time you did something together,
Are details in their like their clothes or the weather?
And can you recall phrases they said?
or they're smile or their feels and is your mind led -
to other occasions that you hung out
and other things about them you'd forgotten about?
those things you remember, they were all stories!
all glory to story because this category
of thinking makes meaning and encodes information
for processing, connection and innovation.
the brain is a connection making machine
and story feeds it, because with all of it scenes
it holds thick rich phat data
and don't we love data!
more data more connection and more breakthroughs where after.
think of your brain as a warehouse for storage
of stories and with all of their allegories
you find new ways of doing that thing that you do
now network that brain with a team of a few
and bam! Innovation becomes exponential
and mission Focus becomes transcendental
and what connects brains? [I'm sure you can guess,
your witty and wise and always best dressed]
that's right
it's stories that connects the brains of us humans
and builds the relations for group contribution.
so smart stylish leaders have stories to tell
about their mission, themselves and they do this as well…
they listen
illicit
and welcome the stories of others
and allow the team to explore these
narrative treasures that make groups effective and safe
and then they treat themselves cos we all deserve cake.