Campfire
Campfire leverages the power of storytelling to foster connection and shared understanding within a team. By using trigger words, participants share work-related experiences, revealing commonalities and building rapport.
Use this method to kick off a team-building session, onboard new employees, or create a safe space for sharing experiences and perspectives after a significant project or event.
Solves: Siloed teams lacking shared context, difficulty building rapport in remote environments, lack of informal knowledge sharing.
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Step 1: Before the session, brainstorm 10-20 positive or neutral trigger words related to work experiences (e.g., 'partnership,' 'first day'). Write each word on a sticky note. (15 minutes)
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Step 2: Post the sticky notes in a visible location, creating a 'wall of words'. Provide participants with markers and extra sticky notes.
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Step 3: Explain that the session is a workplace 'campfire' for sharing stories informally.
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Step 4: Ask participants to review the 'wall of words' and recall a story associated with one of them. (3 minutes)
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Step 5: Start the storytelling by removing a word from the wall, posting it nearby, and sharing your own story.
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Step 6: Invite a volunteer to continue by selecting a word (either from the wall or a new word inspired by the previous story), posting it next to yours, and sharing their story. Instruct others to listen and jot down words/phrases that remind them of other stories.
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Step 7: Repeat the process, creating a 'story thread' archive. Continue until the time is up.
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Step 8: Before ending, ask participants to share any lessons learned or final thoughts.
- Encourage participation by sharing your own stories and creating a welcoming atmosphere.
- If the storytelling lulls, refer participants back to the 'wall of words' or suggest a 'wild card' story.
- Be mindful of the tone and steer the conversation back to positive or neutral topics if it becomes too negative.
- Use images instead of words as triggers.
- Focus the storytelling on a specific theme or project.
- Record the stories and create a podcast or internal newsletter.