The best way to engage with your team is to encourage stories. Storytelling is the oldest art form, everyone likes a good one. Why are they useful?
- Lessons learned via storytelling are remembered more easily.
- Engagement during a story releases dopamine.
- Telling a story increases brain activation for everyone.
When telling stories the storyteller has an increased likelihood of remembering useful details. The listeners will make more connections with prior experiences and knowledge, further cementing their understanding.
Examples of how to use stories well:
- You ease back into the work week with a story about the weekend.
- You tell a story about when you used a code pattern to fix a similar problem.
- You coach someone with a hilarious story of the time you did it wrong.
The key to storytelling is to create a comfortable environment in a world where imposter syndrome is ubiquitous. A team that is comfortable with each other will communicate more openly and grow more quickly together.
All you have to do is tell a story.