Story techniques are becoming popular but I do worry that people will become overly focussed on capturing stories with the hope that someone will search the story database in search of how to get things done. The other, and complimentary, approach is to create workplaces where it’s natural to tell (and listen to) stories and therefore create spaces for constant knowledge flow.

Here are some ideas on how you might make your workplace more storyable.

• Do remarkable things. Stories are told when there is something worth telling a story about. And if there is very little to remark on that helps guide the organisation, then people will delve into the minutiae, the trivial, the professional pulp fiction
• Know how to ask story eliciting questions. Don’t just ask for the facts. Ask “What happened?” “Tell me about a time when …” “When was the last time …”
• Eat together. We seem so busy these days. In many workplaces people don’t even stop for lunch. Big mistake. The best stories, the most important stories are told over a meal.
• Tell stories. Someone has to start modelling the behaviour so why not start the trend yourself. But don’t make it a big thing by saying things like, “I’ve got this great story to tell you …” Just slide into examples and recount your experiences.

How storyable is your workplace?