Campfire

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Exchange work experiences and lessons learned through an interconnected series of short personal stories.

Use it when: Use during team onboarding, project retrospectives, or community gatherings to surface tacit knowledge and common experiences.

Skip it when: Skip when the team is in acute conflict or needs hard technical decisions rather than reflective narrative sharing.

Group arrangement: Whole group seated in a circle or facing a shared wall, with individual storytellers taking turns.

Timing: Gamestorming source specifies 30 to 45 minutes; set to 35 minutes for an 8 to 15 person circle.

Materials and tools

• 15 to 20 pre-written sticky notes with trigger words
• 1 pad of blank sticky notes per participant
• 1 felt-tip marker per participant
• Wall space or whiteboard with room for a sprawling line of notes

Before participants arrive

1. Write 15 to 20 trigger words or short phrases on sticky notes before the session (for example: first day, work travel, surprise win, pivot, unexpected obstacle, partnership).
2. Post the trigger notes together on one side of a blank wall to form the 'wall of words'.
3. Arrange seating in an open semi-circle facing the wall space.

Say this to open

Welcome to our workplace campfire. We learn a lot of our actual work know-how from stories rather than manuals. On this wall is a collection of word prompts. I will start with one story, and as you listen, you can grab another prompt from the wall or write down a new word sparked by my story. Each person who tells a story will add their note next to the last one to build our story thread. Sharing is completely voluntary. If you prefer to listen, you are welcome to just enjoy the thread.

How to run it

1. Set the campfire and model the first story 5 minutes

   Explain the mechanics and invite everyone to inspect the wall of words. Take one note down from the wall, place it at the beginning of the open story thread area, read the word aloud, and tell a concise 2-minute work-related story connected to that word.

2. Listen and capture associations 3 minutes

   Instruct participants to write down a word or short phrase on their own sticky note if the story triggered a memory of their own. Remind them they can also pick an existing note from the original wall of words if they prefer.

3. Build the story thread 22 minutes

   Ask for a volunteer to post their sticky note next to the previous note, read the word aloud, and tell their 2-minute story. Repeat with successive volunteers, placing each note adjacent to the previous one to create a connected thread. If momentum slows, suggest a prompt from the remaining wall notes. Allow up to 8 to 10 stories total. Anyone may decline to share without explanation.

4. Debrief common themes and lessons 5 minutes

   Gather the group's attention back to the completed story thread. Ask the debrief questions to extract shared patterns, cultural norms, or practical lessons revealed across the stories.

Debrief questions

• What common patterns or themes showed up across these different stories?
• Which story offered a practical work tip or perspective you can use?
• What does this thread show about how our team handles unexpected turns?

Finished output: A visible chain of connected sticky notes capturing shared project history, team lore, and practical workplace lessons.

Remote

Set up a digital whiteboard with a cluster of virtual sticky notes representing the wall of words, alongside an empty linear path for the thread. The facilitator shares a story, moves their digital note to the thread, and calls for a volunteer. Participants type trigger words on digital notes, place them next in sequence, and tell their story over voice or video. Listeners may post text comments in chat.

Hybrid

Project the digital whiteboard in the physical room. In-person participants post physical notes that a designated scribe mirrors onto the digital board, or both in-person and remote participants use laptops or tablets directly on the shared virtual board. Alternate speakers between physical and remote participants.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may listen without telling a story, or contribute a written note to the wall without speaking.
• Storytellers may sit or stand as comfortable.
• Neutral prompts allow speakers to choose personal comfort levels regarding success, failure, or neutral logistics.

If the session gets stuck

One person talks for too long, eating into session time.

Gently intervene at the three-minute mark by saying: 'Thank you for that thread; what is the core lesson or punchline so we can connect the next note?'

No one volunteers after a story concludes.

Point to two or three remaining trigger words on the wall of words and ask if any of those words spark a memory from a past project.

Terms used here

• Story thread: A continuous, winding line of sticky notes where each entry is placed directly next to the one that inspired it.
• Wall of words: A clustered set of pre-written prompt notes used as starting points for workplace memories.