Moore has conducted research with around 60 leaders from private and not-for-profit organisations to find out to what extent they shared personal stories in a work context, and what effect it had on how they were viewed as leaders and the dynamics of their team.

While she said it was early days for her research, she was surprised by how much leaders do open up and share stories. “It seems that when story sharing is done in the right way, with the right conditions and in the appropriate context, it could have quite a few benefits,” said Moore. “The research and interviews I have done suggest it might enhance the quality of the relationships between members of teams, as well as impacting on how a team functions and even its productivity.“

From a leader’s perspective, knowing the stories, histories, motivations and values of the people you lead could be an incredibly valuable piece of information.”

Source: Why storytelling in the workplace can improve how teams function – People Management Magazine Online