Campfire

Purpose

Campfire taps into the oldest form of knowledge transfer: storytelling. Participants share real experiences — successes, failures, surprises — in an informal, circle setting. The format builds trust, surfaces tacit knowledge that formal documentation misses, and creates shared team memory.

At a glance

How to run

1. Set the scene (2 min): Arrange chairs in a circle (or use gallery view online). Explain that this is a space for real stories, not presentations.
2. Pose a prompt (1 min): Give a storytelling prompt: "Tell us about a time when..." (a project surprised you, you learned something the hard way, a customer changed your mind).
3. Share stories (14 min): Participants volunteer stories. No interruptions during a story. After each, brief reactions are welcome.
4. Harvest insights (3 min): Ask the group: "What patterns or lessons emerged?" Capture 3–5 key takeaways.

Materials needed

• Circle seating arrangement
• Story prompts (prepared in advance)
• Optional: a flip chart to capture takeaways
• Optional: a "talking stick" or object to hold while speaking

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Turning stories into presentations: Keep it conversational. No slides.
• No prompt: Without a focused prompt, stories meander. Be specific.
• Forced participation: Not everyone is comfortable sharing. Respect silence.
• No harvest: Stories without synthesis remain anecdotal. Always extract lessons.

Inclusion & accessibility

• The informal format is welcoming for people who dislike formal presentations.
• Allow written story submissions for those who prefer not to speak.
• Use inclusive prompts that do not require specific professional seniority.
• A talking stick ensures one speaker at a time.

Variations

• Themed Campfire: Focus all stories on one theme (customer feedback, team failures, innovation wins).
• Lightning Campfire: 2-minute story limit per person for larger groups.
• Digital Campfire: Use video breakout rooms with 4–5 people per campfire.

When NOT to use this

• When the team needs data-driven analysis, not stories.
• When trust is too low for personal sharing — build psychological safety first.
• When time is very tight and there is no room for open-ended sharing.

Source & further reading

• Dave Snowden, Cynefin Company: narrative techniques
• Gamestorming: Campfire
• Stephen Denning, *The Leader's Guide to Storytelling* (2005)