The Character Traits Storytelling Toolkit

The Character Traits Storytelling Toolkit

From Experience to Narrative: 3 Essential Practices

"The stories we tell about our character traits don't just communicate who we are—they reveal how our natural qualities create meaningful impact and guide our professional direction."

This free toolkit provides three practical exercises designed to help you discover and articulate your character stories—the narratives that explain how you've navigated professional challenges, leveraged your authentic traits, or transformed setbacks into opportunities for growth:

1. The Character Story Discovery Exercise: Guides you to identify potential character stories from your WorkLife journey using reflective prompts that reveal which trait-based experiences hold the most authentic meaning and practical wisdom.
2. The Trait-to-Impact Story Framework: Helps you structure your character story using a five-part framework (The Challenge, The Trait Recognition, The Adaptation, The Application, The Impact) that transforms personal qualities into narratives of professional contribution.
3. The Context-Appropriate Character Story Guide: Provides a quick reference tool for adapting your character story to different professional situations—knowing when sharing your authentic traits strengthens relationships versus when restraint serves you better.

Throughout the toolkit, examples from professionals who have developed their character storytelling practice illustrate how articulating authentic traits—from observation and curiosity to empathy and adaptability—can transform understanding of professional success and help others recognise similar qualities in themselves.

This resource stands alone as a practical tool, with deeper exploration available in School of WorkLife's The Longest Way Round: A Journey of Character.