“Pitch me your recent obsession.”

It’s almost impossible to hear this and not have something float to the front of your mind that you’re itching to talk about.

For me, my recent obsession would have to be…Sterling Point.

It’s a show about a teenager who inherits her estranged grandfather’s remote island and, upon moving to the island, discovers another girl was also named as an heir. It’s got mystery, sisterhood, grief, and complex family dynamics. I’m absolutely hooked.

While the show might not be up your alley, I’m certain you feel like you know a bit more about me. You might even have some follow-up questions, or media you’ve seen that you think I’d enjoy.

Zosia Mamet (of Girls fame) gives this prompt to all her guests on her OMG Obsessed podcast, and, from a teaming perspective, it’s pretty brilliant. Because the point of this prompt isn’t to convince people to jump on your obsession. It’s to bring people together.

“Pitch me your recent obsession” is one of the most effective ice-breakers because it genuinely gets people talking, and talking about something joyful.

We all love to talk about our thoughts and interests. This doesn’t make us narcissistic. Research in Scientific American confirms that people love to talk about themselves because it feels good.

The study, conducted at Harvard University, showed the areas of the brain that light up when we talk about ourselves are the same spots that “are generally associated with reward, and have been linked to…pleasurable feelings and motivational states.”

More than that, talking about our interests while others are listening, rather than privately to ourselves, proved to be the most activating situation the researchers tested.

In short, it’s intrinsically rewarding to talk about ourselves with others. It elicits positive feelings. It’s joyful.

This matters in the workplace because, when we feel good, we unlock a whole lot of other positive things too. Psychological safety, motivation, morale, retention, and productivity all increase alongside happiness.

I’m not saying one question will revolutionize your workplace culture. However, it can signal to employees that their interests and opinions matter, and encourage personal connection within teams.

At August, we have our own version of this question, and it’s one of my favorite ways to kick off a meeting: “What can’t you shut up about lately?”

When people are invited to bring their whole selves to the table—wacky interests and all—they’re more likely to feel safe offering up ideas, communicating concerns, and building trust. All the things that good teaming relies on.

Now, in case you were wondering, the title of this newsletter wasn’t rhetorical. I would genuinely love to see my inbox flooded with your obsessions. Don’t hold back, either. I want the weird, the niche, the complex, the fascinating.

So…what can’t you shut up about lately?

Karina Mangu-Ward

Partner, August Public