--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I sit down with my team before an…" description: "\"When I sit down with my team before an engagement, sometimes they are horrified as I say I don't want to read the biographical brief because I prefer t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall-12_books_when-i-sit-down-with-my-team-before-an-e_72241.jpg" --- # When I sit down with my team before an engagement… ![“When I sit down with my team before an engagement, sometimes they are horrified as I say I don't want to read the biographical brief because I prefer to prise information out of people. It becomes like a game. The stories that come out, I could write a book about.” quote by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall-12_books_when-i-sit-down-with-my-team-before-an-e_72241.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall-12_books_when-i-sit-down-with-my-team-before-an-e_72241.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall-12_books_when-i-sit-down-with-my-team-before-an-e_72241.jpg) > “When I sit down with my team before an engagement, sometimes they are horrified as I say I don't want to read the biographical brief because I prefer to prise information out of people. It becomes like a game. The stories that come out, I could write a book about.” [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker prefers extracting insights directly from people rather than relying on pre‑written biographies, turning conversations into a dynamic, story‑rich discovery process. **In simple terms:** Direct dialogue uncovers richer narratives than static briefs. Key Takeaway Live interaction yields deeper, more authentic stories. Themes Storytelling Interview technique Authenticity Human insight Engagement Mood Curiosity Playfulness Insightfulness Type Anecdotal Observational Inspirational When to use this quote - Client onboarding - Research interviews - Team briefings - Creative workshops - Leadership meetings Key Concepts Information extraction Narrative building Team dynamics Practical Applications - Designing client discovery processes - Training staff in active listening Questions to Reflect On - How might relying on live conversation change the quality of our insights? - What risks exist when dismissing written background material? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Engagement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engagement/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) ## Related quotes > [I came up with new leads for game stories by being observant and clever, by using the many gifts of the English language to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-schaap/i-came-up-with-new-leads-for-game-stories-by-being-observant-and/) [Dick Schaap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-schaap/) > [I once read that there are more biographical works about Napoleon Bonaparte than any other man in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/i-once-read-that-there-are-more-biographical-works-about-napoleon/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [I gave up on America. I read the Times just to find out what they're thinking. I read blogs. I get most of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-gave-up-on-america-i-read-the-times-just-to-find-out-what-they-re/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [The core of what Google is about is bringing information to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sundar-pichai/the-core-of-what-google-is-about-is-bringing-information-to-people/) [Sundar Pichai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sundar-pichai/) > [The information is in the people, not in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-hall/the-information-is-in-the-people-not-in-your-head/) [Edward T. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-hall/) > [I think the most exciting thing is access to information. People's ability to document things and expose things that may have not otherwise been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-think-the-most-exciting-thing-is-access-to-information-people-s/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [I believe that when you provide information to people, they become less fearful and they will engage more in their democracy if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-believe-that-when-you-provide-information-to-people-they-become/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [It's because of this fundamental shift towards user-generated information that people will listen more to other people than to traditional resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/it-s-because-of-this-fundamental-shift-towards-user-generated/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [A good leader shares information, even if they don't know the whole story. Without any information, people create their own, which causes fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/a-good-leader-shares-information-even-if-they-don-t-know-the-whole/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I always tell people what I did 50 years ago as a teenager is now 4,000 times easier to do today than when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/i-always-tell-people-what-i-did-50-years-ago-as-a-teenager-is-now-4/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) > [In knowledge-intensive business settings, where every manager has to oversee massive amounts of information as well as people, facilitating the use of psychic energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/in-knowledge-intensive-business-settings-where-every-manager-has-to/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [In the Internet age, it is inevitable that corporations and government agencies will have access to detailed information about people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/in-the-internet-age-it-is-inevitable-that-corporations-and-government/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [“Networking means the act of exchanging information with people who can help you professionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jennae/networking-means-the-act-of-exchanging-information-with-people-who/) [Michele Jennae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jennae/) > [“Here was the bottom line: if we human beings are information processing machines, reading X's and O's and translating that information into what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/here-was-the-bottom-line-if-we-human-beings-are-information/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [As much as I can, I like to curate the information the people know personally about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/as-much-as-i-can-i-like-to-curate-the-information-the-people-know/) [David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/) ## More by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall > [Far too often, those living with abuse do feel there is no one to help. I have learned how vital it is to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/far-too-often-those-living-with-abuse-do-feel-there-is-no-one-to-help/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [The nice thing is I really love people and I am really curious about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/the-nice-thing-is-i-really-love-people-and-i-am-really-curious-about/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [Military nurses have worked alongside their NHS colleagues across the United Kingdom, using the skills learnt in conflict in the battle against COVID.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/military-nurses-have-worked-alongside-their-nhs-colleagues-across-the/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [Sadly, there are many children who have not yet been given the chance to 'discover the magic of reading, or set foot in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/sadly-there-are-many-children-who-have-not-yet-been-given-the-chance/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [The nice thing about dogs is you can sit them down, you could have a nice long conversation, you could be cross, you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/the-nice-thing-about-dogs-is-you-can-sit-them-down-you-could-have-a/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [We were brought up in a very happy family and I can't whinge about my childhood because it was idyllic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/we-were-brought-up-in-a-very-happy-family-and-i-can-t-whinge-about-my/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [I was hopeless with the Internet, I didn't even like it either. As I said before, I thought 'what an annoying thing' you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/i-was-hopeless-with-the-internet-i-didn-t-even-like-it-either-as-i/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [People are either glass-half-empty or glass-half-full. I always think hopefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/people-are-either-glass-half-empty-or-glass-half-full-i-always-think/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [Other people's lives are so much more interesting than one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/other-people-s-lives-are-so-much-more-interesting-than-one-s-own/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [We all know that reading is an invaluable life skill. It is vital for children in their education and as they take their place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/we-all-know-that-reading-is-an-invaluable-life-skill-it-is-vital-for/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [My mother could be quite fierce sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/my-mother-could-be-quite-fierce-sometimes/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [I think dancing makes you happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/i-think-dancing-makes-you-happy/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [I love to get my hands dirty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/i-love-to-get-my-hands-dirty/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [You have to laugh at yourself because if you can't, you may as well give up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/you-have-to-laugh-at-yourself-because-if-you-can-t-you-may-as-well/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [I will be a patron of Battersea as long as I am standing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/i-will-be-a-patron-of-battersea-as-long-as-i-am-standing/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) [Explore all 54 Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I sit down with my team before an engagement, sometimes they are horrified as I say I don't want to read the biographical brief because I prefer to prise information out of people. It becomes like a game. 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