Chapter 14Storytelling as a Training Technique
The Value of Storytelling
What exactly is storytelling? According to Norma J. Livo and Sandra A. Rietz, authors of Storytelling Process & Practice (1986), “Storytelling is an oral art form whose practice provides a means of preserving and transmitting images, ides, motivations, and emotions that are universal across human communities.” Storytelling has been used to captivate audiences throughout the ages. It's an art as old as mankind. Throughout history, stories have passed from generation to generation as a means of preserving a group's culture, heritage, history, and tradition. Stories teach a lesson as well as entertain. Stories are at the very heart of who we are as human beings. Relatives, teachers, corporate executives, politicians, entertainers, and religious leaders among many others use stories to enhance their presentations, make a point, teach a lesson, or explain what they do. Thus, storytelling is a powerful and very effective training technique.
Our first exposure to stories was as children listening to bedtime stories told by our parents. As we grew up, we continued to hear stories ...
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