Tales for Trainers: Using Stories and Metaphors to Facilitate Learning Book

Introduction 1

Part 1 The Story So Far 5

1 Once Upon a Time 7

Storytelling traditions 7

Who were the storytellers? 9

Storytelling today 10

Who are the storytellers today? 11

The purpose of stories 12

The purpose of metaphor 15

The purpose of myth 17

2 Stories for Learning 21

Is storytelling still valid? 21

Stories and the learning process 22

Concretizing 23

Assimilation 23

Structurizing 24

Metaphors and learning 25

Myths and learning 28

The hidden message of stories 32

Story and memory 35

Story and unconsious learning 40

3 The Right Time and Place 43

Whose story is it anyway? 43

When can you tell stories? 46

4 It's the Way You Tell Them 61

Gaining rapport with your audience 61

What style of story? 63

Using the tone of your voice 63

The pace of your voice 66

The volume of your voice 67

Non-verbal communication 68

Body posture 68

Eye contact 70

Gestures 70

Creating 'anchors' for impact 70

Involving the group 73

Part 2 Now Read On . . . 77

The Tales 79

How to Use the Tales 79

1 '...And I'm Not Joking!' 84

2 The Tube of Toothpaste 86

3 What the Sleeping Beauty Would Have Given Her Right Arm for 88

4 The Meaning of My Communication 90

5 Percy the Pot 92

6 Sophie Learns a Lesson 94

7 The Cookery Book Game 96

8 If in Doubt - Delegate! 98

9 Our Deepest Fear 100

10 The Enormous Turnip 102

11 Memorandum 104

12 Mother and the Knife Grinder 106

13 The Moth and the Star 108

14 Waste Paper 110

15 Keeping Body and Soul Together 112

16 'There Is No Such Thing as a "Difficult Delegate"' 115

17 Alice Meets the Cheshire Cat 118

18 Setting the World on Fire 120

19 The Sun and the Wind 123

20 Autobiography in Five Short Chapters 125

21 'Did I Tell You the One About...? 127

22 The Ball of Wool 129

23 The Project 131

24 The Prince and the Magician 133

25 Giant Steps 136

26 The Prophet 139

27 The Professionals 141

28 The Miller, His Son and Their Donkey 143

29 Leave Well Alone 145

30 The Horse on the Road 147

31 The Wedgwood China Shop 149

32 The Pirate Ship 151

33 Lessons from the Geese 153

34 The 'Correct' Procedure 155

35 John's Tale 157

36 Role Play 159

37 How the Waters Changed 161

38 Rodney's Tale 163

39 A Leader's Prayer 165

40 'Just a Bod' 167

41 Fitness for the Purpose 169

42 All Those Buns! 172

43 Six Honest Serving-Men 173

44 Houdini and the Locked Door 175

45 Revolution in your Mind 177

46 The Tortoise and the Hare Revisited 179

47 'Thank You for the Smile' 181

48 The Parable of the Sower and the Seed 183

49 Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say 185

50 Atlas' Tale 187

References 190

Further reading 192

Further information 194

Index 195