S T O RY T E L L I N G FA B L E

The Adventures of Mezirow

Storytelling - Chapter 12

n the land of Transformative Teaching, the hamlet of Ferris, there

lived a mighty Chapter Review Team - Sir Sean Adams, Sir Marcus

Bennett, Sir Andrew McQueen, and Lady Veronica Wilkerson of Johnson.

On 20 November, in the year of our Lord 2014 - our fearless team set out
on a mission to gather wisdom that would teach our humble village folk
and statesmen how to tell stories. This Storybird Presentation is the
culmination of their efforts. It will explore storytelling through:
Mezirows Seven Conditions and their Storytelling Connections,
Implementing Storytelling: Context and Spaces for Talking and
Listening
Prompting Stories, and Facilitating Dialogue After the Storytelling; and alas Reflections.
Let us now embark on this magical journey, and see what enlightenment
our wise team has gathered to share with us.

First, Sir Sean reminds us that,

As children, we all experienced fanciful storytelling:

o Ghost stories around a campfire

o Grandfathers stories of the way things used to be
o Important life lessons from our Mothers or Fathers
o Retelling of childhood hijinks (Huck Finn)

As professionals, we can adapt our developmental understanding of

storytelling to foster learning both in the classroom and the workplace.
Organizations fundamentally depend on communicative learning for,
among other things, the creation of novelty, conflict resolution, and
growth.

 Individuals and organizations depend on communication for critical

reflection and dialog as stories create insight and common ground
through symbolic interaction.
The rich tapestry of symbols, gestures, and language in stories fosters
internalization and self-reflection of listener experiences which converge
and overlap with the experiences of the storyteller.

Storytelling is not a diversion or an excuse for group bonding;

storytelling in professional settings is a tool to convey strategic messages
to enhance and reinforce organizational initiatives.
Mezirow, Taylor, and Associates define storytelling as a oral, face-to-face

narration of personal experience in a facilitated forum; apart from myths,

fables, and folklore.
o Personal experiences are derived from interactions between colleagues
in the workplaces, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Storytelling in groups is not rational stories may build upon stories,
spontaneous remberences may be interjected into stories, stories may be
happy or sad, told from the head or the heart, and be received by group
members positively or negatively.

Creating opportunities for strategic storytelling requires planning

trust and candor of the tellers and listeners, and thoughtful facilitation of
reflective dialog and relationships that are made through stories.
o Successful professional stories can create dialog, new ideas, innovative
approaches to work, and support organizational transitions.

Next, as we daydreamed about how our storytelling abilities developed

and evolved from our youngest memories, Sir Andrew shared with us the

Definition of Storytelling, for it is a many-splendored thing:

A narration of personal experiences conveyed orally and directly by
organizational members and stakeholders to listeners in a facilitated
forum.
Mezirow views storytelling as a legitimate organizational process with
both strategic and tactical implications that can cut across the whole
organization, affecting large-scale changes to key processes and shifting
the workplace practices and assumptions of individual contributors.

According to Mezirow, one beauty of this authentic storytelling that has

its genesis in the tellers interpretation of his experience lies exactly in its
potential for fostering learning, shifting meaning perspectives, and
establishing shared understanding or even values at the same time that it
contributes practically to the organization, generating new ideas,
developing novel approaches to work, or supporting organizational
transitions.
And then, Sir Andrew shared with us
Mezirows Seven Conditions:

1st the participants will have accurate and complete information

The teller has access to their complete experience and has the ability to
fully address clarifying questions and points of curiosity

.
2nd the participants will be free from coercion and distorting selfdeception
Composing groups in ways that lower risk for the participants will allow
them to experience the potency of the process.

3rd the ability to weigh evidence and assess arguments objectively

This condition is defined by posing questions to the teller that clarify
and deepen understanding or prompt the teller to examine his
interpretation of his own experience

.
4th the capacity to be open to alternative perspectives
These alternative renditions can be the starting point for dialogue that
follows the telling

5th the ability to become critically reflective upon presuppositions and

their consequences
A collaborative exploration of assumptions with members of the group
may reveal deeper or stronger assumptions that are held mutually among
those present and may be operating across the organization at large.
6th the equal opportunity to participate, including the chance to
challenge, question, refute, and reflect and to hear others do the same
One key is that no individual is coerced into telling his or her story or
responding to one told by a colleague
A second key is that sufficient time is provided for all participants to
reflect on the story or a reaction to it, process it, and respond.
7th the ability to accept an informed, objective, and rational consensus
as a legitimate test of validity

This notion of consensus, which seems necessary for practical action ad

sustainable outcomes, benefits from the aid of a thoughtful and
unobtrusive facilitator able to direct participants gaze toward their own
learning process and thwart attempts to manipulate conclusions and
decisions to the point where they cease to be consensual or valid.

Sir Marcus reflected on these pearls of knowledge over which our

townsfolk marveled, and he wonderfully explained that there are stages
and categories to the art of storytelling. He informed us that in the 1st half
of Implementing Storytelling -Identifying the Context, practitioners
who use the storytelling sessions should consider the following benefits:
These sessions allow focus to be distributed toward specific topics
critical to the vitality of the business and the employees, i.e. innovation,
employee retention, or fostering diversity.

Example of use: This method allows the practitioner to have domain and
control over the agenda before experimenting with the venue, which lends

itself to dedicated space for facilitated storytelling and listening.

Tenets of these sessions foster communicative learning that creates
dialogue pertinent to the events related to the business. An example: This
creates an opportunity for topics to be discussed in a communicative
fashion that encourages open dialogue through the use of storytelling.
Storytelling sessions are typically associated with a high level of
commitment and awareness, which creates high levels of tenacity and low
level risk aversion, among senior management.

Storytelling is utilized by Fortune 500 companies who use the method to

benchmark visits, write scholarly and trade articles and books in

reference to the successes occurring in the industry. The information

shared through these sessions creates opportunities for senior
management to connect firsthand with the power of the stories through
employee dialogue.
Storytelling allows practitioners to develop a sixth sense for emergent
opportunities and move from a focus of impasse to active dialogue which
is solution-oriented.

Creating Spaces for Storytelling and Story Listening.

Storytelling can happen anywhere from the coffee station to the parking
lot.
The Facilitator takes the responsibility to rekindle the natural desire of
people in groups to tell their stories.
An important element of the process is to have the practitioner set the
stage by telling an authentic story, which will lead the participants to talk
authentically about their organizational experience in an open setting.

 Storytelling creates an opportunity for participants to choose which

parts of the story to include and which parts to leave out. This process is
known as unmasking which creates an environment free of coercion and a
commitment to open dialogue.

 The openness of dialogue through storytelling allows all participants to

be candid about their own person stories and allows others to engage in

the process by being an active listener during the session.

The more participants are open about their feelings, the more others in
the sessions will be about their employee experiences in reference to the
organization.
And then, Lady Veronica shared the concluding pearls of wisdom
regarding the realm of Implementing Storytelling:
Prompting Stories
* There are at least three essentials to getting storytelling started,
according to Mezirow.
a. The prompts that participants receive to support the selection of their
story.
Questions such as: What is the most
compelling/disconcerting/surprising/rewarding...event that happened to
you at work this week/month/in recent memory? help to promote
discussion. Starting this way may open free flowing dialogue that may
have escaped the practitioners notice.

b. The provision of sufficient time for reflection on the incident that

underlies the story they wish to tell. Provide a balance of positive and
difficult options, and slow the group down to have reflection time with
prompts such as: When you think of a story you would like to tell, cast
your mind back to an incident that lies at the heart of the story. Recall
how it felt to be a part of the incident at the time, what your role was and
who else was involved... Let the groups know how long they have to tell
their story, usually two to four minutes. Keep the discussion general and
free flowing, allowing for a variety of possibilities for the participants.
This invites innovative discussions.

c. Begin by working in small groups. Equipped now with a story to tell, the
participants can move into pairs or trios as time permits. Choose one
person to tell the story within the group, and change roles after the
allotted time is complete. Keeping the groups small reduces the perceived
risk of group stories being seen as staged or theatrical. Practitioners
should follow their instincts as they experiment with alternative
storytelling formats, group configurations and instructions.
And then Lady Veronica concluded the knowledge chapter on
Implementing Storytelling - Facilitating Dialogue After the Storytelling:
* The best facilitators are not afraid of silence

.
* Prompt discussion with simple questions about the story such as:
How did it feel to tell your story?
What was your experience as a listener?
What surprised you?
What did you notice?
As participants begin filling in the silence, they will do so in the interest of
making the conversation deeper, following rich, energetic veins of insight

and curiosity (Mezirow).

* One form of success is when the participants no longer look to the
facilitator for the next prompt for discussion, but instead speak
spontaneously, responsively and directly with each other. During this
time the practitioner/facilitator notices and monitors the patterns.

* Be open for conversation that is other than cheery and upbeat. Some
serous, sad, or scary stories may occur as well, and participants must be

encouraged to explore these stories, while trusting the process and

relaxing into it (Mezirow).

And, as our noble Chapter Review Team begins their departure for new
conquests and fables, Lady Veronica bestows these final Reflections:

* Storytelling is deeply embedded in relationships, and relationships that

have been bolstered by good stories help engender deeper understanding
into the fabric of the organization.
* New storytelling and story listening can aid work with organizations in
learning, innovation, change and strategy.

* Mezirow does not believe in coercing stories, but rather in letting them
happen spontaneously and freely.
References:
Tyler, J.A. (2010). Charting the Course: How Storytelling Can Foster
Communicative Learning in the Workplace. In Jack Mezirow and Edward
Taylor, Transformative Learning in Practice: Insights from Community,
Workplace, and Higher Education, pgs. 136-147. 1st ed., San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.

S T O RY T E L L I N G FA B L E

The Adventures of Mezirow

Storytelling - Chapter 12

n the land of Transformative Teaching, the hamlet of Ferris, there

lived a mighty Chapter Review Team - Sir Sean Adams, Sir Marcus

Bennett, Sir Andrew McQueen, and Lady Veronica Wilkerson of Johnson.

On 20 November, in the year of our Lord 2014 - our fearless team set out
on a mission to gather wisdom that would teach our humble village folk
and statesmen how to tell stories. This Storybird Presentation is the
culmination of their efforts. It will explore storytelling through:
Mezirows Seven Conditions and their Storytelling Connections,
Implementing Storytelling: Context and Spaces for Talking and
Listening
Prompting Stories, and Facilitating Dialogue After the Storytelling; and alas Reflections.
Let us now embark on this magical journey, and see what enlightenment
our wise team has gathered to share with us.

First, Sir Sean reminds us that,

As children, we all experienced fanciful storytelling:

o Ghost stories around a campfire

o Grandfathers stories of the way things used to be
o Important life lessons from our Mothers or Fathers
o Retelling of childhood hijinks (Huck Finn)

As professionals, we can adapt our developmental understanding of

storytelling to foster learning both in the classroom and the workplace.
Organizations fundamentally depend on communicative learning for,
among other things, the creation of novelty, conflict resolution, and
growth.

 Individuals and organizations depend on communication for critical

reflection and dialog as stories create insight and common ground
through symbolic interaction.
The rich tapestry of symbols, gestures, and language in stories fosters
internalization and self-reflection of listener experiences which converge
and overlap with the experiences of the storyteller.

Storytelling is not a diversion or an excuse for group bonding;

storytelling in professional settings is a tool to convey strategic messages
to enhance and reinforce organizational initiatives.
Mezirow, Taylor, and Associates define storytelling as a oral, face-to-face

narration of personal experience in a facilitated forum; apart from myths,

fables, and folklore.
o Personal experiences are derived from interactions between colleagues
in the workplaces, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Storytelling in groups is not rational stories may build upon stories,
spontaneous remberences may be interjected into stories, stories may be
happy or sad, told from the head or the heart, and be received by group
members positively or negatively.

Creating opportunities for strategic storytelling requires planning

trust and candor of the tellers and listeners, and thoughtful facilitation of
reflective dialog and relationships that are made through stories.
o Successful professional stories can create dialog, new ideas, innovative
approaches to work, and support organizational transitions.

Next, as we daydreamed about how our storytelling abilities developed

and evolved from our youngest memories, Sir Andrew shared with us the

Definition of Storytelling, for it is a many-splendored thing:

A narration of personal experiences conveyed orally and directly by
organizational members and stakeholders to listeners in a facilitated
forum.
Mezirow views storytelling as a legitimate organizational process with
both strategic and tactical implications that can cut across the whole
organization, affecting large-scale changes to key processes and shifting
the workplace practices and assumptions of individual contributors.

According to Mezirow, one beauty of this authentic storytelling that has

its genesis in the tellers interpretation of his experience lies exactly in its
potential for fostering learning, shifting meaning perspectives, and
establishing shared understanding or even values at the same time that it
contributes practically to the organization, generating new ideas,
developing novel approaches to work, or supporting organizational
transitions.
And then, Sir Andrew shared with us
Mezirows Seven Conditions:

1st the participants will have accurate and complete information

The teller has access to their complete experience and has the ability to
fully address clarifying questions and points of curiosity

.
2nd the participants will be free from coercion and distorting selfdeception
Composing groups in ways that lower risk for the participants will allow
them to experience the potency of the process.

3rd the ability to weigh evidence and assess arguments objectively

This condition is defined by posing questions to the teller that clarify
and deepen understanding or prompt the teller to examine his
interpretation of his own experience

.
4th the capacity to be open to alternative perspectives
These alternative renditions can be the starting point for dialogue that
follows the telling

5th the ability to become critically reflective upon presuppositions and

their consequences
A collaborative exploration of assumptions with members of the group
may reveal deeper or stronger assumptions that are held mutually among
those present and may be operating across the organization at large.
6th the equal opportunity to participate, including the chance to
challenge, question, refute, and reflect and to hear others do the same
One key is that no individual is coerced into telling his or her story or
responding to one told by a colleague
A second key is that sufficient time is provided for all participants to
reflect on the story or a reaction to it, process it, and respond.
7th the ability to accept an informed, objective, and rational consensus
as a legitimate test of validity

This notion of consensus, which seems necessary for practical action ad

sustainable outcomes, benefits from the aid of a thoughtful and
unobtrusive facilitator able to direct participants gaze toward their own
learning process and thwart attempts to manipulate conclusions and
decisions to the point where they cease to be consensual or valid.

Sir Marcus reflected on these pearls of knowledge over which our

townsfolk marveled, and he wonderfully explained that there are stages
and categories to the art of storytelling. He informed us that in the 1st half
of Implementing Storytelling -Identifying the Context, practitioners
who use the storytelling sessions should consider the following benefits:
These sessions allow focus to be distributed toward specific topics
critical to the vitality of the business and the employees, i.e. innovation,
employee retention, or fostering diversity.

Example of use: This method allows the practitioner to have domain and
control over the agenda before experimenting with the venue, which lends

itself to dedicated space for facilitated storytelling and listening.

Tenets of these sessions foster communicative learning that creates
dialogue pertinent to the events related to the business. An example: This
creates an opportunity for topics to be discussed in a communicative
fashion that encourages open dialogue through the use of storytelling.
Storytelling sessions are typically associated with a high level of
commitment and awareness, which creates high levels of tenacity and low
level risk aversion, among senior management.

Storytelling is utilized by Fortune 500 companies who use the method to

benchmark visits, write scholarly and trade articles and books in

reference to the successes occurring in the industry. The information

shared through these sessions creates opportunities for senior
management to connect firsthand with the power of the stories through
employee dialogue.
Storytelling allows practitioners to develop a sixth sense for emergent
opportunities and move from a focus of impasse to active dialogue which
is solution-oriented.

Creating Spaces for Storytelling and Story Listening.

Storytelling can happen anywhere from the coffee station to the parking
lot.
The Facilitator takes the responsibility to rekindle the natural desire of
people in groups to tell their stories.
An important element of the process is to have the practitioner set the
stage by telling an authentic story, which will lead the participants to talk
authentically about their organizational experience in an open setting.

 Storytelling creates an opportunity for participants to choose which

parts of the story to include and which parts to leave out. This process is
known as unmasking which creates an environment free of coercion and a
commitment to open dialogue.

 The openness of dialogue through storytelling allows all participants to

be candid about their own person stories and allows others to engage in

the process by being an active listener during the session.

The more participants are open about their feelings, the more others in
the sessions will be about their employee experiences in reference to the
organization.
And then, Lady Veronica shared the concluding pearls of wisdom
regarding the realm of Implementing Storytelling:
Prompting Stories
* There are at least three essentials to getting storytelling started,
according to Mezirow.
a. The prompts that participants receive to support the selection of their
story.
Questions such as: What is the most
compelling/disconcerting/surprising/rewarding...event that happened to
you at work this week/month/in recent memory? help to promote
discussion. Starting this way may open free flowing dialogue that may
have escaped the practitioners notice.

b. The provision of sufficient time for reflection on the incident that

underlies the story they wish to tell. Provide a balance of positive and
difficult options, and slow the group down to have reflection time with
prompts such as: When you think of a story you would like to tell, cast
your mind back to an incident that lies at the heart of the story. Recall
how it felt to be a part of the incident at the time, what your role was and
who else was involved... Let the groups know how long they have to tell
their story, usually two to four minutes. Keep the discussion general and
free flowing, allowing for a variety of possibilities for the participants.
This invites innovative discussions.

c. Begin by working in small groups. Equipped now with a story to tell, the
participants can move into pairs or trios as time permits. Choose one
person to tell the story within the group, and change roles after the
allotted time is complete. Keeping the groups small reduces the perceived
risk of group stories being seen as staged or theatrical. Practitioners
should follow their instincts as they experiment with alternative
storytelling formats, group configurations and instructions.
And then Lady Veronica concluded the knowledge chapter on
Implementing Storytelling with
Facilitating Dialogue After the Storytelling:
* The best facilitators are not afraid of silence

.
* Prompt discussion with simple questions about the story such as:
How did it feel to tell your story?
What was your experience as a listener?
What surprised you?
What did you notice?

As participants begin filling in the silence, they will do so in the interest of

making the conversation deeper, following rich, energetic veins of insight
and curiosity (Mezirow).
* One form of success is when the participants no longer look to the
facilitator for the next prompt for discussion, but instead speak
spontaneously, responsively and directly with each other. During this
time the practitioner/facilitator notices and monitors the patterns.

* Be open for conversation that is other than cheery and upbeat. Some
serous, sad, or scary stories may occur as well, and participants must be

encouraged to explore these stories, while trusting the process and

relaxing into it (Mezirow).

And, as our noble Chapter Review Team begins their departure for new
conquests and fables, Lady Veronica bestows these final Reflections:

* Storytelling is deeply embedded in relationships, and relationships that

have been bolstered by good stories help engender deeper understanding
into the fabric of the organization.
* New storytelling and story listening can aid work with organizations in
learning, innovation, change and strategy.

* Mezirow does not believe in coercing stories, but rather in letting them
happen spontaneously and freely.