ABSTRACT
In cultures throughout the world, they have had an important role to play in building communities and preserving and sharing historical data. Nancy Mellon, professional storyteller in the United States, says that intention is crucial if you are telling a story as an illustrative part of a mentoring exercise. In some ancient Eastern cultures, storytelling was also used as a gentle, yet powerful form of therapy. Even a very short story can follow the same journey format. A skilful mentor can make appropriate use of story and visual imagery to help the protg make sense of the patterns or templates that exists within an organization, and to appreciate where they fit into the broader context. Humour is an emotion that deserves a special mention because of its powerful effects. Original research carried out by Roger Sperry in the 1960s into the functions of the two brain hemispheres also provides us with insight into the value of storytelling in unconscious learning.
